“Straight Jalopy” and “Chopped Jalopy” Races

a.k.a. Jalopy and Rail Races or just as Jalopy Races

Sportsman Park - Oakley, Kansas

Sunday Afternoon – July 15, 1962

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Time Trials – 20 Cars – 1 Lap

 

 

 

First Heat Race – 8 Laps

7 slowest jalopies from time trials

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 10 Laps

All 6 rails competed

 

 

 

Third Heat Race – 10 Laps

7 fastest jalopies from time trials

 

 

 

Trophy Dash – 6 Laps

Fastest 4 rails from time trials

#22 Bob Salem scratched from this race so the fifth fastest car from time trials, #99 Bryce Barth, took the last starting spot.

 

 

 

Hometowner Trophy Dash – 4 Cars

Open only to jalopies from Oakley

Since the 1932 Ford coupe #3 driven by Reed was owned by Alfred “Fritz” Glassman of Oakley, Kansas, it qualified as a local car to be in this race even though the driver was not exactly from Oakley.

 

 

 

Trophy Dash

Fastest 4 jalopies from time trials

Shumard’s car broke an axel. 

 

 

 

Feature Race – 14 Cars – 12 Laps

Open to all jalopies that had competed in a heat race

 

 

 

Feature Race – 6 Cars – 15 Laps

Open to all rails that had competed in a heat race

 

 

 

 

Oakley Graphic

Thursday – July 19, 1962 – Front Page:

Local Driver in Car Race Thrill

One of the biggest crowds saw Oakley racers give with the major thrill at Jaycees stock car races Sunday.

In an extra feature, four Oakley drivers competed for fun and the car driven by Pat Weigel went out of control and flipped some three times.  Weigel, securely strapped in by a safety harness, was uninjured.

Other local racers included Harold Wadsworth, the winner, Dennis Scheetz and Ron Reed.

Top money winners were Phil Simmons, Norton, Jalopies; and Gene Coffman, Liberal, Rails.  Simmons was driving black No. 4, and Coffman No. 23.

           

            Webmaster’s notes:  This newspaper article is obviously in error.  The $45 in winnings Coffman collected this day was second highest behind the share of  the purse that Hiner won.

                The black 1933 Chevrolet #4 jalopy that Simmons was driving was known as the “Little Jewel”.  It was owned by a group of business men (Earl Haase, Glen Pickett, Clarence Rogers, and George Shafer) from Beaver City, Nebraska.  Don Lytle of Culbertson, Nebraska had been fatally injured in a crash while racing this car at Hutchinson, Kansas a year previous.

               

 

 

 

This is the Pius Selenke owned V-8 Mercury Flathead powered rail that Charlie Hiner made a clean sweep with at Oakley this day by setting the fastest time in time trials, winning his heat, trophy dash, and feature races.  This photo was taken after the car was located in a salvage yard in Wichita more than 30 years after these races at Oakley and was restored by Dwane Wolf – Dwane Wolf photo from Warren Vincent’s Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

This is the #23JR rail that Gene Coffman drove to three second place finishes on this date.  Click your mouse on this photo to see another of this same car with Coffman standing beside the car with his hand on the throttle linkage – Coffman collection

 

 

 

Harold Wadsworth (center) of Oakley drove this yellow jalopy sponsored by Don and Stan Smith, owners of the S & S Body Shop in Oakley.  Wadsworth worked as a mechanic at the Oakley Chevrolet dealership and it is very likely that Bob Hooker, owner of the former Blankenburg Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealership, was also one of Wadsworth’s sponsors.  Wadsworth only had one arm but was a very capable mechanic and race car driver in spite of this handicap – Coffman collection

 

 

 

Andy McKinley drove this jalopy that was owned by Bob Loranz.  Both men were from WaKeeney, Kansas – Coffman collection

 

 

 

for a copy of the rules and specifications that governed these races at Oakley

 

 

 

 

¹ Pat Weigel was originally from Monument, Kansas but at this time of this race, he resided in Oakley.

 

² Dennis Scheetz’s bright red jalopy was sponsored by Oakley Motors and is believed to have had several owners.  It is believed to have been powered by a flathead Ford V8 as it appears to be a 1933 or 34 Ford in the newspaper photos.  Dennis’ brother Richard Scheetz, was the flagman for the races at Oakley from 1961 through 1963.

 

 

 

 

 

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