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Jim Roper, in his own #27 midget, leads Buzz Barton in Emmett Taylor's #2 midget at Cejay Stadium on June 16, 1946 - Vickey Cummings collection
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Jim Roper in his first midget before it was lettered - Mills collection
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Jim Roper in his midget being presented with a trophy after winning the feature at Abilene, KS in 1947 - Photo from the book One Tough Circuit, Midget Racing in America’s Heartland by Bill Hill
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This photo of Jim Roper's Ford midget was taken at Cejay Stadium in Wichita, KS in 1946 - Jim Loudenback collection
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Finish of 1st hotrod race ever run at Cejay Stadium on September 13, 1947. #81 Jim Roper barely edged out #67 Kenny Atkins for the victory. The flagman was Tom Herndon - Lies collection
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Jim Roper in Earl Mill's Auburn roadster in 1947 - 1949 Cejay Stadium program from the Bill Collins collection
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Jim Roper in Earl Mill's Auburn roadster at the Beacon Trophy race at Cejay Stadium on September 6,1947 - Mills collection
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Jim Roper drove this red Mercury flathead V-8 powered hotrod for owner Marvin Church in 1948. This photo was taken that year at Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway at Newton, KS Mills collection
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Jim Roper in 1948 in a yellow Miller-powered hotrod owned by Vernis Church - Lies collection
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Jim Roper in Vernis Church’s hotrod in 1948 - Mills collection
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This is the 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan that Millard J. Clothier, Sr. owned and Jim Roper drove to victory in the first NASCAR strictly stock car race at Charlotte, NC on June 19, 1949. Stock Car World
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Jim Roper, at left, with a man who has yet to be identified - Clothier collection
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Jim Roper, at left, with car owner Millard J. Clothier, Sr. and his #55 New Model Oldsmobile in 1950 - Clothier collection
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Preparing for a watermelon race at Jayhawk Speedway at Newton, Kansas. Jim Roper with the watermelon with race promoter Earl Mills to his right, also with a hand on the watermelon. Mills collection
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Jim Roper Mills collection |
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Jim Roper trading card Mills collection
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Jim Roper in his first Ford midget in 1946 Mills collection
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Jim Roper in the same miget as shown below although with a different color scheme than it has today - Mills collection
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This photo of Buz McKim, historian for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, was taken on August 26, 2013 in the High Banks Hall of Fame Museum in Belleville, KS with one of the Ford V8-60 midgets that Jim Roper drove in the post-WWII 1940s. This midget had no water pump and was cooled by thermosiphon - Belleville Telescope photo
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Jim Roper in an unidentified midget Mills collection
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Jim Roper receiving the some of the spoils of winning the Beacon Trophy race for hotrods at Cejay Stadium in Wichita, KS on September 6, 1947 - Mills collection
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Jim Roper, driving Vernis Church's yellow #27 Miller powered Hotrod, sits atop the famous hump in the racetrack at Cejay Stadium in 1948 - Frank McElhaney collection
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June, 1949 Charlotte, NC newspaper ad for the NASCAR Strictly Stock car race that Jim Roper won - Darren Galpin collection
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Millard J. Clothier at left with Robert B. McIntosh beside the car that Bill Blair, Sr. drove in the first NASCAR Strictly Stock car race run at Charlotte, NC on June 19, 1949 - Bill Blair, Jr. collection
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#71 Gayford Dye in his own car leading #55 Jim Roper in Millard James Clothier, Sr.'s Oldsmobile in an unsanctioned new model stock car race at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson on September 17, 1950. Hutchinson News photo
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#49 Jim Roper passing by an unidentified #55 at Cejay Stadium in a jalopy that Roper drove for Harold Dean in 1951. J. R. Cox collection |
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The only driver identified in this photo is Jim Roper who was driving Harold Dean's jalopy at Cejay Stadium in 1951 - J. R. Cox collection
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Jim Roper Lies collection
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"Alfalfa Jim"
CHRISTIAN DAVID "JIM" ROPER
(1916 - 2000)
The Official Winner of NASCAR's First Strictly Stock Car Race
By Bob Lawrence
Jim Roper was born August 13, 1916 at Halstead, Kansas, one of two sons of Christian "Chris" Roper, Jr. (1895-1988) and Eula Dell (Hunt) Roper (1893-1993). The family lived on his grandfather's horse farm and Roper was interested in playing basketball until his grandfather purchased a Chevrolet / Pontiac dealership and gave Roper a 1930 Chevrolet that became his first racing car. He drove it in figure-8 races on a ½-mile dirt figure-8 racetrack that was located on a farm just outside of Newton, Kansas. Although not a lot is known about that racetrack, it is known that races were run there every Sunday afternoon in 1938 and it is believed to have been the first figure-8 racetrack in the nation.
Roper worked as an auto mechanic at dealerships and commercial garages around central Kansas. In 1940, he married Ruth Margaret Haurey (1916-1944) at Gravette, Arkansas and they had a son, Gary Allen Roper, who died along with his mother shortly after childbirth in 1944.
With his young family gone, Roper became what would be known today as a "free spirit". He purchased a midget from brothers Paul and Quincie Gibson in Wichita in 1944. They had raced the car early in 1942 as the #C-5 with driver Wyland "Bud" Camden but Roper could not drive the car himself until the end of World War II due to restrictions that the federal government had placed on the sport as of July 31, 1942 and lasting for the duration of the war. At the conclusion of the war, he raced that midget at racetracks around Kansas.
It was during this time that he picked up the nickname "Alfalfa Jim", some say by crashing his midget through a fence into a hay field and then returning to the race finishing with some of the crop still strewn inside the car. Jim’s own version of the story was that a midget racetrack at Wellington, Kansas marked the inside corners with hay bales. He said he found that he could just nicked a bale with the left front wheel and it would scatter hay all over the racetrack behind him, thus slowing the other cars down. He said he used that trick quite a bit, hence the nickname.
