Oakley Graphic

Friday, October 26, 1928 

 

Annual Fall

AUTO RACES

At Oakley, Kansas

 

 Saturday, October 27

 

Fastest Mile Dirt Track

in the west.  Auspices American Legion

 

Admission 50˘

 

Large Number of Entries

 

$500 IN PURSE MONEY

 

For three races of 5, 10 and 15 miles each

 

Roy Boggs

 

 

 

Phineas Comador “Dad” Harrier 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIME TRIALS

1 Lap Around 1 Mile Racetrack

Drivers are listed here in the order in which they went out to take their time trial.

PLACE

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

TIME

14

Bill Epps

Oakley, Kansas

NT4

5

P. C. “Dad” Harrier

Topeka, Kansas

48.0

13

F. Anderson

Eads, Colorado

56.8

9

Leslie L. Neff1

Winona, Kansas

49.6

7

Roy Boggs

Beatrice, Nebraska

48.4

2

Willard Prentiss2

Denver, Colorado

43.4

8

L. Lennon

Eads, Colorado

48.8

5

Tom Holden

WaKeeney, Kansas

48.0

11

Lawrence Hughes

Beatrice, Nebraska

53.4

2

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, Kansas

43.4

4

Jim White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

45.6

1

Vic Felt5

Deer Trail, Colorado

42.2

10

Leon Wycoff3

Russell Springs, Kansas

51.2

12

J. Harris

Goodland, Kansas

56.6

 

 

 

5 MILE RACE

5 Laps Around 1 Mile Racetrack

PLACE

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

TIME

PURSE

1

Vic Felt5

Deer Trail, Colorado

4:00.6

$50

2

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, Colorado

4:00.8

$35

3

Tom Holden

WaKeeney, Kansas

4:10.0

$15

 

Willard Prentiss2

Denver, Colorado

 

 

 

Leslie L. Neff1

Winona, Kansas

 

 -

“Two cars “left the track” on the first lap of this race and were apparently unable to continue.  Kerbs’ made an attempt to pass Felt on the last straight-way but fell just short at the finish line.” – November 2, 1928 issue of the Oakley Graphic

 

 

 

10 MILE RACE

10 Laps Around 1 Mile Racetrack

PLACE

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

TIME

PURSE

1

Vic Felt5

Deer Trail, Colorado

8:17

$75

2

Tom Holden

WaKeeney, Kansas

8:25

$50

3

Leon Wycoff3

Russell Springs, Kansas

10:16

$25

 

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, Kansas

 

-

“It was worth the price of admission to see Felt hold his lead and never was in any danger of being passed.”

November 2, 1928 issue of the Oakley Graphic

 

 

 

15 MILE RACE

15 Laps Around 1 Mile Racetrack

PLACE

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

TIME

PURSE

1

Vic Felt5

Deer Trail, Colorado

12:35

$125

2

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, Kansas

12.36

$75

3

Willard Prentiss2

Denver, Colorado

12:40

$50

4

P. C. “Dad” Harrier

Topeka, Kansas

 

-

 

Jim White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

DNF - wreck

-

“Seven cars started this race.  White lost control of his car from a flat tire and put on a series of somersaults on the home stretch directly in front of the crowd.  As the car went over, White ducked and rolled with it and came out without a scratch although his car was wrecked and out of the race.” – November 2, 1928 issue of the Oakley Graphic

 

 

 

Leonard Kerbs is shown here setting the second quickest time of the day in time trials – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

Vic Felt is shown here in his Marathon Special Frontenac #99 setting the fastest time in time trials with a new track record for one lap around the one-mile American Legion racetrack – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

The cars are shown here lined up for the 5-mile race.  Vic Felt is in the #99 on the pole.  Willard Prentiss started next to him in car #2.  Leonard Kerbs started third in the #12.  The photographer apparently got confused and combined the names of Jim White and Vic Felt as there was no “Jim Felts.”  If you can identify any of the other cars or men in this photo, please contact Bob Lawrence at: sprintguy @ cox.net

Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

 

Leon Wycoff of Russell Springs, Kansas at Oakley – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

 

Leonard Kerbs, on the outside, is shown here being lapped by Vic Felt in the 10-mile race – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

Jim White is shown here leading a rim-riding Tom Holden through one of the turns at Oakley – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

Tom Holden with his Chrysler 70 Special at Oakley – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

Vic Felt is shown here at Oakley seated in his Marathon Special in which he swept the program on this date.  Note that the times notated by the photographer differ slightly from the times published in the Oakley Graphic.

Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

 Leonard Kerbs is shown here on the American Legion racetrack at Oakley.  He ran second to Vic Felt for most of this day – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

 Leslie Neff is shown here in his father’s Neff Chevrolet Special – Oakes photo from the Butterfield Trail Museum collection

 

 

 

Jim White, in white coveralls, was uninjured and all smiles after a flat tire caused him to lose control of his White Special and somersault it down the front straight-away of the American Legion racetrack at Oakley during the 15-mile feature race – Oakes photo from the Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 

 

 

Willard C. Prentiss

Lawrence O. Hughes

 

 

 

John W. Neff, in the foreground, with his Neff Chevrolet Special – Oakes photo from the Ruby White collection

 

 

 

The only person to be identified in this photo so far is John W. Neff, second from left, helping load his #13 Neff Chevrolet Special on a trailer.  That is Leon Wycoff’s #3 on another trailer at right – Oakes photo from the Ruby White collection

 

 

 

 

1 Leslie Levie Franklin “Spec” Neff (1907-1962) also went by the nickname “Babe” Neff.  His father, John William Neff (1885-1946), was the car owner.

 

2 Willard Cable Prentiss (1897-1959) ran the last three laps of the 15-mile feature race at Oakley with a flat rear tire.

 

3 Leon Alva “Wick” Wycoff (1904-1994) died at Commerce City, CO.

 

4 Bill Epps’ car broke an oil pump during time trials that put him out of competition for the day.

 

5 Victor Charles “Vic” Felt (1901-1989) is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Denver, CO.

 

 

 

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