Sprint Car Races at Hutchinson, Kansas on July 31, 1983

27^th Annual

Hutchinson Nationals

Dirt Champ Cars, Late Model Stock Cars & Late Model Sportsman

On the Historic Half-Mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

Hutchinson, Kansas

Sunday – July 31, 1983

Sanctioned by – National Championship Racing Association (N.C.R.A.)

Promotional Company – Speedways Inc. of Wichita, Kansas

Race Director – C. Ray Hall of Wichita, Kansas

Flagman / starter – Nunie Coleman of Wichita, Kansas

Announcers – Bo Kline and Warren Hardy

Attendance – “over 8,000”

Entries – 37 Late Model Stock Cars and 30 Dirt Champ Cars

Hutchinson News

July 31, 1983 – Page 16

Late Model Sportsman

B Feature Race – 15 Laps

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Dick Hendershot, Jr.	Hutchinson, Kansas	6:35.1
2	Oren Haas	Wichita, Kansas
3	Bud Haehn	Hoisington, Kansas
4	Joe Hauck	Wichita, Kansas

Hendershot managed to edge out Haas in a photo finish.

Late Model Sportsman

A Feature Race – 25 Laps

Place	Driver	From
1	Gary Haas	Wichita, Kansas
2	Frank McGehee	Wichita, Kansas
3	Al Purkey	Coffeyville, Kansas
4	Steve Bush	Wichita, Kansas
5	John Craig	Manhattan, Kansas
6	Rob Glasse	Wichita, Kansas
7	Craig Miller	Hutchinson, Kansas
8	John McAllister	Wichita, Kansas
9	Don Foster	Wichita, Kansas
10	Dick Hendershot, Jr.	Hutchinson, Kansas
	Bob Billups	Wichita, Kansas

Race leader Billips was sent to the rear of the pack on the 19^th lap for pitting under a yellow flag. That left Haas in the lead and he stayed there until the finish.

Late Model Stock Car

B Feature Race – 15 Laps

Place	Driver	From
1	Bill Moyer	Ankeny, Iowa
2	Von Morton	Hutchinson, Kansas
3	Carol Lister	Chickasha, Oklahoma
4	Buck Cadwell	Arnett, Oklahoma

Moyer overtook Morton on the eighth lap in the southeast turn and kept the lead to the end.

Late Model Stock Car

A Feature Race – 24 Cars – 40 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From	Started	Laps Completed	Purse
1	75	Larry Phillips	Springfield, Missouri	1	40	$2,000
2	50B	Larry McDaniels	Wichita, Kansas	2	40	1,300
3	53	Joe Kosiski	Omaha, Nebraska	3	40	1,000
4	57	Dhon Hauserman	Wichita, Kansas	7	40	700
5	10-4	Tommy Joe “T. J.” Pauschert	Carlisle, Arkansas	12	40	550
6	7B	Clay Bontrager	Hutchinson, Kansas	19	40	475
7	4	Terry Deatherage	Houston, Texas	11	40	425
8	701	David Brack	Great Bend, Kansas	4	40	350
9	D0	Buck Cadwell	Arnett, Oklahoma	24	39	300
10	3	Dave Chase	Omaha, Nebraska	20	39	275
11	4x	Roger Thompson	Junction City, Kansas	8	39	225
12	12	Johnny Bone	Pea Ridge, Arkansas	15	39	200
13	D11	David Hennan	Wichita Falls, Texas	13	39	150
14	32	Bud Purkey	Coffeyville, Kansas	9	39	150
15	60	David Hughes	Breckinridge, Oklahoma	10	38	120
16	83	Von Morton	Hutchinson, Kansas	22	38	110
17	86	Ferris Collier	Glencoe, Oklahoma	6	33	100
18	2	George England	Houston, Texas	18	33	100
19	21	Bill Moyer	Ankeny, Iowa	21	18	100
20	1Y	Carol Lister	Chickasha, Oklahoma	23	12	100
21	1	Charlie Bertrand	El Reno, Oklahoma	16	0	100
22	70	Don Morris	Osborne, Kansas	17	0	100
23	33	Junior Slay	Woodward, Oklahoma	5	0	100
24	14	Jay Hudson	Osborne, Kansas	14	0	100

Hennan’s car caught fire on the 33^rd lap bringing out the red flag but once the fire was out, he was able to restart the race.

