Wichita Beacon
Friday, October 14, 1915 – Front Page:
Human Wall Around Race Course At Speedway Park At Its Opening Yesterday
DeLloyd Thompson entertained the large crowd with daring aerobatics
Fourteen Thousand Saw Speedway Park Opening
Greatest Crowd in
the History of Wichita
Flier Was A Wonder
Undertakers Drop
Most Thrilling Affair
He Flew Upside Down
Races Were Fast on the Unfinished Track
Acres of Motor Cars and Walls of Persons About Speed Course Attested The Interest
“Well, you’ll have to give it to Tom Hurst. He sure did his best,” is what thousands of persons somewhat disappointed by the brevity of the races at Speedway Par k, said yesterday. All realized that no man with brains enough to run a car would risk his life by running a car fast on such a track. They realized also that Hurst has been handicapped by bad weather in the building of the speedway. They enjoyed the wonderful work of DeLloyd Thompson and watched the races on the rough track and went away well satisfied.
At It Day and Night
Although Mr. Hurst had a gang of men working on the track day and night, it was so soft after Tuesday’s rain that there was not a spot on it that was fast. In places, it was so rough that the racers were compelled to slow down to ordinary road speed. Barney Oldfield was on hand as advertised, but no one, after taking a look at the track, expected him to even attempt to break any records. He did not disappoint them in this particular but made a few laps in one of his cars, much to their satisfaction.
[Webmaster’s note: At their November, 1915 meeting in New York City, the A.A.A. competition board fine Barney Oldfield $250 for driving an exhibition on an unlicensed racetrack on October 14, 1915 at Wichita, Kansas.]
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K.O.M. CLASSIC
8
entrants but only 5 actually started - Advertised Total Purse: $500
Scheduled
distance of 50 miles cut to 7 laps (10½ miles) due to rough racetrack
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Driver |
From |
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Automobile
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Completed |
Time |
Average Speed |
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1 |
William “Candy” Cunningham |
Fredonia, KS |
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Yellow Kid Ford |
7 laps (10½ miles) |
13:00 |
53 m.p.h. |
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2 |
Fredonia, KS |
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7 laps (10½ miles) |
13:23 |
47 m.p.h. |
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3 |
William Ernest “Ernie” Crum |
Wichita, KS |
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Buick |
7 laps (10½ miles) |
13:29 |
47 m.p.h. |
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4 |
Wichita, KS |
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Wilson Special |
7 laps (10½ miles) |
14:35 |
43 m.p.h. |
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5 |
L. O. Gribble |
Marion, KS |
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National |
6 laps (9 miles) |
DNF |
DNF |
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Chanute, KS |
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Buick |
DNS |
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Lee D. Hester |
Iola, KS |
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Ford Bug |
DNS |
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Coffeyville, KS |
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Studebaker |
DNS |
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William “Candy” Cunningham in the “Yellow Kid” Ford Winner of the K.O.M. Classic |
Herbert LeRoy "Roy" Gillett in the “Wampus Cat” Ford 2nd
place in the K.O.M.
Classic |
Max Wilson in his “Wilson special” Ford 4th place in the K.O.M. Classic |
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Webmaster’s note: K. O. M. appears to have been an acronym for “Kansas – Oklahoma – Missouri” |
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Everybody
Vindicated
DeLloyd Thompson was vindicated. So was diminutive Johnny Black who has been here more than a month telling the people every day that Thompson is the greatest airman in the would. Persons who saw this magnificent master of the air in his demonstration yesterday said it was far and away better than anything they had ever seen, or even dreamed of. Many of these persons saw Smith and other birdmen on the Pacific coast this summer too. Thompson did more than he advertised to do. The things that had been advertised as foolhardy and death defying were, in fact, so admirably and skillfully executed that they seemed simple. After making one flight in which he treated the great crowd by showing them all the thrills apparently known to man or bird, Thompson made a second flight into the clouds during a hard shower of rain where he was almost out of sight at times. After reaching a height of 3,500 feet, he looped the loop many times on his descent to earth, greatly to the gratification of spectators. This second flight was not on the program, which shows that DeLloyd Thompson is a gentleman as well as an aviator and wants to give the public its money’s worth.
Best Track, His
Hope
No one could have been as sorely disappointed by the tameness of the racing as was Tim Hurst. When the races were over, he announced that he expects to make this the best track in the United States and the next time he invites the public to the races, they will see something well worthwhile, baring bad weather, for which he disclaims any responsibility.
“I have come to Wichita to live,” said he. “Everything I have and more is in this venture and it has got to go. We have the making of a mighty fast track here and Wichita is going to be placed on the racing map within the next year in a way to make it famous.”
Speedway
Receipts
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Total Attendance
Tickets Cars Seats Total Receipts |
14,125
$6,700 1,900 1,250 $9,850 |
Click you mouse on this photo to learn more about the entrants in the Sunflower Derby.
Webmaster’s Note: The starting field for the Sunflower Derby was a stellar one with six of the competitors making a total of 26 starts, including two victories, in the Indianapolis “500”. A seventh driver, Hugh Judson “Juddy” Kilpatrick drove in relief for Louis Disbrow in the 1913 Indianapolis “500”.
Lee D. Hester’s car was owned by B. T. Barber of Iola, Kansas and L. O. Gribble’s National was owned by William Hughes of Marion, Kansas.
If you know anything more about either William “Candy” Cunningham or Herbert LeRoy "Roy" Gillett, please contact Bob Lawrence at: sprintguy @ cox.net