While towing his midget to Springfield, Missouri in the summer of 1948, Roper was involved in a highway accident near Monett, Missouri. Since the midget was undamaged, he found someone who would tow the car the rest of the way to Springfield for him. He won two preliminary races that night but had to drop out of the feature when his engine lost an oil plug. With damage to his tow car and his racing engine, Roper figured that one night's racing had set him back $800.
Never one to chase point championships, Roper branched out to drive several kinds of race cars including midgets, hotrods (a.k.a. track roadsters), new model stock cars, and jalopies at Wichita's Cejay Stadium; Newton, Kansas' Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway; Salina, Kansas' Agricultural Hall; and both racetracks at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson for a number of different car owners including Earl E. Mills (1907-1990) of Newton; Millard James Clothier, Sr. (1913-1982); Merle Gayford Dye (1923-1998 of Hutchinson; Harold J. “Squire” Dean (1914-1980) of Newton; and brothers Marvin Harman Church (1917-2008) and Vernis I. Church (1920-2006) of Whitewater, Kansas.
Roper finished 6th in the season points for the Hotrod class at Cejay Stadium in Wichita in 1948 but Roper was never one to pursue points. He preferred to spread his racing out among several classes so his results in the Hotrod season point standings over the next two years would be 20th and 25th respectively. After that, Cejay Stadium ceased to run the hotrods in favor of the jalopies.
While Roper was racing in Kansas, participants in the Southeastern United States were having difficulty finding enough 1939 and 1940 Fords (the preferred modified stock car of the time in the Southeastern states) to convert into modified stock cars they could run in races promoted by the newly formed NASCAR's “Big Bill” France, Sr. so France contacted the Ford Motor Company to see if they would be willing to build more of those models again. Ford had moved on from those earlier models by then though and were concentrating on making and selling new models of their products. Seeing the "writing on the wall", France formed a new division of NASCAR in 1949 to race strictly stock new model cars. France fretted over the newly formed division though losing plenty of sleep worrying how the new cars would be accepted by the fans and if there would be enough of the strictly stock new models entered to fill the field at his first race for that division on June 19, 1949 at the New Charlotte Speedway, a ¾-mile dirt racetrack at Charlotte, North Carolina.
Seeing a note in Zack Moseley's The Adventures of Smilin' Jack comic strip about the NASCAR Strictly Stock car race, Roper convinced Great Bend, Kansas auto dealer Millard James Clothier, Sr. (1913-1982) to provide two new 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitans which they, along with an elusive itinerate car salesman named Robert B. McIntosh,16 drove to Charlotte, North Carolina. They arrived a few days early for the race and called the Ford Motor Company to see if there was anyone in the area who might be able to assist them. With Ford's help, they convinced a local auto dealership, Mecklenburg Motors, to sponsor their effort. They then met with “Big Bill” France, Sr. to seek his recommendation for someone to drive the second 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan they had brought with them. Happy to have two more cars entered in his stock car race, France recommended his good friend and veteran competitor in NASCAR modified stock car races, Bill Blair, Sr. (1911-1995) of High Point, North Carolina. Clothier, McIntosh and Roper painted #34 on one of the two Lincolns, #44 on the other one, and were introduced to Bill Blair, Sr. by “Big Bill” France, Sr. on the day before the race. Clothier and both drivers agreed that Roper was to get his choice of the two 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitans to drive in the race. 60% of any prize money that might be won was to go to Clothier. The rest of the prize money won by the two drivers was to be pooled together and then divided equally between Blair and Roper. Roper chose to drive the 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan #34. Time trials were run that afternoon and Blair qualified 8th fastest while Roper qualified 12th in the 33-car field. It is unclear why the two cars were entered in this race in McIntosh’s name as Roper was always adamant that the cars actually belonged to Clothier.
The next day, “Big Bill” France, Sr. found out just how well his new division of NASCAR racing would be received by the fans. Officially, 13,000 people were in the grandstands and another 5,000 had to be turned away although some estimates had the crowd at more than 23,000. Pole sitter Bob Flock (1918-1964) jumped into the lead at the start of the race and led for five laps before being passed by Bill Blair, Sr. Flock, in a 1946 Hudson, dropped out on the 38th lap with a blown engine. Blair then charged into the lead and held that spot for 145 laps before a well-intentioned crewman removed the radiator cap during a pit stop which let all of the water boil out. The radiator was refilled but the relatively cold fresh water cracked the thermostat housing ending Blair's run for the day. Jim Roper, who was several laps behind Blair when the latter pitted, had driven a more conservative race but he had made his way up to second place when Glenn Dunaway (1914-1964) took the checkered flag on the 200th lap in Hubert Westmoreland's 1947 Ford. A post-race inspection of the Westmoreland Ford revealed that Dunaway's ride had been fitted with oversized rear springs. Since the rules clearly spelled out that the cars were to be strictly stock, Dunaway was disqualified by NASCAR's chief inspector, Al Crisler. That led to Roper, who had finished in second place three laps behind Dunaway, being officially credited with being the leader of the final 47 laps and awarded the victory contingent on his car passing a post-race inspection as well. Dunaway's disqualification also moved Truman "Fonty" Flock (1920-1972) up to the second-place finish in the Grady Cole / Bruce Griffin 1949 Hudson.
Roper's 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan was also given a more than thorough post-race inspection by Crisler. After every single washer had been taken off, every single bolt and screw in the car had been removed and scattered across the racetrack, and after a lengthy consultation by NASCAR officials, Roper's car was declared by Crisler to be legal. He was awarded a trophy and $2,000 for his victory but it was also made clear to him that NASCAR stock car racing was a Southern sport and Yankees were not welcome. The NASCAR officials and the locals left the racetrack after there was nothing more to inspect leaving Clothier, Roper, McIntosh and the Mecklenburg Motors crew to collect the pieces and get it all home as best they could. Mecklenburg Motors wound up furnishing another Lincoln engine for the car's trip back to Kansas.
