The advertisement at left, which appeared in the Winfield Daily Courier in 1951, announced the return of stock car racing to the Winfield racetrack in what was to be the only two day automobile racing program in the history of the track.

 

First Day of the Show:

From page 8 of the Winfield Daily Courier
Friday, August 31, 1951:

Thrills at Fair
Stock Car Races

Future speedster Billy Collins in his miniature vehicle

(Click on this photo of Billy to see another of him and his miniature vehicle with Bud Webster

and a Ford stock car that Bud drove in these races for car owner Joe Collins – Bill Collins collection)

 

Thrills, spills, and speed brought forth gasps as the large afternoon crowd watched seven stock car races Thursday afternoon at the fairgrounds.  Twenty cars jockeyed for position during the opening long stretch.  This phase of racing (time trials) was to be culminated for the last afternoon's event.

Statistics show that at least nine cars went off the track in starting rounds; one car (Bud Webster) turned over on its top in the second semi-final.  No driver or fan was injured and at least six cars dropped out mid-races.

For "relief", the big crowd gave 4-year-old Billy Collins a big hand as that future speedster raced his miniature vehicle up and down the track before the grandstand.

Results:

 

Time Trials:

From:

Seconds:

 

 

Trophy Dash:

From:

1

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

33.00

 

1

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

2

Bud Webster

Winfield, KS

33.19

 

2

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

3

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

33.55

 

3

Bob Eichor

Oklahoma City, OK

4

Bill Mears

Wichita, KS

34.00

 

4

Bud Webster

Winfield, KS

5

Bob Eichor

Oklahoma City, OK

34.15

 

5

Bob Mack1

Wichita, KS

6

Bill Nelson

Wichita, KS

34.30

 

6

Bill Nelson

Wichita, KS

 

 

First Heat:

From:

 

 

Second Heat:

From:

 

Slowest third of field from time trials

 

 

 

Middle third of field from time trials 

1

Hugh Shea

Wichita, KS

 

1

Bill Mears

Wichita, KS

2

Gene DeWald

Winfield, KS

 

2

Carl Simpson

Wichita, KS

3

Buddy Quick

Wichita, KS

 

3

Will Forrest

Wichita, KS

4

G. A. Pearson

Wichita, KS

 

4

Claude Ash

Winfield, KS

5

Dick Haudek

Arkansas City, KS

 

5

Shorty Jones

Wichita, KS

6

LeMoine D. Pegg3

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Heat:

 

 

 

B Feature:

 

 

Fastest third of field from time trials

 

 

 

Slowest half of field from time trials 

1

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

 

1

Bill Mears

Wichita, KS

2

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

 

2

Will Forrest

Wichita, KS

3

Bob Eichor

Oklahoma City, OK

 

3

Hugh Shea

Wichita, KS

4

Bob Mack1

Wichita, KS

 

4

Buddy Quick

Wichita, KS

5

Bill Nelson

Wichita, KS

 

5

Dick Haudeck

Arkansas City, KS

6

Bud Webster

Winfield, KS

 

6

G. A. Pearson

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Semi-Final:

 

 

 

Second Semi-Final:

 

1

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

 

1

Bill Mears

Wichita, KS

2

Hugh Shea

Wichita, KS

 

2

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

3

Bob Mack1

Wichita, KS

 

3

Carl Simpson

Wichita, KS

4

Will Forrest

Wichita, KS

 

4

Shorty Jones

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Feature:

 

1

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

 

5

Bob Eichor

Oklahoma City, OK

2

Bill Mears

Wichita, KS

 

6

Will Forrest

Wichita, KS

3

Hugh Shea

Wichita, KS

 

7

Carl Simpson

Wichita, KS

4

Bill Nelson

Wichita, KS

 

8

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

Charlie Lutkie at left is congratulated by his car owner, Bob Moffitt2 – Anthony Miller collection

 

Left to right: Joe Collins, car owner; Bob Eichor, driver; and Willard Bodkins, car builder and mechanic.  Bob Eichor, of Oklahoma City, drove this V-8 Ford coupe at area racetracks during part of 1951 including to a fifth place finish in the feature in this race at Winfield.  Bob felt the throttle linkage did not have enough travel and drove it without his right shoe in an attempt to better feel the throttle – Willard Bodkins collection

 

SOME OF THE DRIVERS WHO PARTICIPATED THAT DAY

Buddy Quick

Shorty Jones

Will Forrest

Frank Lies

Claude Ash

Bill Nelson

G. A. Pearson

 

Carl Simpson

Bud Webster

Bill Mears

Charlie Lutkie

Gene DeWald

Bob Mack

 

 

1Bob McElree drove under the alias “Bob Mack”

 

2Robert Guy “Bob” Moffitt (1911-1982)

 

3LeMoine Denzel Pegg (1918-2003) is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Wichita, Kansas.

 

 

Return to page one of the History of Automobile Racing at Winfield, Kansas