New Model Stock Car Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Sunday – September 20, 1953
Attendance – 15,000
#7 Warren Brown of Emporia, Kansas lining up his Plymouth business coupe to take time trials – Warren Brown collection
#7 Warren Brown prepares to go out for his time trial on this afternoon. The car at far right was a #6 Henry-J driven by Gayford Dye of Hutchinson. Please contact Bob Lawrence if you can identify any of the other cars – Warren Brown collection
First Heat Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
1 |
Don Allen |
Wichita, Kansas |
#33 |
2 |
Dick Haudek |
Arkansas City, Kansas |
|
3 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
4 |
Russ Cofer |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
Second Heat Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
1 |
Bill Wesley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Ford |
2 |
Art Combs |
Emporia, Kansas |
#14 |
3 |
Gayford Dye |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
#6 Henry-J #6 |
4 |
Frank Tower |
Phoenix, Arizona |
|
Special Race
Fastest cars from time trials
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
1 |
Don Allen |
Wichita, Kansas |
#33 |
2 |
Bill Wesley |
Liberal, Kansas |
Ford |
3 |
Gayford Dye |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
#6 Henry-J |
4 |
Leonard “Lenny” Funk |
Galatia, Kansas |
|
Although Dye’s #6 Henry-J was as fast as most of the other cars, parts and pieces kept falling off of it when it would hit rough places on the racetrack. Among the reasons that people attended new model stock car races back then was to see how the different makes of automobile stood up against the rest. It was performances like this that helped seal the fate of the Henry-J as a brand.
Consolation Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
1 |
Bill King |
Enid, Oklahoma |
#1 |
2 |
Leonard “Lenny” Funk |
Galatia, Kansas |
|
3 |
Fred South |
Salina, Kansas |
|
4 |
Art Downs |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
Feature Race – 100 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Laps Completed |
1 |
Bill King |
Enid, Oklahoma |
100 |
2 |
Don Allen |
Wichita, Kansas |
100 |
3 |
Art Combs |
Emporia, Kansas |
98 |
4 |
Bill Wesley |
Liberal, Kansas |
96 |
5 |
Leonard “Lenny” Funk |
Galatia, Kansas |
96 |
6 |
John Riead* |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
94 |
7 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
93 |
8 |
Bill Lehman |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
93 |
9 |
Russ Cofer |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
92 |
10 |
Fred South |
Salina, Kansas |
90 |
11 |
Jim Reed* |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
87 |
12 |
Warren Brown |
Emporia, Kansas |
86 |
13 |
Bill Massey |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
86 |
14 |
Jim Roper |
Halstead, Kansas |
82 |
|
Bob Gass |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
DNF |
|
Dick Haudek |
Arkansas City, Kansas |
DNF |
Gass’ car blew a tire and crashed through the fence on the south curve rolling over.
Haudek crashed into the south fence and bounced off landing in the middle of the racetrack.
Combs lead the race until his car crashed through the fence on the north curve and rolled over with two laps remaining. Allen assumed the lead and kept it until the last turn on the final lap when he spun out letting King slip by for the victory.
6th place finisher John Riead was driving a 1951 Oldsmobile.
12th place finisher Warren Brown and 14th place finisher Jim Roper were brothers-in-law as Roper was married to Brown’s sister, Mary (Brown) Roper.
The cars are shown here pulling away for their pace lap before the start of the race. Car #7 was being driven by Warren Brown – Warren Brown collection
#33 Don Allen is shown spinning his car out of the lead in the north turn on the final lap. That allowed #1 Bill King to slip by and go on to win the race. Allen was able to regain control in time to finished in second place – Hutchinson Herald-News photo
After the Races
This photo of driver Warren Brown of Emporia, Kansas was taken after the races. The man squatting down at right with a child’s arm around his neck is Loren Law of Emporia. Click your mouse on the photo to see another photo that was taken from a different angle less than a minute from when this photo was taken. Loren Law can be seen in that photo too still squatted down on the racetrack and holding his son, Rick Law. Warren Brown and the unidentified man at left can be seen in that photo as well as Mrs. Pat O’Day at right – Warren Brown collection
This photo was taken on the infield after these races. This is the 1950 Oldsmobile that Art Combs of Emporia, Kansas crashed through the fence on the north curve and rolled while leading on the 98th lap of the 100-lap feature race. Click your mouse on the photo to see another photo showing the car being loaded onto the trailer just minutes before this photo was taken – Warren Brown collection
Bill Lehman Lehman collection |
Jim Roper at left with Millard Clothier Clothier collection |
John Riead John Riead collection |
* John Riead and James C. “Jim” Reed (1930-1999) were brothers-in-law.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page