Blair was credited with 12th place in the final standings that day and only won $50 so, after Clothier got his 60% of the total $2,050 in prize money, that left $820 to be split evenly between the two drivers. Roper raised quite a vocal objection to that but finally had to settle for $410 as that was the deal that was agreed to the day before the race.
Glenn Dunaway's car owner, Hubert Westmoreland, sued NASCAR over the outcome of the race saying that NASCAR had inspected the car a few days before the race, knew the offending springs were there, but had told him that the car was legal to race. A judge threw out the suit though saying the rules were plain that the cars were to be "strictly stock". Dunaway did get a measure of revenge later that summer when he again encountered Roper at an IMCA New Model stock car race at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dunaway won that 200-lap contest while Roper was the first to drop out having run only six laps before retiring with a broken hub.
The trophy that Roper received at Charlotte was eventually misplaced by Clothier so Roper was gifted with a replica of the trophy on a visit to the Texas Motor Speedway in 1998.
NASCAR's first female driver, Sara Christian (1918-1980), also competed with NASCAR for the first time in this same race at Charlotte. She qualified her family-owned 1947 Ford 13th fastest and, with relief driver Bob Flock, was credited with a 14th place finish.
Robert B. McIntosh obtained the #44 Lincoln Cosmopolitan from Clothier and convinced Bill Blair, Sr. to drive it one more time on July 10, 1949. Blair started a 40-lap race on the beach course at Daytona Beach, Florida in 5th place and also finished in 5th place on the lead lap winning a total of $200. That race was won by Red Byron (1915-1960). Blair would go on to win three NASCAR Grand National races before his career ended in 1956. McIntosh would remain in Dixie and compete in five more NASCAR races (six in all although NASCAR records state seven) before returning to Kansas in 1950. Besides his foray into stock car racing, McIntosh is known to have entered two open wheel, Big Cars for himself and Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas to drive in a race at Great Bend, Kansas on Memorial Day, 1951.
Roper drove Clothier’s #34 Lincoln Cosmopolitan in his only other NASCAR Strictly Stock race start at Occoneechee Speedway at Hillsboro, North Carolina on August 7, 1949. Roper completed 190 of the scheduled 200 laps and was credited with finishing in 15th place behind winner Bob Flock in the 28-car field for which Roper collected $50. Although he only competed in the two NASCAR races, Roper still finished 16th in NASCAR Strictly Stock points in 1949.
Bill Blair, Sr. finished the 1949 season in fourth place in NASCAR's Strictly Stock Car standings. In 1950, NASCAR changed the name of the division to Grand National Stock Cars.
After Roper returned to Kansas, he concentrated his efforts on driving "New Model" stock cars in both outlaw events and races sanctioned by IMCA. Car owner Clothier disposed of the NASCAR-winning Lincoln Cosmopolitan at an auto auction in Denver, Colorado but he provided a new Oldsmobile so that Roper could continue racing in that class in the Midwest. Clothier, himself, competed in one IMCA late model stock car race at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson on September 16, 1956 where he finished ninth in a 100-lap race that was won by Johnny Beauchamp (1923-1981). Clothier eventually moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he was residing at the time of his passing.
On an IMCA New Model stock car swing through Iowa in the summer of 1949, Roper received an offer to drive a midget at the 1/5-mile Ce-Mar Amusement Park racetrack at Cedar, Rapids, Iowa on a still date. They ran a "hot-lap" session after time trials that night and Roper was running in those when the midget, he was driving, ran off the racetrack on the west end, flew over an embankment and rolled several times before flipping end-over-end into a catch fence some 100 feet from the racetrack. Roper was treated at a local hospital for a wrenched shoulder, minor burns, cuts and burses but was released the following day.
While Roper was on the IMCA trail that fall, he let Earl E. Mills put a Wayne Chevrolet engine that Roper owned in Mills' #81 hotrod for Bill Perkins to drive in the season finale at Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway on September 18, 1949. Perkins won the B feature that night and was contending for the lead in the A feature when he dropped out of the race with a faulty plug wire.
In 1950, Roper registered a micro-midget #55 with the Southwest Association of Micro-Midgets (SWAMM) but it is not clear if he ever raced that car, or with that organization.
Roper entered a jalopy race at Cejay Stadium in Wichita on July 4, 1953. On the third lap of the 50-lap feature race that night, his car lost a wheel. Roper continued running on three wheels until the car lost a second wheel on the 46th lap. That put him out of the race but, since only six cars finished the race, Roper collected the seventh-place prize money.
Roper tried his hand at being a car salesman at the Ricketts Desoto/Plymouth agency in Newton in 1953 but the weak product line that year caused the fledgling business to go under in November of that year. At Roper's request, the court appointed his former car owner, Earl E. Mills, as receiver for the bankrupt business.
In 1954, Roper finished in tenth place in the season points for jalopies at Wichita's Cejay Stadium.
Roper married his second wife, Mary Jane Parks, who was a sister-in-law to local New Model stock car driver, Warren E. Brown. Jim and Mary had a son who died as an infant in 1955. The couple later divorced.
Roper's driving career took a hiatus after he was seriously injured in a racing accident in 1955 but he did race at least once more at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson in 1961.
Roper worked as a flagman and official starter at Kansas racetracks in the late 1950s including 81 Speedway at Wichita and the Cowley County Fairgrounds in Winfield, Kansas.
As Roper told the story, he had a girlfriend in Washington and another in Texas who both raised horses so he flipped a half-dollar and that is how he wound up raising horses near Kaufman, Texas.
Roper called friends (the sons of his former car owner, Earl Mills) in Kansas early in 2000 saying that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and asked if they would come get him as he did not want to die in Texas. He passed away from heart and liver complications related to the cancer, on June 23, 2000 at the Friendly Acres Retirement Community in Newton, Kansas which happens to occupy the former location of the Jayhawk Speedway where Roper had raced so many times in the past. He is buried in the Halstead Cemetery at Halstead, Kansas.
Driving Marvin Church's red hotrod #8 at the new ½-mile Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway on Memorial Day, 1948, Roper set a new one-lap track record of 25.07 seconds breaking the mark that had been set a week earlier at 25.30 seconds by Charlie Lutkie. That record stood until August 19, 1948 when it was broken by Noel "Shorty" Jones.
