Sprint Car Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Monday – September 16, 1968
Sanctioned by – Big Car Racing Association (B.C.R.A.)
Track condition – Muddy
Attendance – “a sparse crowd filling about one-third of the grandstand”
Time Trials – 24 Cars – 1 Lap
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
|
1 |
43 |
Dale Reed |
Wichita, Kansas |
25.93 |
|
2 |
25 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
26.13 |
|
3 |
16 |
Otis “Ody” Fellows |
Indian Hills, Colorado |
26.28 |
|
4 |
17 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, Texas |
26.39 |
|
5 |
14 |
Lloyd Beckman |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
26.50 |
|
6 |
66 |
Ralph Parkinson, Sr. |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
26.55 |
|
7 |
6 |
David Ross |
Jetmore, Kansas |
26.56 |
|
8 |
88 |
Jan Opperman |
Des Moines, Iowa |
26.89 |
|
9 |
5 |
Keith Hightshoe |
Ashland, Nebraska |
27.12 |
|
10 |
41 |
Dick Bloom |
Wichita, Kansas |
27.27 |
|
11 |
67 |
Chuck Kidwell |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
27.31 |
|
12 |
24 |
Joe Saldana |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
27.80 |
|
13 |
9 |
Don Hartman |
St. Francis, Kansas |
28.06 |
|
14 |
31 |
Al Bodenhammer |
Raytown, Missouri |
28.31 |
|
15 |
4 |
Lonnie Jensen |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
28.56 |
|
16 |
58 |
Harry Ivers |
Lakewood, Colorado |
28.59 |
|
17 |
49x |
Wayne Carpenter |
McCook, Nebraska |
28.82 |
|
18 |
12 |
Jim Ducey |
Denver, Colorado |
29.14 |
|
19 |
35 |
Gary Tulen |
Denver, Colorado |
29.73 |
|
20 |
84 |
Roy Bryant |
Wichita, Kansas |
30.75 |
|
21 |
3 |
Lloyd Wittenburg |
Arvada, Colorado |
30.83 |
|
22 |
82 |
Dick Sutcliffe |
Kansas City, Missouri |
30.85 |
|
23 |
27 |
Jim Golden |
Palmyra, Nebraska |
NT |
|
24 |
23 |
Roger Lane |
Blue Springs, Missouri |
NT |
Golden and Lane each spun out on their timed laps.
Trophy Dash – 4 Laps
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
25 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
2 |
43 |
Dale Reed |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
3 |
17 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, Texas |
|
|
4 |
16 |
Otis “Ody” Fellows |
Indian Hills, Colorado |
|
First Heat Race – 8 Laps
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
23 |
Roger Lane |
Blue Springs, Missouri |
|
|
2 |
84 |
Roy Bryant |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
3 |
82 |
Dick Sutcliffe |
Kansas City, Missouri |
|
|
4 |
35 |
Gary Tulen |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
5 |
14 |
Lloyd Beckman |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
|
6 |
49x |
Wayne Carpenter |
McCook, Nebraska |
|
Second Heat Race – 8 Laps
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
4 |
Lonnie Jensen |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
|
2 |
24 |
Joe Saldana |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
|
3 |
67 |
Chuck Kidwell |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
|
4 |
41 |
Dick Bloom |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
5 |
5 |
Keith Hightshoe |
Ashland, Nebraska |
|
|
6 |
31 |
Al Bodenhammer |
Raytown, Missouri |
|
|
7 |
58 |
Harry Ivers |
Lakewood, Colorado |
|
|
8 |
9 |
Don Hartman |
St. Francis, Kansas |
|
Third Heat Race – 8 Laps
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
66 |
Ralph Parkinson, Sr. |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
|
|
2 |
43 |
Dale Reed |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
3 |
17 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, Texasq |
|
|
4 |
25 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
5 |
14 |
Lloyd Beckman |
Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
|
6 |
6 |
David Ross |
Jetmore, Kansas |
|
|
7 |
16 |
Otis “Ody” Fellows |
Indian Hills, Colorado |
|
Semi-Main Event – 10 Laps
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
84 |
Roy Bryant |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
2 |
23 |
Roger Lane |
Blue Springs, Missouri |
|
|
3 |
82 |
Dick Sutcliffe |
Kansas City, Missouri |
|
|
4 |
35 |
Gary Tuten |
Denver, Colorado |
|
Main Event – 15 Laps
|
Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
66 |
Ralph Parkinson, Sr. |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
|
|
2 |
25 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
3 |
17 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, Texas |
|
|
4 |
6 |
David Ross |
Jetmore, Kansas |
|
|
5 |
88 |
Jan Opperman* |
Des Moines, Iowa |
|
|
6 |
5 |
Keith Hightshoe |
Ashland, Nebraska |
|
Parkinson started on the outside of the front row, took the lead in the first turn of the race, and led the entire distance.
This photo of Jan Opperman with the Bob Trostle owned car was taken at Hutchinson during this week – Bob Mays collection
This photo of Dale Reed was taken at Hutchinson during this week – McKim collection
This photo of Dick Bloom was taken at Hutchinson during this week. The #84 in the background was owned by Red Forshee and driven by Roy Bryant – McKim collection
|
Gordon Woolley Bob Mays collection |
Lloyd Beckman Bob Mays collection |
Ralph Parkinson, Sr. Bob Mays collection |
Harold Leep Wilson collection |
|
Roy Bryant Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection |
Wayne Carpenter L. A. Ward photo |
Roger Lane L. A. Ward photo |
Keith Hightshoe L. A. Ward photo from the 2005 Fastrack Pictorial by Bob Mays |
|
Dick Sutcliffe |
Lonnie Jensen |
Chuck Kidwell |
Joe Saldana |
|
Leroy Byers photos from the book Big Car Thunder, Sprint Cars on America’s Fair Circuit Vol. I, by Bob Mays |
|||
* Jan Opperman (1939-1997) had just moved to the Midwest from California and had not established a residence yet so he listed the home of his car owner, Bob Trostle of Des Moines, Iowa as his place of residence. The following winter, Jan moved his family to Beaver Crossing, Nebraska. He went on to compete in the Indianapolis “500” twice. Jan eventually succumbed to injuries sustained in a sprint car accident at Jennerstown, Pennsylvania in 1981.
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