|
LABOR DAY
|
|
Orval Beckel with the Kenny Neely owned Hudson that he drove to victory in both the first semi-final race and the A feature at Winfield on this day. This car survives and is now owned by Iran Wheeler - Iran Wheeler collection
Winfield Daily Courier Large Crowd at Races |
||
The 1956 automobile racing season in Winfield, sponsored by the Lions club, ended Monday with one of the largest crowds and most vehicles entered during the years the races have been held at the local fairgrounds track. There were 1,143 paid admissions and these, together with children under 14 years of age, all of whom were admitted free, and the racing car owners, drivers, pitmen, and others, the crowd was estimated at well over 2,000. There
were nine races on the program and a total of $625 was paid to drivers who
were in the winning money. Two trophies were also presented. The only casualty during the afternoon occurred early in the seventh race. Robert Lowell of Anaheim, California driving a car owned by Lawrence Miller, Arkansas City lost control of his machine at the east side of the south end of the track. The car crashed head-on into an electric line pole. Lowell was knocked unconscious but his injuries were reported as not severe. (See Below.) Tempers of several members of the racing fraternity warmed up soon after the program got under way and there was some excitement in front of the grandstand as a result. There were nine cars from Coffeyville entered. It soon became apparent that the Coffeyville cars had more speed potential. It was explained that under rules in the Coffeyville area, cars were permitted to compete under different motor ratings than ratings for the races in this part of the country. Ray Clark, Coffeyville, took the trophy dash with ease. It was presented to him by Miss Barbara David, Winfield, for the Lions club. It appeared that drivers and owners in the local area did not care to compete against the Coffeyville crowd. It was quickly decided to run all Coffeyville cars together in an Australian, single-file race. Whenever a car was passed, it automatically was eliminated. Clark also won this race. Then another trophy race was run for cars in the local area. The trophy, given by Robert McClintock, in behalf of the J. M. McDonald Company, was won by Ralph Lies, Wichita. Fagan Stinnett announced the races for the Lions club. The starter was Lyle Baker, Wichita. Joe Collins was in charge of getting the racing program lined up and the drivers and owners to participate. Those who placed in the money were: |
|
First Heat |
From |
|
|
Second Heat |
From |
1 |
Ralph Lies |
Wichita, KS |
|
1 |
Ray Clark5 |
Pittsburg, KS |
2 |
Dick Walker |
Arkansas City, KS |
|
2 |
Joe Seifried |
Tulsa, OK |
3 |
Pete Jacobs |
Wichita, KS |
|
3 |
Pete Jacobs |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Third Head |
|
|
|
First Trophy Dash1 |
|
1 |
Clifford “Squirt” Bartholomew |
Coffeyville, KS |
|
1 |
Ray Clark5 |
Pittsburg, KS |
2 |
Harold “Happy” Hart6 |
Tulsa, OK |
|
|
|
|
3 |
John Bush |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Trophy Dash2 |
|
|
B Feature2 |
|
|
1 |
Ralph Lies |
Wichita, KS |
1 |
John McGee3 |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
2 |
Bill Killian |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Lloyd Hildreth |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
Australian Pursuit1 |
|
4 |
Kenneth Huffman |
Wichita, KS |
|
1 |
Ray Clark5 |
Pittsburg, KS |
5 |
Dale Reed4 |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Semi-Final2 |
|
|
|
Second Semi-Final2 |
|
1 |
Orval Beckel |
Wichita, KS |
|
1 |
Dale Reed4 |
Wichita, KS |
2 |
Pete Jacobs |
Wichita, KS |
|
2 |
John McGee |
Wichita, KS |
3 |
Richard Bridgman |
Wichita, KS |
|
3 |
Bill Curless |
Arkansas City, KS |
4 |
Dick Walker |
Arkansas City, KS |
|
4 |
Buddy Quick |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B Feature2 |
|
|
|
A Feature2 |
|
1 |
John McGee3 |
Wichita, KS |
|
1 |
Orval Beckel |
Wichita, KS |
2 |
Bill Killion |
Wichita, KS |
|
2 |
John Bush |
Wichita, KS |
3 |
Lloyd Hildreth |
Wichita, KS |
|
3 |
Bud Webster |
Winfield, KS |
4 |
Kenneth Huffman |
Wichita, KS |
|
4 |
Max Naden |
Ponca City, OK |
5 |
Dale Reed4 |
Wichita, KS |
|
5 |
Ralph Lies |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
|
|
6 |
Wylan Cattrell |
Wichita, KS |
1This race was just for cars that usually raced with the Southeast Kansas Racing Club at Coffeyville, Kansas.
|
Ralph Lies of Wichita, Kansas won the second trophy dash on this date in the Bob Martin owned #1 Ford.
ABOVE:
36 year-old Robert Lowell of Anaheim, California is lifted unconscious from
Lawrence Miller's stock car as Lowell’s wife (foreground) looks on.
Lowell, one of 17 starters in the first semi-final race, crashed into an
electric pole early in the race. It was the first, and only, time he
drove the car. Click your mouse on the photo for a different view of the
rescue from the Larry Brooks collection. Lawrence Brooks is at left on
top of the car in that photo - Winfield
Daily Courier photo
BELOW: Surveying the damage to Lawrence Miller's car after the
crowd had dispersed – Gary
Virden collection
SOME OF THE DRIVERS WHO PLACED IN THESE RACES
Orval Beckel |
John Bush |
Bud Webster |
Max Naden |
Ralph Lies |
Wylan Cattrell |
John McGee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bill Killion |
Lloyd Hildreth |
Dale Reed |
Ray Clark |
Pete Jacobs |
Squirt Bartholomew |
Joe Seifried |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dick Walker |
Kenneth Huffman |
Bill Curless |
Buddy Quick |
Richard Bridgman |
|
Return to page one of the History of Auto Racing at Winfield website.