Roper set the 100-lap track record at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson at 1 hour, 19 minutes on July 17, 1949 but the record only lasted for 42 days before being broken by Bob Thorne. Roper set a 1-lap track record for stock cars of 27.70 seconds at the Belleville High Banks at Belleville, Kansas on September 1, 1950. He then set another track record there of 5 minutes, 34.70 seconds for 15 laps on that same day. Roper also set the 300-lap track record of 3 hours, 1 minute at the Kansas State Fairgrounds on September 1, 1952 and that record still stands.
On September 4, 1953, Roper set a new 4-lap track record for the strictly stock cars by winning the trophy dash in 1 minute, 4.4 seconds at Newton's Jayhawk Speedway.
Roper is one of 23 drivers that include Johnny Beauchamp, Louis Disbrow, Dick Hutcherson, and Jimmy Wilburn, who are tied for 52nd place for all-time total feature race victories at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Jim Roper was inducted into the High Banks Hall of Fame at Belleville, Kansas on July 29, 1999 and served as grand marshal of the Midget Nationals in Belleville, Kansas in August of that same year. He passed away from cancer just ten months after that.
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Millard James Clothier, Sr. Clothier collection |
Jim Roper Mills collection |
Jim Roper's Known Racing Record 1
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Date |
Sanction |
Location |
Car # |
Automobile |
Car Owner |
Owner From |
Roper's Finish |
Feature Race Winner |
Race Promoter |
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1938 |
None |
Unnamed figure-8 racetrack, Newton, KS |
1930 Chevrolet |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
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26 Aug 45 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
V-8 60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
3rd in 4th heat 1st in Australian pursuit 4th in B feature |
Guy "Mac" McHenry |
Carl Johnson |
|
2 Sep 45 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Bill Fox in consolation race |
Wyland "Bud" Camden |
Carl Johnson |
|
3 Sep 45 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
V-8 60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Fred Bass in 4th heat 4th in B feature |
Wyland "Bud" Camden |
Carl Johnson |
|
9 Sep 45 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
V-8 60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
3rd in time trials 3rd in 3rd heat |
Wyland "Bud" Camden |
Carl Johnson |
|
16 Sep 45 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
11 |
V-8 60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Jim Engle in consolation race |
Clarence Merritt |
Carl Johnson |
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23 Sep 45 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
V-8 60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in consolation race 4th in B feature |
Ted Parker |
Carl Johnson |
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16 Jun 46 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
8 |
Ford V8-69 Midget in Gray Primer |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
3rd in B feature |
Ted Parker |
Carl Johnson |
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21 Jul 46 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
8 |
Ford V8-60 Orange Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in consolation race 4th in B feature |
Cotton Musick |
Carl Johnson |
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14 Aug 46 |
Fair Park Speedway, Dallas, TX |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
3rd in 3rd heat |
Loyes Harris |
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17 Aug 46 |
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Panhandle-South Plains Fair, Lubbock, TX |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd in to Bud Camden 1st heat |
Bud Camden |
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18 Aug 46 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Craig Hanson in B feature |
Jay Booth |
Carl Johnson |
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27 Aug 46 |
None |
Valley County Fairgrounds, Ord, NE |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
|
Jay Booth |
Clyde Baker |
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28 Aug 46 |
None |
Valley County Fairgrounds, Ord, NE |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
|
Jay Booth |
Clyde Baker |
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29 Aug 46 |
None |
Valley County Fairgrounds, Ord, NE |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
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Jay Booth |
Clyde Baker |
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8 Sep 46 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
4th in B feature |
Clarence Merritt |
Carl Johnson |
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11 Oct 46 |
Panhandle-South Plains Fair, Lubbock, TX |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
3rd in A feature |
Lloyd Ruby |
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13 Oct 46 |
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Odessa Speedway, Odessa, TX |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
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4 May 47 |
KMRA 11 |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Emmett Taylor in consolation race |
Wyland "Bud" Camden |
Carl Johnson |
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26 Jun 47 |
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Louisiana State Fairgrounds, Shreveport, LA |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
4th in consolation race |
Wyland “Bud” Camden |
|
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4 Jul 47 |
MRA 12 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 10 |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Junior Howerton in helmet dash 3rd in 2nd heat 4th in feature |
Junior Howerton |
Verne Hamilton |
|
25 Jul 47 |
Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, MO |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in heat 1st in semi-final DNF in feature - lost an oil plug |
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1947 |
MRA 12 |
Central Kansas Fairgrounds, Abilene, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
|
|
16 Aug 47 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
1st in 3rd heat 3rd in Grandstand Choice race 1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Don C. Onley |
|
23 Aug 47 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
3rd in time trials 1st in 2nd heat 1st in Grandstand Choice race 2nd in feature |
Harold Forrest |
Don C. Onley |
|
28 Aug 47 |
MRA 12 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 10 |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in semi-final |
Verne Hamilton |
|
|
30 Aug 47 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
Harold Forrest |
Carl Johnson |
|
|
1 Sep 47 |
MRA 12 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 10 |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd in feature |
