Thirteenth Annual Kansas State Championship

Late Model Stock Car Races

On the Historic Half-Mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

 

Sunday – September 11, 1977

 

Promotional Company – Merrick Racing Promotions (M.R.P.)

Race Director – Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas

Flagman / Starter – Forrest Cox, Jr. of Dodge City, Kansas

 

Attendance – “a capacity plus crowd”

 

 

 

#0 Mel Potts of Salina, Kansas leads #68 Larry Walters of Lowry City, Missouri in the fourth heat race.  Walters would get by Potts to win this race – Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

 

First Heat Race – 16 Cars

Place

Car #

Driver

From

 

  1

6x

Gary Pletcher

Sharon Springs, Kansas

 

  2

77

Gary Holbert

Concordia, Kansas

 

  3

71x

Tom Folk

Iola, Kansas

 

  4

777

Dave Oltman

Salina, Kansas

 

  5

1

Garry Fuller, Sr.

Salina, Kansas

 

  6

90

Larry McDaniels

Chanute, Kansas

 

  7

99x

Leroy Dauer

Falun, Kansas

 

  8

21

Doug Thompson

Junction City, Kansas

 

  9

98

Rod Keller

Dodge City, Kansas

 

10

23

Jeff Scott

Roxbury, Kansas

 

11

94x

Cliff Worthington

Wichita, Kansas

 

12

007

Jim Leffel

South Hutchinson, Kansas

 

13

11

Roy Ubank

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

14

69

Lynn Page

Hutchinson, Kansas

DNF

15

58

Don Wakefield

Wichita, Kansas

DNF

16

33

Bob Dauer

Marquette, Kansas

DNF

Page slid sideways on the first lap in the northeast turn and was collected by Wakefield, Dauer, and Fuller with Wakefield’s car overturning.  Only Fuller was able to restart the race.

 

  

 

Second Heat Race – 17 Cars

Place

Car #

Driver

From

 

  1

15

J. D. Martin

Dodge City, Kansas

 

  2

05

Terry Dickey

Wichita, Kansas

 

  3

84

Roger Chambers

Yates Center, Kansas

 

  4

97

Milton Ward

Great Bend, Kansas

 

  5

022

Steve Bush

Wichita, Kansas

 

  6

7-11

Harold Lohf

Salina, Kansas

 

  7

55x

Gary Kratzer

Lyons, Kansas

 

  8

51

Dick Lecklider

Lindsborg, Kansas

 

  9

198

Rick Riner

Wichita, Kansas

 

10

021

Steve Foster

Abilene, Kansas

 

11

03

Kenneth Jenkins

Liberal, Kansas

 

12

89

Don Pearce

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

13

75x

Lynn Hanafin

Wichita, Kansas

 

14

5x

Clifford Reusser

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

15

87

George Carr, Jr.

Garden City, Kansas

 

16

15x

Jerry Lindholm

Lindsborg, Kansas

 

17

98

Rod Keller

Dodge City, Kansas

DNF

Keller slid sideways on the first lap in the southwest turn and was struck by Kratzer and Lecklider.  Keller was the only one not to continue on.

Pearce and Dickey collided at the head of the back stretch and slid off of the racetrack but both cars were able to continue on.

 

  

 

Third Heat Race

Place

Car #

Driver

From

 

  1

2x

Howard Spitler

Republic, Kansas

 

  2

x11

Bud Haehn

Wichita, Kansas

 

  3

39xx

Joe Smith

Sharon, Oklahoma

 

  4

53

Jim VanWormer

Manhattan, Kansas

 

  5

41

John Tipping

Enid, Oklahoma

 

  6

94

Frank Offutt

Utica, Kansas

 

  7

84

Jack Johnson

Haysville, Kansas

 

  8

444

Bill Wills

Salina, Kansas

 

  9

28

Jim Hilty

Lindsborg, Kansas

 

10

45

Elmo Lane

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

11

27

O. B. Barsh

Garden City, Kansas

 

12

21F

Otis Hairfield

Wichita, Kansas

 

13

72

Von Morton

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

14

321

Danny Lambe

Great Bend, Kansas

 

15

14N

Henry Martin

McPherson, Kansas

 

Haehn moved up from the middle of the pack to take the lead for a few laps before he was passed by Spitler who held on to win the race.

 

  

 

Fourth Heat Race

Place

Car #

Driver

From

 

  1

68

Larry Walters

Lowry City, Missouri

 

  2

0

Mel Potts

Salina, Kansas

 

  3

30

Marvin Bradford

Salina, Kansas

 

  4

02

Pinky Mullens

Wichita, Kansas

 

  5

7

Greg Holbert

Concordia, Kansas

 

  6

3

Dick Hendershot, Jr.

