Rail and Jalopy Races
Sportsman Park - Oakley, Kansas
Sunday Afternoon – July 23, 1961
Oakley Graphic
Thursday – July 20, 1961 – Front Page:
Jaycees Sponsor
Jalopy Races Here
Jalopy races will be held again Sunday (July 23, 1961) at the Oakley race track, the Jaycees announced this week. Action in last’s week’s races was termed fast and exciting by spectators.
Gathering at Oakley
This photo was taken this day in Oakley. These race teams made a practice of gathering at this same place around noon on race day before going out to the racetrack. Left to right is the yellow and black #17 rail owned and driven by Gene Coffman of Liberal, Kansas; the red and white #22 jalopy owned and driven by Bob Salem of Dodge City, Kansas; and the black and white checkerboard #32 Hudson rail owned and driven by K. O. Christian of Wichita – Cokeley collection
Meeting up at Oakley
This photo was taken at Oakley at noon on this date. The white #7 rail in the foreground was owned by Cliff Durr of Derby, Kansas and driven by Clarence “Nut” Cokeley of Liberal. Behind the #7 rail is a Ford tow car owned by Bob Lorenz of WaKeeney, Kansas. The car on the trailer behind Lorenz’s tow car is the red #7 jalopy that Lorenz owned and “Nut” Cokeley drove – Cokeley collection
Time Trials – 1 Lap
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Time |
|
1 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Rail |
28.53 |
|
2 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Jalopy |
28.87 |
|
3 |
32 |
K. O. Christian |
Wichita, Kansas |
Rail |
29.00 |
|
4 |
88 |
Bernie Beydler |
Great Bend, Kansas |
Rail |
29.45 |
|
8 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Dodge City, Kansas |
Rail |
29.62 |
|
6 |
75 |
Phil Simmons |
Norton, Kansas |
Jalopy |
30.36 |
|
7 |
1 |
Dennis Scheetz |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
30.45 |
|
8 |
97 |
Lyle Lewis |
Dighton, Kansas |
Rail |
30.70 |
|
9 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Dodge City, Kansas |
Jalopy |
31.50 |
|
10 |
69 |
Pat Weigel |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
32.60 |
|
|
17 |
Gene Coffman |
Liberal, Kansas |
Rail |
NT |
First Jalopy Heat Race – 5 Cars – 8 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
75 |
Phil Simmons |
Norton, Kansas |
Jalopy |
3 |
|
2 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Dodge City, Kansas |
Jalopy |
2 |
|
3 |
1 |
Dennis Scheetz |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
4 |
|
4 |
69 |
Pat Weigel |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
1 |
|
DNF |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Jalopy |
5 |
On the 7th lap, Cokeley slid into a mud hole on the inside of the second turn and got stuck.
First Rail Heat Race – 5 Cars – 8 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Rail |
5 |
|
2 |
88 |
Bernie Beydler |
Great Bend, Kansas |
Rail |
3 |
|
3 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Dodge City, Kansas |
Rail |
2 |
|
4 |
32 |
K. O. Christian |
Wichita, Kansas |
Rail |
4 |
|
DNF |
97 |
Lyle Lewis |
Dighton, Kansas |
Rail |
1 |
Lewis ran off the racetrack between the first and second turns.
Jalopy Consolation Race – 3 Cars – 8 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Jalopy |
3 |
|
2 |
1 |
Dennis Scheetz |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
2 |
|
3 |
69 |
Pat Weigel |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
1 |
Rail Consolation Race – 3 Cars – 8 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Dodge City, Kansas |
Rail |
2 |
|
2 |
32 |
K. O. Christian |
Wichita, Kansas |
Rail |
3 |
|
3 |
97 |
Lyle Lewis |
Dighton, Kansas |
Rail |
1 |
Lewis ran off the racetrack between the first and second turns on the 7th lap of the race.
Jalopy Trophy Dash – 3 Cars – 5 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Jalopy |
1 |
|
2 |
75 |
Phil Simmons |
Norton, Kansas |
Jalopy |
3 |
|
3 |
1 |
Dennis Scheetz |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
2 |
Rail Trophy Dash – 3 Cars – 5 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
88 |
Bernie Beydler |
Great Bend, Kansas |
Rail |
3 |
|
DNF |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Rail |
1 |
|
DNF |
32 |
K. O. Christian |
Wichita, Kansas |
Rail |
2 |
The rails driven by Cokeley and Christian collided in the 3rd turn on the 4th lap of the race.
Jalopy Feature Race – 5 Cars – 12 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Jalopy |
1 |
|
2 |
75 |
Phil Simmons |
Norton, Kansas |
Jalopy |
3 |
|
3 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Dodge City, Kansas |
Jalopy |
4 |
|
4 |
1 |
Dennis Scheetz |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
2 |
|
5 |
69 |
Pat Weigel |
Oakley, Kansas |
Jalopy |
5 |
Weigel had been lapped by the finish of this race.
Rail Feature Race – 5 Cars – 12 Laps
|
Finishing Position |
Car # |
Driver |
Hometown |
Class |
Starting Position |
|
1 |
7 |
Clarence “Nut” Cokeley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Rail |
1 |
|
2 |
32 |
K. O. Christian |
Wichita, Kansas |
Rail |
2 |
|
3 |
88 |
Bernie Beydler |
Great Bend, Kansas |
Rail |
3 |
|
4 |
22 |
Bob Salem |
Oakley, Kansas |
Rail |
4 |
|
5 |
97 |
Lyle Lewis |
Dighton, Kansas |
Rail |
5 |
Lewis’ car spun into the infield between turns 1 and 2.
The red #7 Ford jalopy that “Nut” Cokeley drove was owned by Bob Lorenz of WaKeeney, Kansas. The white #7 Hudson rail he drove was owned by Cliff Durr of Derby, Kansas.
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