Don Brown |
Verne Hamilton |
|
6 Sep 47 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
1st in 3rd heat 1st in trophy dash 3rd in grandstand choice race 1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Carl Johnson |
|
13 Sep 47 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Carl Johnson |
|
14 Sep 47 |
KMRA |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
2nd to Paul Rogers in consolation race |
Wyland "Bud" Camden |
Carl Johnson |
|
18 Sep 47 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
7 |
Miller Big Car |
Bill Anderson |
Long Beach, CA |
8th in the Australian Pursuit |
Emory Collins |
Al Sweeney |
|
21 Sep 47 |
KMRA |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in 4th heat |
Cotton Musick |
Carl Johnson |
|
25 Oct 47 |
KMRA |
Agricultural Hall, Salina, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in 3rd heat |
Bob Slater |
Carl Johnson |
|
15 Nov 47 |
KMRA |
Agricultural Hall, Salina, KS |
39 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
4th in feature |
Bob McKim |
Carl Johnson |
|
16 May 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in feature |
Bill Flinchum |
Earl E. Mills |
|
22 May 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
5th in A feature |
Charlie Lutkie |
Carl Johnson |
|
23 May 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st in 4th heat 3rd in helmet dash |
Charlie Lutkie |
Earl E. Mills |
|
29 May 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd on time trials 4th in 3rd heat 2nd to Kenny Adkins in 2nd semi-final 2nd to Charlie Lutkie in feature |
Charlie Lutkie |
Carl Johnson |
|
30 May 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st of 26 cars that took time trials – 25.27 1st in 1st heat 2nd to Charlie Lutkie in feature |
Charlie Lutkie |
Earl E. Mills |
|
1948 |
|
|
K-1 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
1st in trophy dash |
|
|
|
11 Jun 48 |
MRA 12 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 10 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
|
2nd to Slick Barnes in consolation race |
Don Brown |
Verne Hamilton |
||
|
12 Jun 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
4th in time trials 4th in 3rd heat - Crashed with Charlie Lutkie in front of grandstands but only 3 cars restarted the race |
Kenny Adkins |
Carl Johnson |
|
13 Jun 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
K-1 |
Ford V8-60 Midget |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, KS |
4th in 2nd heat |
Don Brown |
Carl Johnson |
|
26 Jun 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Carl Johnson |
|
1 Jul 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
Hotrod |
1st in 2nd heat |
Charlie Lutkie |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
4 Jul 48 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
|
New Model Ford |
|
|
10th in feature |
Bill Robinson |
Frank R. Winkley |
|
15 Jul 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
8 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
Marvin Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st in 2nd heat 1st in B feature 4th in A feature |
Will Forrest |
Earl E. Mills |
|
22 Jul 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
7 |
Hotrod |
1st in B feature |
Chet Clark |
Earle E. Mills |
||
|
29 Jul 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
1st in 3rd heat 1st in B feature 5th in feature |
Noel "Shorty" Jones |
Earl E. Mills |
|
31 Jul 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
7 |
Hotrod |
|
3rd in 1st heat |
Will Forrest |
Carl Johnson |
|
|
10 Aug 48 |
HPRA |
Sportsman Park, Oakley, KS |
81 |
1933 Auburn roadster / V-8 Ford flathead |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
|
No feature race was run |
Arnold "Blank" Blankenburg |
|
14 Aug 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
4th in 2nd semi-final 4th in feature |
Bob Thorne |
Carl Johnson |
|
19 Aug 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st in 3rd heat |
Noel "Shorty" Jones |
Earl E. Mills |
|
26 Aug 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 2nd heat |
Charlie Lutkie |
Earl E. Mills |
|
6 Sep 48 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st in B feature |
Harry Everhart |
Verne Hamilton |
|
9 Sep 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 4th heat |
Charlie Lutkie |
Earle E. Mills |
|
16 Sep 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 3rd heat 3rd in trophy dash |
Noel "Shorty" Jones |
Earl E. Mills |
|
18 Sep 48 |
MRA 12 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 10 |
5 |
Midget |
Chet Wilson |
Wichita, KS |
2nd to Kenny King in 1st heat |
Bob McKim |
Verne Hamilton |
|
20 Sep 48 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd of 26 that took time trials 2nd to Frank Lies in 1st heat DNF in feature - engine failure |
Noel "Shorty" Jones |
Frank R. Winkley |
|
25 Sep 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
2nd to Chet Clark in 2nd heat 3rd in 2nd semi-final 6th in feature |
Noel "Shorty" Jones |
Carl Johnson |
|
30 Sep 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 1st heat 3rd in trophy dash 2nd to Frank Lies in feature |
Frank Lies |
Earl E. Mills |
|
7 Oct 48 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 3rd heat 4th in feature |
Noel "Shorty" Jones |
Earl E. Mills |
|
23 Oct 48 |
None |
Cejay Stadium |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st in 1st heat 1st in 2nd semi-final |
Frank Lies |
Carl Johnson |
|
24 Apr 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
Hotrod |
DNF in B feature - wreck |
Bob Thorne |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
1 May 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
Hotrod |
3rd in 3rd heat 4th in feature |
Bob Murra |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
6 May 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
2 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury engine |
John Frost |
Wichita, KS |
1st in 3rd heat 3rd in B feature |
Bob Murra |
Earl E. Mills |
|
8 May 49 |
None |
Cejay Stadium |
2 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
John Frost |
Wichita, KS |
9th of 19 that took time trials DNF 2nd heat DNF 1st semi-final 1 of 12 who started the feature but did not finish in the top 3 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Carl Johnson |
|
13 May 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
2 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
John Frost |
Wichita, KS |
3rd in 2nd heat 3rd in B feature |
Bob Murra |
Earl E. Mills |
|
22 May 49 |
None |
Cejay Stadium |
2 |
Hotrod / V-8 Mercury flathead engine |
John Frost |
Wichita, KS |
17th of 22 that took time trials 2nd to Will Forrest in 1st heat 5th in 1st semi-final 5th in feature |
Bob Thorne |
Carl Johnson |
|
27 May 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
Hotrod |
3rd in 3rd heat 3rd in trophy dash |
Bob Thorne |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
29 May 49 |
None |
Cejay Stadium |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
5th in 2nd semi-final 7th in feature |
Bob Thorne |
