This photograph was taken on the racetrack in front of the bleachers during a break in the racing on this evening. The men in this photo have been identified along with the number of the midget that the drivers raced that evening. Some of the identities are difficult to read though so, on the front row, squatted left to right are: #C5 Bud Camden, race promoter Frank Murphy, pit steward Harold Showalter, public address announcer Larry Stanley, flagman Ted Davis, #7JR Clarence Merritt, and #75 George Smith. Kneeling on the second row, left to right are: #5 Mac McHenry, #17 Frank Dickerson, #99 Bob McKim, #16 unidentified driver, #1/2 Rex Woodward, Curly Steerman, #77 Harold Priddy, #1 Harry West, and #60 Carl Oliver. Standing on the back row left to right are: #47 Ernie Powell, #33 Red Taylor, Bill Brown, #14 Mike Applebee, #7 John Dix, #5 Al Faulkner, #1 Clarence “Jelly” Green, #D1 Dutch Collins, #2 driver unidentified, #C4 Emmett Taylor, and Art McCammon – George Schaeffer photo from the Vickey Cummings collection
West Side Speedway 1/5 mile dirt racetrack that was locate two blocks north of Douglas Street between Glenn Street and Vine Street at 1800 West Third Street in Wichita, Kansas
Kansas Midget Racing (KMR) Sanctioned Midget Races Sunday Night, July 13, 1941 Promoted by Frank Murphy Adult admission: 40¢ plus tax Children under 12: 15¢ plus tax
Time Trials – 1 Lap Quick Time - :14.15 |
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PLACE |
DRIVER |
ENGINE |
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1 |
Rex Woodward |
Ford V8-60 |
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Emmett Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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Clarence Merritt |
Ford V8-60 |
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Eldon “Curly” Steerman |
Ford V8-60 |
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Harold Priddy |
Ford V8-60 |
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Bob McKim |
Ford V8-60 |
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M. L. “Al” Faulkner |
Ford V8-60 |
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Wayland “Bud” Camden |
Ford V8-60 |
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Ernie Powell |
Ford V8-60 |
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Red Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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Clarence Green |
Ford V8-60 |
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George Smith |
Ford V8-60 |
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Carl Oliver |
Ford V8-60 |
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Guy “Mac” McHenry |
Star |
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Clyde Graves |
Ford V8-60 |
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George “Dutch” Collins* |
Ford V8-60 |
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Ralph Foster |
Ford V8-60 |
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Frank Dickerson |
Evinrude-Elto 4-60 |
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D. A. Clem** |
4-cyl. Menasco |
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Louis Geisen |
Continental-Beacon |
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Art McCammon*** |
Indian |
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Harry West |
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Morris “Red” Pennington |
Whippet |
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Milt Smith |
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Bill Brown |
Willys |
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Emmett M. “Buzz” Barton |
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John “Slim” Dix |
Ford V8-60 |
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Ernie Powell |
Ford V8-60 |
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Mike Applebee |
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First Heat – 10 Laps – Time: 2:30.0 |
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1 |
Frank Dickerson |
Evinrude-Elto 4-60 |
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2 |
Rex Woodward |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
George Smith |
Ford V8-60 |
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Second Heat – 10 Laps – Time: 2:35.6 |
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1 |
Clarence Merritt |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Carl Oliver |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
Emmett Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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Third Heat – 10 Laps – Time: 2:31.8 |
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1 |
Eldon “Curly” Steerman |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Emmett Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
Harold Priddy |
Ford V8-60 |
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Fourth Heat – 10 Laps – Time: 2:35.0 |
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1 |
Clyde Graves |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Bob McKim |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
M. L. “Al” Faulkner |
Ford V8-60 |
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Fifth Heat – 10 Laps – Time: 2:37.4 |
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1 |
Red Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Bud Camden |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
Ernie Powell |
Ford V8-60 |
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Consolation – 10 Laps – Time: 2:34.6 |
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1 |
George “Dutch” Collins* |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Clarence Green |
Ford V8-60 |
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B Feature – 20 Laps |
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1 |
Eldon “Curly” Steerman |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Bud Camden |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
George “Dutch” Collins* |
Ford V8-60 |
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4 |
Guy “Mac” McHenry |
Star |
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DNF |
Clyde Graves |
Ford V8-60 |
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DNF |
Red Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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DNF |
Clarence Green |
Ford V8-60 |
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A Feature – 30 Laps |
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1 |
Rex Woodward |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Emmett Taylor |
Ford V8-60 |
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3 |
Ralph Foster |
Ford V8-60 |
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4 |
Ernie Powell |
Ford V8-60 |
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5 |
Frank Dickerson |
Evinrude-Elto 4-60 |
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Clyde Graves |
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Louis Geisen Geisen family collection |
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Rex Woodward |
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Clarence Merritt |
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Bill Brown Darrin McKim collection |
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John “Slim” Dix Cindy Abbott collection |
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Mike Applebee Vickey Cummings collection |
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Red Taylor Vickey Cummings collection |
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*George “Dutch” Collins of Larkspur, Colorado did not own a vehicle that was legal to drive on public roads so he was known to push his midget out to the side of the highway, flag down a passing motorist, and have them tow him in the midget to the racetrack. At least Collins would provide the rope. One wonders if that is how he got his midget all the way to Wichita and then back home again.
**D. A. Clem broke a drive chain during time trials and did not compete in the rest of the racing program.
***Arthur Ray “Art” McCammon (1901-1974) |
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Carl Oliver
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Frank Dickerson
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Ralph Foster
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Ernie Powell
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Bob McKim
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Emmett Taylor
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Wayland “Bud” Camden
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D. A. Clem
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Emmett M. “Buzz” Barton
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Guy “Mac” McHenry
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M. L. “Al” Faulkner Wichita Beacon photo
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Eldon “Curly” Steerman Wichita Beacon photo |
Art McCammon Cindy Abbott collection |
George “Dutch” Collins Vickey Cummings collection |
Harold Priddy Westerhaus collection |
#1 Clarence Green ran over a wheel of the #33 midget driven by Red Taylor in the B feature. The #1 midget was owned by Perry Fuller of Salina, Kansas and is the car Elmer Priddy was driving when he was fatally injured in a crash at West Side Speedway just two months after this race - Wichita Beacon photo
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When Clarence Green and Red Taylor tangled, they spun into the outside fence collecting #44 Clyde Graves in the process. All three cars sustained enough damage that they were not able to restart the race - Wichita Beacon photo |
Unless otherwise noted, all of the photos on this web page are from the book One Tough Circuit, Midget Racing in America’s Heartland by Bill Hill
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