Larry Phillips and his Crew after Winning the 40-lap Late Model Stock Car A Feature

Chuck Sterling photo from the N.C.R.A. yearbook

David Hennan of Wichita Falls, Texas lights up the underneath side of his late model stock car on the 33^rd lap of the Championship race. The race was stopped while the fire was extinguished and Hennan was able to restart the event.

Mike Cornelison photo

Farris Collier of Glencoe, Oklahoma - Mike Corenlison photo

Craig Miller

Warren Vincent photo

Steve Bush

Joe Aldershof collection

Al Purkey

Purkey collection

Joe Kosiski

Midwest Racing Archives website

Gary Haas

Warren Vincent photo

Billy Moyer

North Carolina Dirt Racing website

Frank McGehee

Haehn collection

Oren Haas

81 Speedway program

T. J. Pauschert

Race-Place website

Von Morton

Warren Vincent photo

Bud Purkey

Mike Cornelison photo

Terry Deatherage

Warren Vincent photo

Larry Phillips

Brian Carroll collection

Buck Cadwell

Warren Vincent photo

Bud Haehn

Warren Vincent photo

Clay Bontrager

81 Speedway program

Larry McDaniels

Bill Rogers collection

Rob Glasse

Warren Vincent photo

Don Morris

Warren Vincent photo

Dick Hendershot, Jr.

Warren Vincent photo

Dhon Hauserman

Rick Kippes photo

Roger Thompson

Warren Vincent photo

Harold Leep is shown taking the checkered flag at left to win the 40-lap Dirt Champ A Feature in John Stutsman owned car - Chuck Sterling photo from the N.C.R.A. yearbook

Dirt Champ Car

First Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From	Time
1	6	Jon Johnson	Utica, Kansas	3:47.5
2	20	Steve Carithers	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
3	23	Greg Wooley	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4	96	Ken Brewer	Chactaw, Oklahoma
5	62	Ricky Jennings	Norman, Oklahoma
6	84	Dennis Park	Liberal, Kansas
6	181
7	78	Kevin Pickard	Edmond, Oklahoma

Dirt Champ Car

Second Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From	Time
1	43	Jim Selenke	Wichita, Kansas	3:50.7
2	92	Tommie Estes, Jr.	Ada, Oklahoma
3	3x	Dee Zelmer	Lee’s Summitt, Missouri
4	4	Rick Riner	Wichita, Kansas
5	1x	Dave Frusher	Jetmore, Kansas
	61	Ernest Jennings	Norman, Oklahoma
DNF	86	Troy Matchen	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
DNF	96x	Frank Lies	Wichita, Kansas

Dirt Champ Car

Third Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From	Time
1	1n	Herb Copeland	Wichita, Kansas	3:49.9
2	2	Gary Tapp	Tulsa, Oklahoma
3	7n	Gary Sooter	Amarillo, Texas
4	11x	Garry Lee Maier	Dodge City, Kansas
5	21	Jerry Stone	Owasso, Oklahoma
6	76s	Howie Sewell	Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
7	28	Ace Gearhart	Liberal, Kansas

Dirt Champ Car

Fourth Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From	Time
1	70	Harold Leep, Sr.	Muskogee, Oklahoma	3:53.2
2	85	Bob Ewell	Forney, Texas
3	17	Stan Constant	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4	11T	Tony Armstrong	Tulsa, Oklahoma
5	27	Danny Shouse	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
6	0	Randy Richardson	Liberal, Kansas
7	36

Dirt Champ Car

B Feature Race – 10 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From
1	0	Randy Richardson	Liberal, Kansas
2	76s	Howie Sewell	Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
3	75	Bruce Jennings	Norman, Oklahoma
4	84	Dennis Park	Liberal, Kansas
5	61	Ernest Jennings	Norman, Oklahoma
6	96x	Frank Lies	Wichita, Kansas
	181
	28	Ace Gearhart	Liberal, Kansas
	36
DNF	78	Kevin Pickard	Edmond, Oklahoma
DNF	86	Troy Matchen	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Richardson led this entire race.