Carl Johnson |
|
30 May 49 |
None |
Cejay Stadium |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
2nd to LeRoy "Red" Taylor in 2nd heat 3rd in 1st semi-final 6th in feature |
Bob Thorne |
Carl Johnson |
|
10 Jun 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
2nd to J. D. Hanna in 4th heat 3rd in B feature |
Bob Thorne |
Earl E. Mills |
|
18-19 Jun 49 |
NASCAR |
Charlotte Speedway, Charlotte, NC |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan 17 |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
12th of 33 that took time trials 1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Bill France, Sr. |
|
24 Jun 49 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 3rd heat 4th in popularity dash 2nd to Frank Lies in B feature 6th in A feature |
Bob Thorne |
Earl E. Mills |
|
26 Jun 49 |
None |
Sky Ranch road course, Hutchinson, KS 14 |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
4th of 15 that took time trials 3rd in feature |
Norman Horn |
|
|
4 Jul 49 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
3rd in feature |
Bob McKim |
Virgil C. Miller |
|
17 Jul 49 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Verne Hamilton |
|
7 Aug 49 |
NASCAR |
Occoneechee Speedway, Hillsboro, NC |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
15th in feature |
Bob Flock |
Bill France, Sr. |
|
20 Aug 49 |
IMCA |
Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, IA |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
35:62 in time trials 16th (or DNF) in feature - broken right front hub after 6 laps |
Glenn Dunaway |
Andy Hanson |
|
21 Aug 49 |
IMCA |
Davenport Speedway, Davenport, IA |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
7th in feature |
Bill Harrison |
|
|
23 Aug 49 |
None |
Ce-Mar Acres Amusement Park, Cedar Rapids, IA |
1 |
Midget |
Dick Elliott |
Cedar Rapids, IA |
DNS - crash |
Vic Ellis |
John Gerber |
|
26 Aug 49 |
IMCA |
Sioux Empire Fairgrounds, Sioux Falls, SD |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
Did not finish in the top 12 in the 100-mile feature race |
Herschel Buchanan |
|
|
5 Sep 49 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
34 |
1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
DNF in feature - broken wheel |
Reuben Loepp |
Verne Hamilton |
|
25 Jun 50 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
1st in 1st heat |
Bill Everhart |
Carl Johnson |
|
30 Jun 50 |
SWHRRA15 |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 2nd heat |
Buddy Quick |
Earl E. Mills |
|
2 Jul 50 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
3rd in 1st heat |
LeRoy "Red" Taylor |
Carl Johnson |
|
4 Jul 50 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
2nd to Bill Killion in 1st heat |
Charlie Lutkie |
Carl Johnson |
|
9 Jul 50 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
27 |
Hotrod / Miller engine |
Vernis Church |
Whitewater, KS |
2nd to LeRoy "Red" Taylor in 1st heat |
Frank Lies |
Carl Johnson |
|
29 Aug 50 |
None |
Belleville High Banks, Belleville, KS |
55 |
1949 Oldsmobile |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
1st in time trials: 27.70 (new track record) DNF in 1st heat 1st in consolation race 2nd to Rodney Clark in feature |
Rodney Clark |
Gaylord S. White |
|
4 Sep 50 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
55 |
1949 Oldsmobile |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
2nd to Norman Horn of the 22 that took time trials 2nd to Norman Horn in trophy dash 1st in 2nd heat 1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
2 |
|
9 Sep 50 |
IMCA |
Mid-America Fairgrounds, Topeka, KS |
55 |
1949 Oldsmobile |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
15th in feature |
Bobby Tucker |
|
|
11 Sep 50 |
IMCA |
Mid-America Fairgrounds, Topeka, KS |
55 |
1949 Oldsmobile |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
3rd in 1st heat 3rd in Australian pursuit |
Fred South |
|
|
17 Sep 50 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
55 |
1949 Oldsmobile |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
5th of 18 that took time trials 3rd in feature |
Fred South |
Verne Hamilton |
|
20 Sep 50 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
55 |
1949 Oldsmobile |
Millard James Clothier, Sr. |
Great Bend, KS |
5th of 20 that took time trials 2nd to Rodney Clark in the 2nd heat |
Bob McKim |
Verne Hamilton |
|
13 May 51 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
7 |
Oldsmobile |
|
|
13th of 23 that took time trials DNF in feature |
John "Chug" Montgomery |
Frank R. Winkley |
|
c1951 |
None |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
50 |
Ford Jalopy / Flathead V-8 engine |
Harold “Squire” Dean |
Newton, KS |
Earl E. Mills |
||
|
4 Jul 51 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
|
New model stock car |
|
|
4th in feature |
Jim Ware |
** |
|
1951 |
None |
Jayhawk Amusement Park Speedway, Newton, KS |
49 |
Strictly Stock Ford / Flathead V-8 engine |
Harold J. Dean |
Newton, KS |
Earl E. Mills |
||
|
1951 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
49 |
Strictly Stock Ford / Flathead V-8 engine |
Harold J. Dean |
Newton, KS |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
31 Aug 51 |
IMCA |
Belleville High Banks, Belleville, KS |
400 |
1949 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
15th of 15 that took time trials: 30.44 |
Bob McKim |
Gaylord S. White |
|
16 Sep 51 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
12 |
1949 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
14th of 17 that took time trials 6th in feature |
Eddie Anderson |
|
|
21 Sep 51 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
12 |
1950 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
Roper started 10th in feature and finished 11th |
Eddie Anderson |
|
|
24 Sep 51 |
IMCA |
Arlington Downs Raceway, Arlington, TX |
12 |
1949 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
12th in feature |
Dominic Perlick |
|
|
30 Sep 51 |
IMCA |
Mid-America Fairgrounds, Topeka, KS |
12 |
1950 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
5th in feature |
Bob McKim |
|
|
14 Oct 51 |
None |
Cloud County Fairgrounds, Concordia, KS |
12 |
1949 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
3rd in heat 3rd in feature |
Bob McKim |
L. A. Ward |
|
11 May 52 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
13 |
Jalopy |
|
1st in novelty race |
Will Forrest |
Carl Johnson |
|
|
30 May 52 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
43 |
1949 Packard |
Norman Horn |
Great Bend, KS |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Verne Hamilton |
|
6 Jun 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in 2nd semi-final 1st in B feature 3rd in A feature |
Clyde Derringer |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
13 Jun 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
81 |
Strictly Stock Car |
Earl E. Mills |
Newton, KS |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Earl E. Mills |
|
4 Jul 52 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
|
1951 Studebaker |
|
|
3 |
Frank Black |
Verne Hamilton |
|