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

  7

241

Garry Abell

Beloit, Kansas

 

  8

11w

Orville Clinton

Minneapolis, Kansas

 

  9

22x

Max Sloan

Great Bend, Kansas

 

10

2

Gary Moore

Wichita, Kansas

 

11

31

Gary Pinkston

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

12

64x

Gary Cunningham

South Hutchinson, Kansas

 

13

71

Loyd Farr

Leoti, Kansas

 

14

5

Dale Ulery

Dodge City, Kansas

 

15

24

Ricky Dunsworth

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

16

56

Steve Moore

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

 

  

 

Fifth Heat Race

Place

Car #

Driver

From

 

  1

79

Don Kreie

Dodge City, Kansas

 

  2

59

Larry Lutkie

Wichita, Kansas

 

  3

9

Francis Hoppenstedt

Manhattan, Kansas

 

  4

21x

Chuck Kidwell

Harvard, Nebraska

 

  5

48x

Craig Miller

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

  6

19

Sam Briddendall

Salina, Kansas

 

  7

38

Glen Duvall

Garnett, Kansas

 

  8

88

Frank Starkey

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

  9

00

Frank Sell

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

10

111

Ron Case

Wichita, Kansas

 

11

5A

Charles Omerod

Wichita, Kansas

 

12

60

Bob Horyna

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

13

98x

Wendell Allen

Chanute, Kansas

 

14

86

Jeff Porter

Garden City, Kansas

 

Kreie won this race by a wide margin.

 

  

 

B Feature Race

Place

Car #

Driver

From

 

  1

55x

Gary Kratzer

Lyons, Kansas

 

  2

99x

Leroy Dauer

Falun, Kansas

 

  3

3

Dick Hendershot, Jr.

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

  4

94

Frank Offutt

Utica, Kansas

 

  5

111

Ron Case

Wichita, Kansas

 

  6

11w

Orville Clinton

Minneapolis, Kansas

 

  7

90

Larry McDaniels

Chanute, Kansas

 

  8

21

Doug Thompson

Junction City, Kansas

 

  9

98

Rod Keller

Dodge City, Kansas

 

10

00

Frank Sell

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

11

88

Frank Starkey

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

12

021

Steve Foster

Abilene, Kansas

 

13

22x

Max Sloan

Great Bend, Kansas

 

14

51

Dick Lecklider

Lindsborg, Kansas

 

15

19

Sam Brittendall

Salina, Kansas

 

16

38

Glen Duvall

Garnett, Kansas

 

17

23

Jeff Scott

Roxbury, Kansas

 

 

45

Elmo Lane

Hutchinson, Kansas

DNF

Lane was a contender for the lead until he lost a tire midway through the race.

 

  

 

A Feature Race

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

x11

Bud Haehn

Wichita, Kansas

  2

2x

Howard Spitler

Republic, Kansas

  3

68

Larry Walters

Lowry City, Missouri

  4

6x

Gary Pletcher

Sharon Springs, Kansas

  5

0

Mel Potts

Salina, Kansas

  6

15

J. D. Martin

Dodge City, Kansas

  7

30

Marvin Bradford

Salina, Kansas

  8

79

Don Kreie

Dodge City, Kansas

  9

05

Terry Dickey

Wichita, Kansas

10

1

Garry Fuller, Sr.

Salina, Kansas

11

97

Milton Ward

Great Bend, Kansas

12

59

Larry Lutkie

Wichita, Kansas

13

41

John Tipping

Enid, Oklahoma

14

9

Francis Hoppenstedt

Manhattan, Kansas

15

39xx

Joe Smith

Sharon, Oklahoma

16

77

Gary Holbert

Concordia, Kansas

17

21x

Chuck Kidwell

Harvard, Nebraska

18

022

Steve Bush

Wichita, Kansas

19

7

Greg Holbert

Concordia, Kansas

20

777

Dave Oltman

Salina, Kansas

21

71x

Tom Folk

Iola, Kansas

Spitler led the first two laps before being passed by Haehn.  Spitler retook the lead quickly and held it until the last lap when Haehn got by him in a photo finish.

  

 

 

 

Larry McDaniels

Racing from the Past website

 

Pinky Mullens

Racing from the Past website

 

Loyd Farr

Racing from the Past website 

Howard Spitler

Racing from the Past website  

 

 

 

Frank Sell

Racing from the Past website 

Doug Thompson

Racing from the Past website

Mel Potts

Racing from the Past website 

Ron Case

Mullins family collection

 

 

 

Steve Bush

Joe Aldershof collection

Garry Fuller, Sr.

Racing from the Past website

Gary Kratzer

Racing from the Past website

Max Sloan

Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

Dick Hendershot, Jr.

Racing from the Past website

 

Charles Omerod

Racing from the Past website

Francis Hoppenstedt

Racing from the Past website

Terry Dickey

Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

Milton Ward

Racing from the Past website

Bud Haehn

Racing from the Past website

Marvin Bradford

Racing from the Past website

Jack Johnson

Mullens family collection

 

 

 

Elmo Lane

Racing from the Past website

Larry Lutkie

Steve Lutkie collection

Bob Dauer

Racing from the Past website

Don Kreie

Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

Cliff Reusser

Racing from the Past website

Gary Holbert

Racing from the Past website

Garry Abell

Racing from the Past website

Craig Miller

Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

Leroy Dauer

Racing from the Past website

Ricky Dunsworth

Racing from the Past website

Von Morton

Racing from the Past website

Bill Wills

Racing from the Past website

 

 

 

Larry Walters

Racing from the Past website 

J. D. Martin

Racing from the Past website

Roger Chambers

Racing from the Past website 

Steve Foster

Racing from the Past website 

 

 

 

 Orville Clinton

Racing from the Past website

Sam Brittendall

Duane Toyne collection from the Racing from the Past website

 

 

 .    

Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page