Stock Car Races at Oakley, Kansas on July 16, 1961

Stock Car Races

Sportsman Park - Oakley, Kansas

Sunday Afternoon – July 16, 1961

Oakley Graphic

Thursday – July 13, 1961 – Front Page:

Kart, Stock Races in Oakley Sunday

There’s more racing action in Oakley Sunday.

Free-to-the-public Go Kart races will be held at the track in back of Spresser Sinclair station near Highway 40 east.

There’s an entry fee for drivers to cover cost of trophies to be given in various classes. “We’re looking for a better turnout of karts,” one of the organizers said.

Stock car and jalopy races under sponsorship of the Jaycees will be held at the ball park. Time trials start at 1:30 p.m. With $300 guaranteed prize money, the Jaycees are hoping to have a big field of entries here.

Oakley Graphic

Thursday – July 13, 1961 – Page 7:

STOCK CAR RACES

Sunday, July 16

Oakley Fair Grounds

Time Trials at 1:30 p.m.

Expecting good field of top, new fast entries

GUARANTEED $300 PURSE

Admissions: $1.00 - Children Under 12 Free

Sponsored by Oakley

Junior Chamber of Commerce

This photo was taken on this date before the races at Oakley. The jalopy was owned by Bob Lorenz of WaKenney, Kansas and driven by Gene Coffman of Liberal, Kansas – Coffman collection

This photo was taken in the infield of the racetrack at Oakley on this date. This white coupe #6 coupe was powered by a straight-eight engine. The car was owned John T. “Blinky” Bender and driven by Laverne Owens, both men from WaKeeney, Kansas. A close examination of this photo appears to depict a woman holding a flag while seated on the number 6 on the side of the car. Click your mouse on the photo to see another photo showing Owens standing beside this car.

The number 27 jalopy at left was owned and driven by Basil Laird of WaKeeney although a driver change put Bob Salem of Dodge City, Kansas in the driver’s seat of the #27 for the feature race on this day – Coffman collection

K. O. Christian of Wichita, Kansas can be seen here standing with the trophy girl in front of the pace car. He had driven his #32 Hudson powered rail (at far right) to victory in the rail trophy dash on this day – Dorothy Cokeley photo

Time Trials – 11 Cars – 1 Lap

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Time
1	17	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	28.45
2	32	K. O. Christian	Wichita, Kansas	Rail	28.57
3	45	Max Fischer	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	29.30
4	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	29.30
5	21	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	29.75
6	22	Bob Salem	Dodge City, Kansas	Jalopy	30.75
7	1	Dennis Scheetz	Oakley, Kansas	Jalopy	31.20
8	6	Laverne Owens	WaKeeney, Kansas	Jalopy	33.45
9	69	Pat Weigel	Oakley, Kansas	Jalopy	33.70
10	27	Basil Laird	WaKeeney, Kansas	Jalopy	40.70
	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	NT
	88	Paul Garrett	Oakley, Kansas	Rail	NT

Trophy Dash – 3 Jalopies – 6 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	1
2	22	Bob Salem	Dodge City, Kansas	Jalopy	3
3	21	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	2

Trophy Dash – 4 Rails – 6 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	32	K. O. Christian	Wichita, Kansas	Rail	2
2	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	3
3	17	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	1
DNF	45	Max Fischer	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	4

Jalopy Heat Race – 4 Jalopies – 8 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	21	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	3
2	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	4
3	1	Dennis Scheetz	Oakley, Kansas	Jalopy	1
DNF	22	Bob Salem	Dodge City, Kansas	Jalopy	2

Rail Heat Race – 4 Rails – 8 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	32	K. O. Christian	Wichita, Kansas	Rail	1
2	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	4
3	88	Paul Garrett	Oakley, Kansas	Rail	3
4	17	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	2

Jalopy Consolation Race – 3 Jalopies – 8 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	69	Pat Weigel	Oakley, Kansas	Jalopy	3
2	27	Basil Laird	WaKeeney, Kansas	Jalopy	1
3	6	Laverne Owens	WaKeeney, Kansas	Jalopy	2

Rail Feature Race – 5 Rails – 12 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	5
2	17	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	2
3	88	Paul Garrett	Oakley, Kansas	Rail	1
4	32	K. O. Christian	Wichita, Kansas	Rail	3
DNF	45	Max Fischer	Liberal, Kansas	Rail	4

Jalopy Feature Race – 6 Rails – 12 Laps

Finishing Position	Car #	Driver	Hometown	Class	Starting Position
1	7	Clarence “Nut” Cokeley	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	1
2	21	Gene Coffman	Liberal, Kansas	Jalopy	2
3	1	Dennis Sheeetz	Oakley, Kansas	Jalopy	3
4	27	Bob Salem	Dodge City, Kansas	Jalopy	6
5	6	Laverne Owens	WaKeeney, Kansas	Jalopy	5
6	69	Pat Weigel	Oakley, Kansas	Jalopy	4

The jalopies driven by Owens and Weigel were a lap behind the other cars at the finish of the jalopy feature race.

Salem had to start last due to the driver change when he replaced car owner Basil Laird for this race.

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley drove both the white #7 rail at left that was owned by Cliff Durr of Derby, Kansas and the red #7 jalopy at right that was owned by Bob Lorenz in these races at Oakley. That is Nut seated here in the rail and Lorenz seated in the jalopy – Cokeley collection

Gene Coffman with the #17 rail he drove in these races. The car was owned by K. O. Christian – Cokeley collection

Gene Coffman won $38 in prize money from the total posted purse of $300 driving the rail #17 owned by K. O. Christian of Wichita, Kansas. Coffman’s deal with Christian allowed him to keep the prize money he won with the car. Coffman also won $37 of the purse driving the #21 jalopy owned by Laverne Owens of WaKeeney, Kansas. They split that money with Coffman getting $15 and Owens getting $22.

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