11 Jul 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in C feature |
J. D. Cox |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
18 Jul 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in B feature |
Frank Lies |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
25 Jul 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
3rd in feature |
Bob Newman |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
10 Aug 52 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
13 |
Jalopy |
|
4th in 2nd semi-final |
Glenn "Bud" Webster |
Carl Johnson |
|
|
15 Aug 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in B feature |
J. R. "Bob" Cox |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
29 Aug 52 |
IMCA |
Belleville High Banks, Belleville, KS |
Ford New model stock car |
|
10th of 14 that took time trials: 29.87 11th in feature |
Robert "Doc" Narber |
Gaylord S. White |
||
|
1 Sep 52 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
56 |
Oldsmobile 88 |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
No time in time trials - broken axle 1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Verne Hamilton |
|
6 Sep 52 |
IMCA |
Mid-America Fairgrounds, Topeka, KS |
|
1950 Chevrolet |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
1st in heat 5th in feature |
James Clark |
|
|
14 Sep 52 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
56 |
Oldsmobile 88 |
Melton Motor Company |
Belleville, KS |
1st in 2nd heat |
Mickey McCormick |
Verne Hamilton |
|
3 Oct 52 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in C feature |
Will Forrest |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
12 Oct 52 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
13 |
Jalopy |
|
|
4th in feature |
J. R. "Bob" Cox |
Carl Johnson |
|
10 May 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
2nd behind his brother-in-law, Warren Brown, in B feature 3rd in 2nd semi-final |
Will Forrest |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
17 May 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
2nd to Frank Lies in 1st heat 4th in 1st semi-final |
Glenn "Bud" Webster |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
24 May 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
3rd in 1st heat 7th in feature |
Buddy Quick |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
31 May 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
2nd to Frank Lies in the 2nd heat 7th in 1st semi-final |
Buddy Quick |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
7 Jun 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
3rd in 1st heat 4th in feature |
Glenn "Bud" Webster |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
14 Jun 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
5th in 1st heat |
Will Forrest |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
19 Jun 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in 1st heat 1st in trophy dash |
Harold Leep |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
26 Jun 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
28 Jun 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
4th in 2nd heat 4th in 1st semi-final |
Buddy Quick |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
4 Jul 53 5 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
New model stock car |
|
3 |
Jim Smith |
Verne Hamilton |
||
|
4 Jul 53 6 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
3rd in 1st heat 7th in feature |
Buddy Quick |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
5 Jul 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
1st in 2nd heat 1st in trophy dash 3rd in 1st semi-final 9th in feature |
Will Forrest |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
10 Jul 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
17 Jul 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
18 Jul 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
4th in 3rd heat 7th in 1st semi-final 8th in feature |
Bill Killion |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
24 Jul 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Earl E. Mills |
|||
|
25 Jul 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
1st in feature |
Jim Roper |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
1 Aug 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
1st in heat 1st in B feature 1st in A feature |
Jim Roper |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
9 Aug 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
1st in 3rd heat 2nd in feature |
Troy Routh |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
16 Aug 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
6th in 2nd heat |
Frank Lies |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
23 Aug 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
8th in 1st heat |
Ray Watkins |
Carl Johnson |
||
|
4 Sep 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in 1st heat 1st in trophy dash |
Harold Leep |
Earl E. Mills |
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7 Sep 53 5 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
|
1949 Lincoln |
4 |
|
1st in 2nd heat |
Troy Routh |
Verne Hamilton |
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7 Sep 53 6 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
2nd to Jerry Everhart in B feature |
Ray Watkins |
Carl Johnson |
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|
14 Sep 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
5th in feature |
Frank Lies |
Carl Johnson |
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19 Sep 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
3rd in 1st heat 4th in feature |
Jim McAmis |
Carl Johnson |
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20 Sep 53 |
None |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
|
New Model stock car |
|
|
14th in feature |
Bill King |
Verne Hamilton |
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25 Sep 53 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
Strictly Stock Car |
1st in B feature |
Bill Mears |
Earl E. Mills |
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|
28 Sep 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
2nd to Joe Collins in 2nd heat |
Frank Lies |
Carl Johnson |
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|
4 Oct 53 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
Jalopy |
|
3rd in 1st heat |
Walt McWhorter |
Carl Johnson |
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|
18 Jun 54 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
59 |
Strictly Stock Car |
Don & Frank A. Sadowski |
Newton, KS |
1st in 3rd heat |
Bill Mears |
Earl E. Mills |
|
1 Aug 54 |
None |
Cejay Stadium, Wichita, KS |
59 |
Jalopy |
Don & Frank A. Sadowski |
Newton, KS |
2nd in feature |
Troy Routh |
Carl Johnson |
|
13 Aug 54 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
59 |
Strictly Stock Car |
Don & Frank A. Sadowski |
Newton, KS |
1st in 1st semi-final 3rd in feature |
J. D. Cox |
Earl E. Mills |
|
10 Sep 54 |
None |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS |
59 |
Strictly Stock Car |
Don & Frank A. Sadowski |
Newton, KS |
3rd in feature |
