LABOR DAY
September 7, 1953

 

First and Second Place in the A Feature
These two cars finished first and second in the A Feature at Winfield, Kansas, on Labor Day, September 7, 1953.  Standing, left to right: Al Williams, owner of the second place car #51; Ralph Lowry, driver of car #51; Bill Mears, driver of the winning car #10; and Paul Kammerer.  All four men were from Wichita, Kansas.  The #10 car was a white over blue 1932 Ford sedan – Ralph Lowry collection

 

 

Winfield Daily Courier
Wednesday, Sepember 2, 1953, page 9:

Many Racers Entered in Labor Day Event Here

     That there will be from 35 to 50 entries in the Labor Day stock car racing program at the Winfield fairgrounds is indicated now, according to Ward Stuber, general chairman for the racing event for the Lions Club, sponsor of the races.

     It is expected that the competition will establish a new tone in stock car racing in Kansas from the standpoint of cars entered and purses offered to the drivers.

     By the time the races get underway by 2 p.m. next Monday, it is expected that the hospital find will total $300 or more.  This is a fund which has been built up since the first race in the three-race program held on Decoration Day by the Lions club.

     All car owners, drivers, and pitmen deposit a dollar just before every race to the fund which would be used for payment of hospitalization for any driver who might be injured in a race.  If there are no accidents resulting in personal injury, the fund is thrown into a purse for the final race of the day and of the series.

WINNERS TO COMPETE

     Top money winners at recent races in Wichita will be competing here on Labor Day.  Among them will be Johnnie Bush, Ralph Lowry, Bill Mears, Will Forest, Charlie Lutkie, and others.

     From Newton, where races are held every week, a number of owners and drivers are expected along with drivers from Hutchinson, Salina, Topeka, Kansas City, Arkansas City, Chanute, Hardtner, El Dorado, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Ponca City, Guthrie, Amarillo, and St. Joseph, Missouri.

     Word of the record attendance at the Winfield fairgrounds last July 4th for the racing program has spread over the entire southwest and interest is keen.
     Starter for the Labor Day races will be Johnnie Autry from Enid.

     Mike Rockwell, carnival operator, has consented to leave his Ferris wheel at the fairgrounds on Monday so the kiddies may have their thrill ride along with the auto racing drivers.

 

 

Arkansas City Daily Traveler
Tuesday, September 8, 1953:

Kansans Die In Holidays Toll

WINFIELD (AP)   Nine-year-old Wesley Wilson died at a hospital Monday night, several hours after he was struck by a wheel which flew off a car into the spectator area at a stock car race.  He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvie Wilson of Winfield.

 

The driver of Lawrence Brooks’ Ford coupe “8 Ball” takes his time trial at Winfield – Larry Brooks collection

 

 

Winfield Daily Courier

Tuesday, September 8, 1953, page 6:

Over 5,000 See Stock Car Races

    A crowd exceeding 5,000 persons witnessed the Labor Day stock car races at the Winfield fairgrounds Monday afternoon.  There were 37 cars entered in the eight race highly competitive racing events.  Winner of the feature race, which entitled him to receive about $175, was Bill Mears of Wichita, a consistent top money winner in the circuits.

     The races were run without injury to any of the drivers.  There were several accidents, however.

     One freak accident resulted in fatal injuries for Wesley Wilson, local youth who was struck by a wheel which came off a car as it rounded the south turn.

     There were an estimated 150 to 200 persons standing on the Frisco tracks and right-of-way at the south end of the racetrack, outside of the fairgrounds, where Wesley was hit.  All spectators within the fairgrounds observed requests to take seats in the grandstand during the races.  A corps of special police were in charge of parking cars and directing pedestrians for their own safety.  Repeated requests by police officers and from the public address system to the spectators on the railroad track to get back were disregarded and ignored.  Even after the accident, police officers said some of the spectators defied the officers.

     Police pointed out that, in the past, they have faced the controversial issue of spectators refusing to leave the danger zone on police request, arguing that the police had no right to force them from the railroad property.

     RACE RESULTS: Following are the first three place winners in the various races and the price money those places paid.  There was a total of $1,308 distributed.

FIRST HEAT

 

SECOND HEAT

 

THIRD HEAT

1

John Marshall

$33.75

 

1

Ralph Lowry2

$33.75

 

1

Bill Mears1

$33.75

2

Will Forrest

26.68

 

2

Harold Leep

26.68

 

2

Orval Beckel

26.68

3

Bill Eslick5

18.05

 

3

Dean Ring

18.05

 

3

Bill Bonewell4

18.05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TROPHY DASH

 

FIRST SEMI-FINAL

 

SECOND SEMI-FINAL

1

Bill Mears1

 

 

1

Charlie Lutkie

$41.86

 

1

Ralph Lowry2

$41.86

 

 

 

 

2

John Golden

24.10

 

2

Will Forrest

31.89

 

 

 

 

3

Leroy Schroeder

10.46

 

3

John Bush

20.93

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Bill Mears1

10.48

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Collins

Race Organizer

B FEATURE

 

A FEATURE

 

 

1

Charlie Lutkie

$91.57

 

1

Bill Mears1

$172.66

 

 

2

Carl Brown

62.78

 

2

Ralph Lowry2

115.10

 

 

3

B. B. Allen

47.08

 

3

John Bush

88.95

 

 

4

Oren Hamilton

34.01

 

4

Will Forrest

62.78

 

 

5

Leroy Schroeder

26.16

 

5

Harold Leep

47.09

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Bill Nelson

36.62

 

 

 1Bill Mears was driving a car owned by Ted Kammerer on this day.  Shortly after arriving at the racetrack, they discovered that the transmission was broken so the excepted Joe Collins' offer to let them work on it at his garage.  On the way to the garage, crewman Ron Coleman rode in the racecar and loosened the bolts so the transmission would be ready to take out when they arrived.  They discovered that the transmission could not be repaired so they welded it into second gear and returned to the racetrack.  It must not have been much of a handicap as Bill won his heat, the trophy dash, and the A feature.

 2Ralph Lowry, who won the second heat, the second semi-final and then placed second in the A feature on this day, was driving a 1932 Ford five window coupe #51 that was owned by Al Williams of Wichita, Kansas.

 3Alvie Wesley Wilson had been watching the races from the railroad tracks a short distance from the south end of the racetrack.

 

 4William Allen “Bill” Bonewell (1917-1996) was from Blackwell, Oklahoma.

 

 5William A. “Bill” Eslick (1928-1989) was from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

On the Front Straightaway in Front of the Grandstand at Winfield, Kansas

This Ford coupe was owned by Lawrence Brooks of Arkansas City, Kansas – Larry Brooks collection

 

 

SOME OF THE DRIVERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE RACES ON THIS DATE:

Bill Mears

Ralph Lowry

John Bush

Will Forrest

Harold Leep

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Nelson

Charlie Lutkie

John Marshall

Dean Ring

Orval Beckel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Eslick

 

 

 

 

 

 

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