Convertible Series Stock Car Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Sunday afternoon – June 10, 1956
Sanctioned by National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)
NASCAR Officials
Harry Redkey, Vice-President of NASCAR
Bill Corley, General Agent of NASCAR
Trophy girl – Jeane Faust, Miss Hutchinson 1955
Attendance – 8,000
Guaranteed purse – $5,000
Total purse actually paid – $5,110
Official Pace Car for the Day
#33 Jim Massey of Mebane, North Carolina is shown here lined up for the start on the front straightaway. The car just visible on the outside of Massey is a 1956 Chevrolet #48 driven by Jimmie Lewallen of Archdale, North Carolina. Massey started third and finished in fourth place three laps behind the leader. Lewallen started fourth and finished in eighth place 29 laps behind the leader.
The field is seen here entering the southwest turn on the pace lap. Pictured are #33 Jim Massey and #48 Jimmie Lewallen.
#17 Bill Lang of Syracuse, New York on the inside and #55 Mel Larson of Phoenix, Arizona are shown here on the pace lap in the southwest turn. Both men were driving 1956 Chevrolets. Lang started fourteenth and finished in ninth place thirty laps behind the leaders. Larson started sixteenth and finished in sixth place eighteen laps behind the leaders.
Fastest Time from Time Trials – 1 Lap
Position |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Sponsor / Owner |
Car |
Time |
Average Speed |
1 |
98 |
Allen Adkins |
Clovis, CA |
Tom Harbison |
1956 Dodge D-500 |
31.16 sec. |
57.766 MPH |
125-Mile Race
Finish |
Start |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Sponsor / Owner |
Car |
Laps |
Purse |
Status |
Led |
1 |
2 |
503 |
Frank Mundy |
Atlanta, GA |
Carl Kiekhaefer |
1956 Dodge D-500 |
250 |
$950 |
running |
154 |
2 |
5 |
22 |
Glen Wood |
Stuart, VA |
Wood Brothers |
1956 Ford |
248 |
700 |
running |
0 |
3 |
6 |
49 |
Bob Welborn |
Denton, NC |
Bob Welborn |
1956 Chevrolet |
248 |
500 |
running |
0 |
4 |
3 |
33 |
Jim Massey |
Mebane, NC |
Hubert Westmoreland |
1956 Chevrolet |
247 |
400 |
running |
0 |
5 |
15 |
25 |
Possum Jones |
Mango, FL |
Sam McCuthen |
1956 Chevrolet |
236 |
350 |
running |
29 |
6 |
16 |
55 |
Mel Larson |
Phoenix, AZ |
Mel Larson |
1956 Ford |
232 |
285 |
running |
0 |
7 |
13 |
4 |
Art Binkley |
New Albany, IN |
Art Binkley |
1956 Plymouth |
229 |
235 |
running |
0 |
8 |
4 |
48 |
Jimmie Lewallen |
Archdale, NC |
Bob Welborn |
1956 Chevrolet |
221 |
190 |
running |
0 |
9 |
14 |
17 |
Bill Lang |
Syracuse, NY |
|
1956 Ford |
220 |
135 |
running |
0 |
10 |
1 |
98 |
Allen Adkins |
Clovis, CA |
Tom Harbison |
1956 Dodge |
201 |
135 |
engine |
0 |
11 |
8 |
186 |
Bob Pronger |
Blue Island, IL |
Don Oldenberg |
1955 Buick |
185 |
135 |
vapor lock |
0 |
12 |
10 |
97 |
Danny Letner |
Downey, CA |
Tom Harbison |
1956 Dodge |
155 |
135 |
engine |
67 |
13 |
12 |
71 |
Dick Joslin |
Orlando, FL |
Bill Webb |
1956 Dodge |
101 |
135 |
piston |
0 |
14 |
17 |
90 |
Larry Frank |
Indianapolis, IN |
Gene Blair |
1956 Mercury |
86 |
135 |
spindle |
0 |
15 |
18 |
86 |
Don Oldenberg |
Highland, IN |
Don Oldenberg |
1956 Dodge |
81 |
135 |
axle |
0 |
16 |
7 |
45 |
Bill Brown |
Chicago, IL |
Bill Brown |
1956 Mercury |
36 |
135 |
valve |
0 |
17 |
9 |
7 |
Jimmy Thompson |
Monroe, NC |
George Hilton |
1956 Mercury |
33 |
135 |
engine |
0 |
18 |
19 |
77 |
Dave Hirschfield |
Midlothian, IL |
Dave Hirschfield |
1956 Chevrolet |
31 |
135 |
vapor lock |
0 |
19 |
11 |
7A |
Larry Odo |
Chicago, IL |
Larry Odo |
1956 Chevrolet |
16 |
75 |
engine |
0 |
20 |
20 |
11 |
John Schipper |
|
|
1956 Mercury |
4 |
75 |
valve |
0 |
With two laps to go, Mundy’s car started spouting dense smoke. His winning margin would have been even larger but, with half a lap left on the final circuit, his car slowed to a crawl. Cars were whizzing by him on both sides but he managed to finish with two-laps to spare. The final lap brought his winning average speed for the race down to just 54. 440 M.P.H.
Wood beat Welborn by less than 50-yards for second place.
Massey was in second place when he spun out with only four laps remaining. He recovered in time to finish in fourth place.
A bathtub size hole developed in the south turn causing several drivers to almost loose control of their cars.
#33 Jim Massey’s Chevrolet is the only car that has been identified in this photo to date.
#33 Jim Massey of Mebane, North Carolina leads #55 Mel Larson of Phoenix, Arizona as they head toward the southwest turn.
Fifth place starter and eventual second place finisher Glen Wood of Stuart, Virginia is shown here driving a #22 Wood Brothers’ 1956 Ford through the southwest turn.
#33 Jim Massey of Mebane, North Carolina in a 1956 Chevrolet is shown here leading eventually winner #503 Frank Mundy of Atlanta, Georgia in a 1956 Dodge D-500 through the southwest turn.
All of the photographs on this web page are from the Lehman collection
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page