Bill Nelson |
Earl E. Mills |
|
19 Sep 54 |
IMCA |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
14 |
Plymouth New Model stock car |
Merle Gayford Dye |
Hutchinson, KS |
5th fastest in time trials DNF in feature - lost wheel and flipped end-over-end several times receiving minor injuries |
Herschel Buchanan |
Verne Hamilton |
|
1955 |
|
Scott County Fairgrounds, Davenport, IA |
|
Sprint Car |
|
|
Accident 18 |
|
|
|
30 Jul 60 |
MRI 13 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
|
Rail |
|
|
Roper presented a car for time trials but received no time and did not return for the race the next day |
Roy Bryant |
Jack Merrick |
|
29-30 Jul 61 |
MRI 13 |
Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, KS 9 |
80 |
Rail |
|
|
79th of 81 that took time trials DNF in 1st heat 5th in semi-final |
Harold Leep |
Jack Merrick |
|
Jim Roper is seen here posing beside the pole- winning Oldsmobile 88 for this 300-lap non-sanctioned New Model stock car race at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, KS. The car was owned by Millard J. Clothier. Roper drove it to victory in this race on Labor Day, 1952 Lehman collection |
Jim Roper with Millard James Clothier, Sr.'s Oldsmobile #55 in 1950 - Clothier collection |
#56 Jim Roper is on the pole in an Oldsmobile 88 owned by Millard J. Clothier. The non-sectioned race was for New Model stock car race at the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Labor Day, 1952 - J. R. Cox collection |
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IMCA New Model Stock Cars pitted on the front straightaway at Belleville, KS. #11 Gordie Shuck, #55 Jim Roper, #4 Herb Craig, #15 Fred South, and #14 Art Combs - Mills collection |
Jim Roper in an Oldsmobile at an unidentified fairgrounds racetrack - Mills collection |
Jim Roper in front of his Millard-Clothier-owned #55 Oldsmobile with a couple of unidentified fans Mills collection |
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Jim Roper drove this Earl-Mills-owned jalopy on Kansas dirt racetracks - Mills collection |
Jim Roper driving a jalopy owned by Harold “Squire” Dean at Jayhawk Speedway In Newton, KS in 1951 - J. R. Cox collection |
Jayhawk Speedway, Newton, KS - 1953 L. to R.: Forrest Coleman; Troy Routh; Elmer Balzer; Tom Salmon, Jr.; Jim Roper; Bill Mears (father of Indy winner Rick Mears and grandfather of NASCAR driver Casey Mears); Earl E. Mills; Bill Nelson; Jay "Skeeter" McKinnie (co-owner of the midget that Sammy Swindell drove to victory in the 1996 Chili Bowl); and local radio personality, Lee Nichols - Mills collection |
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Jim Roper was driving this Plymouth New Model Stock car when he lost a right-side wheel in the 150-lap feature race and rolled several times at the IMCA New Model races at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson on September 19, 1954. Roper received only minor injuries. The car was owned by Gayford Dye of Hutchinson - Mills collection |
Jim Roper drove this strictly stock car in several races in Kansas in 1954. Shown seated in the car is Frank Sadowski who co-owned the Ford with his son, Don - Kay Growsky collection |
Jim Roper, seated at left, found a comfortable place to wait for the IMCA New Model races at Mid-America Fairgrounds in Topeka, KS to begin - Mills collection |
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Millard James Clothier, Sr.'s car lot in Great Bend, KS in 1955 - Clothier collection |
Program photo, Stock Car Races at the Cowley County Fairgrounds Winfield, KS - Labor Day, 1957 |
L. to r.: Henry Ward, Duke Westerhaus, Bob McKim, Jim Roper, and Beryl Ward Reminiscing at the Midget Nationals at Belleville, KS in 1989 - Darrin McKim collection |
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NASCAR Premier Series race winner Rusty Wallace poses with Grand Marshall Jim Roper and the winner’s trophy after the April 18,1993 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Mills collection |
Jim Roper was Grand Marshall of the NASCAR Premier Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on April 18, 1993 - Mills collection |
Jim Roper in the #K-1 midget he raced in the 1940s and John Yonke in Bill Keimel’s #2 midget during an exhibition run at the 1996 Belleville, Kansas Midget Nationals Tim Passmore photo |
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Jim Roper at the 1996 Belleville, Kansas Midget Nationals seated in the #K-1 Midget that he drove on occasion in the post-WW lI 1940s - Mills collection |
Jim Roper, seated on stage, during driver introductions at the NASCAR Premier Series race on April 5, 1998 at the Texas Motor Speedway Mills collection |
Jim Roper, at right, being introduced to the fans as the honorary starter during pre-race ceremonies before a NASCAR Premier Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 5, 1998 Mills collection |
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Security guards stand below the flag stand to assist if needed as Jim Roper made his way up the latter to handle the flags at the start of the NASCAR Premier Series race at Texas Motor Speedway - Mills collection |
"Jim Roper helped me get upside down my first time.” - - - Jay Woodside
"Boy! I've had fun!" - - - Jim Roper |
1 This table covers only a fraction of the total races that Jim Roper competed in.
b Probably Verne Hamilton
3 Roper was listed as an entrant in this race but it is unclear if he actually competed.
4 Probably Millard James Clothier, Sr.
5 This was an afternoon race
6 This race was run that night.
7 Probably either car #81 owned by Earl E. Mills or car #27 owned by brothers Marvin & Vernis Church.
8 This midget had no number on it during this race but the car’s number slowly became an orange #39. It just took much of the summer to get it painted on the car.
9 This is the half-mile dirt racetrack.
10 This is the 1/5 mile dirt racetrack that was located inside the ½-mile dirt oval from 1947 to 1950.
11 Kansas Midget Racing Association (KMRA), Norman Calvert, president.
12 Midget Racing Association (MRA)
13 Merrick Racing Incorporated (MRI)
14 Sky Ranch was the name given to a 3-mile road course laid out on the runways of the former Naval Air Station just outside Hutchinson, KS. 50 laps made up the 150-mile race on this afternoon. Roper led the first 49 laps before his Lincoln ran out of gasoline. He made it back to the pits, got more gasoline, rejoined the race and finished third behind Norman Horn of Great Bend, Kansas who was driving another 1949 Lincoln, and Marion Smith, a car dealer from Hugo, Colorado, who was driving a 1949 Oldsmobile.
15 Southwest Hotrod Racing Association (SWHRRA)
16 His name may have been Robert Benjamin “Ben” McAntosh but that has yet to be firmly established.
17 Although this car may have been entered in this race as owned by Robert B. McIntosh, Jim Roper was always adamant that the car was actually owned by Millard Clothier.
18 Although it has yet to be independently confirmed, Roper claimed to have suffered a broken vertebra in a sprint car accident in these races.
Thank you:
Bill Mills