Sprint Car Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Wednesday – September 19, 1962

 

 

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

Promotional company – Auto Racing Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota

Race Promoter – Frank R. Winkley of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Scorekeeper – Verna Winkley of Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

 

 

 

First Heat Race –7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

 

   1

Jerry Richert

Forrest Lake, Minnesota

 

   2

Gordon Woolley

Waco, Texas

 

   3

Gordon Herring*

Golden, Colorado

 

   4

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, Kansas

 

   5

Bill Billingsley

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

Billingsley spun into the fence while warming up for this race.

 

 

  

Second Heat Race – 8 Cars – 8 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

   1

Pete Folse

Tampa, Florida

3:24.18

   2

Sonny Helms**

Des Moines, Iowa

 

   3

Roger Lane

Blue Springs, Missouri

 

   4

Sonny McDaniels

Houston, Texas

 

   5

Walt “Duke” Wyrembek

Los Angeles, California

 

   6

Larry Cahill

Iowa City, Iowa

 

   7

Harold Leep

Wichita, Kansas

 

   8

Dale Reed

Wichita, Kansas

 

Lane spun out in the southeast turn in this race but all of the other cars missed him and he was able to join the field on the restart.

 

 

  

Australian Pursuit – 10 Laps

Place

Driver

From

 

   1

Sonny McDaniels

Houston, Texas

 

   2

Gordon Herring*

Golden, Colorado

 

 

Roger Lane

Blue Springs, Missouri

DNF

Lane spun out in the northeast turn in this race and the caution flag was out until his car could be removed from the racetrack.  All competitors except McDaniels and Herring were eliminated within the first five laps.  McDaniels had started far back in the pack to cross the finish line 50 yards ahead of Herring.

 

 

  

Consolation Race – 7 Cars – 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

   1

Newton "Buzz" Rose

Los Angeles, California

3:00.27

   2

Harold Leep

Wichita, Kansas

 

   3

Dale Reed

Wichita, Kansas

 

   4

Walt “Duke” Wyrembek

Los Angeles, California

 

   5

Ted Ready

St. Paul, Minnesota

 

   6

Larry Cahill

Iowa City, Iowa

 

   7

Bill Billingsley

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

Feature Race – 15 Cars – 20 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

   1

Pete Folse

Tampa, Florida

8:52.39

   2

Gordon Woolley

Waco, Texas

 

   3

Harold Leep

Wichita, Kansas

 

   4

Jerry Richert

Forrest Lake, Minnesota

 

   5

Newton "Buzz" Rose

Los Angeles, California

 

   6

Sonny McDaniels

Houston, Texas

 

   7

Roger Lane

Blue Springs, Missouri

 

   8

Dale Reed

Wichita, Kansas

 

   9

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, Kansas

 

10

Walt “Duke” Wyrembek

Los Angeles, California

 

11

Bill Billingsley

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

12

Roy Walker

Colorado Springs, Colorado

 

13

Gordon Herring*

Golden, Colorado

 

14

Sonny Helms**

Des Moines, Iowa

 

15

Larry Cahill

Iowa City, Iowa

 

Folse lead every lap of this race to finish 1/8 mile ahead of second place Woolley.  All of the front running cars chose the high groove and ran very close to the outside fence throughout this race with some even bumping it slightly at times.

Mechanic Don Sheppard told Rose that the high groove would be the fastest way around the racetrack.  Rose had been running the low groove all day and had his doubts but he let Sheppard persuade him to put knobby tires on the Diz Wilson owned car and give it a try.  It was a good decision and turned out to be Rose’s best race of the afternoon.

 

 

 

Singer Jimmy Dean at left makes a presentation to Pete Folse at right during this race program with race promoter Frank Winkley looking on - I.M.C.A. yearbook

 

 

 

 

Jerry Richert

Jerry Richert, Jr. collection

Harold Leep

Mauck photo from the Petty collection

Pete Folse

Bob Mays collection

Charlie Lutkie

Charlie Lutkie collection

 

 

 

Roy Walker

Leroy Byers photo from the book

Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

Gordon Woolley

Texas Speedzone

Duke Wyrembek

Mauck photo from the Petty collection

Gordon Herring

L. A. Ward photo from the book

 Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

 

 

 

Dale Reed

L. A. Ward photo from the book

 Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

Sonny Helms

Lou Ash photo from the book

 Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

Buzz Rose

Lou Ash photo from the book

 Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

Bill Billingsley

Armin Krueger photo from the book

Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

 

 

 

Gordon Woolley

Leroy Byers photo from the book

Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays

 

 

 

* Gordon Kenneth Herring (1920-1964) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Owatonna, Minnesota.

 

** Max “Sonny” Helms (1927-1964) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Bloomfield, Iowa.

 

 

 

 

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