Dirt Champ Car

A Feature Race – 24 Cars – 40 Laps

Place	Car #	Driver	From	Started	Laps Completed	Purse
1	70	Harold Leep, Sr.	Muskogee, Oklahoma	5	40	$2,000
2	21	Jerry Stone	Owasso, Oklahoma	19	40	1,300
3	1n	Herb Copeland	Wichita, Kansas	1	40	1,000
4	85	Bob Ewell	Forney, Texas	6	40	700
5	75	Bruce Jennings	Norman, Oklahoma	23	40	550
6	11T	Tony Armstrong	Tulsa, Oklahoma	14	40	475
7	0	Randy Richardson	Liberal, Kansas	21	39	425
8	96	Ken Brewer	Choctaw, Oklahoma	15	39	350
9	17	Stan Constant	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	13	39	300
10	4	Rick Riner	Wichita, Kansas	10	35	275
11	27	Bob Waller	Tulsa, Oklahoma	20	34	225
12	7n	Gary Sooter	Amarillo, Texas	12	31	200
13	76s	Howie Sewell	Broken Arrow, Oklahoma	22	31	150
14	6	Jon Johnson	Utica, Kansas	4	30	125
15	62	Ricky Jennings	Norman, Oklahoma	17	30	120
16	43	Jim Selenke	Wichita, Kansas	2	28	110
17	23	Greg Wooley	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	9	25	100
18	92	Tommie Estes, Jr.	Ada, Oklahoma	3	25	100
19	20	Steve Carithers	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	7	15	100
20	1x	Dave Frusher	Jetmore, Kansas	11	12	100
21	84	Dennis Park	Liberal, Kansas	24	10	100
22	2	Gary Tapp	Tulsa, Oklahoma	8	7	100
23	11x	Garry Lee Maier	Dodge City, Kansas	16	7	100
24	3x	Dee Zelmer	Lee’s Summit, Missouri	18	2	100

Leep passed then leader Copeland in the northwest turn on the 23^rd lap.

The race was temporarily stopped when Sewell’s car caught fire on the 31^st lap. Shortly after the race was restarted, it had to be stopped again when Sooter’s car flipped on the back straightaway and struck Riner’s car which then crashed into a mobile home parked on the infield.

Stone passed Leep for the lead on the back straightaway on the final lap but Leep got back by in the northeast turn and led the rest of the way to the checkered flag.

Herb Copeland in the Carrol Nance owned #1n. That is Buddy Mullens’ #01 late model sportsman on the trailer in the back ground

Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#85 Bob Ewell on the infield at Hutchinson. The yellow late model stock car #D11 on the racetrack in the background was being driven by David Hennan - Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

Jim Selenke in his own #43 – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#76s Howie Sewell – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#96x Frank Lies – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#84 Dennis Park leads an unidentified #181 – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#1n Herb Copeland leading #84 Dennis Park – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#85 Bob Ewell leads #27 Danny Shouse in the fourth heat race – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#27 Danny Shouse leads #70 Harold Leep in the fourth heat race – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#78 Kevin Pickard going through the fourth (northwest) turn in the B feature - J.D. Porter collection

#43 Jim Selenke leads #6 Jon Johnson – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#1x Dave Frusher leading #11x Garry Lee Maier and #21 Jerry Stone – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#1x Dave Frusher – Mike Monatoboy photo

#11T Tony Armstrong leading #0 Randy Richardson. Armstrong finished sixth in the 40-lap A feature race while Richardson finished seventh – Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#70 Harold Leep followed #1n Herb Copeland for 23 laps before passing him and going on to win the A feature

Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#70 Harold Leep led #21 Jerry Stone in the final laps of the A feature but Stone’s last ditch effort to pass on the final lap came up short

Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

#4 Rick Riner and #7n Gary Sooter jockey for position on this afternoon

Chuck Sterling photo from the N.C.R.A. yearbook

Harold Leep, John Stutsman, crew, and friends celebrate after winning the 40-lap Dirt Champ A Feature Race

Chuck Sterling photo from the N.C.R.A. yearbook

Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page