Sprint Car Races on the

Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Tuesday – September 16, 1952

 

 

Sanctioned by – International Motor Contest Association (I.M.C.A.)

Promotional company – Auto Racing Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Race promoter – Frank Winkley of Minneapolis, Minnesota 

 

Attendance – “an overflow crowd”

 

 

 

Deb Snyder

L. A. Ward photo from the book

Big Car Thunder by Bob Mays

Bert Hellmueller

Bob Stolze collection

Mickey McCormick

Tommy Madison collection

 

 

 

  

Time Trials – 14 Cars – 1 Lap

Place

Driver

From

Time 

1

Deb Snyder

Kent, Ohio

25.57

2

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

27.28

3

Ernie Johnson

Christine, North Dakota

27.34

4

Mickey McCormick

Hutchinson, Kansas

28.12

 

Bert Hellmueller

Lousiville, Kentucky

 

 

Bob Carpenter

Wabash, Indiana

 

 

Frank Heaton*

Phoenix, Arizona

 

 

Tommy Adelman

Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

 

Bill Thompson

 

 

 

Louie Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

 

 

Johnny Paulsen

 

 

Snyder was driving the Miracle Power Offy #3.

McCormick was driving a new Frank Baldauf owned sprint car with equipped with a Wayne Chevrolet engine.

 

 

 

First Heat Race – 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time 

1

Deb Snyder

Kent, Ohio

3:29.84

2

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

3

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

 

Hellmueller was driving his own Ranger powered sprint car.

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time 

1

Wayne “Speed” Wynn

Tampa, Florida

3:27.38

2

Mickey McCormick

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

3

Bob Carpenter

Wabash, Indiana

 

 

Frank Heaton*

Phoenix, Arizona

 

 

Tommy Adelman

Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

 

 

 

Trophy Dash

Place

Driver

From

 

1

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

2

Mickey McCormick

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

 

 

 

Consolation Race

Place

Driver

From

 

1

Louie Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

 

2

Bill Thompson

 

 

3

Frank Heaton*

Phoenix, Arizona

 

 

Tommy Adelman

Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

 

 

 

Australian Pursuit

Place

Driver

From

 

1

Johnny Paulsen

 

 

2

Bob Carpenter

Wabash, Indiana

 

 

 

 

Feature Race – 10 Cars - 15 Laps

Place

Driver

From

 

1

Deb Snyder

Kent, Ohio

 

2

unknown

 

 

3

unknown

 

 

4

unknown

 

 

5

Mickey McCormick

Hutchinson, Kansas

 

 

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

 

 

Bob Carpenter

Wabash, Indiana

 

 

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

 

 

 

 

These sprint car races were the first ever witnessed by Jay Woodside (1939-2004) who went on to drive sprint cars himself.  He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa in 2003. 

 

 

 

 

 

Clair Cotter

Wood collection

Bob Carpenter

Phil Harms collection from the book

The Rim Riders by Buzz Rose

 

 

 

 

* Frank William Heaton (1925-1954) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

 

 

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