Big Car Races on the
Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Sunday – September 22, 1940
Races sanctioned by the Mile High Racing Association (M.H.R.A.)
Race promoter – Tom Holden of WaKeeney, Kansas
Flagman / Starter – Lenard E. Kerbs of Otis, Kansas
Attendance: “In excess of 12,000”
Vic Rothe in the #1 Turco Special at Hutchinson in 1940 – Darrin McKim collection
Time Trials – “nearly 30 cars” - 1 Lap
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Bill Morris1 |
Dallas, Texas |
Messer Special |
26.63 |
2 |
Vic Rothe |
Omaha, Nebraska |
Turco Special #1 |
27:39 |
3 |
Cecil Burnaugh |
Moline, Illinois |
|
27.68 |
4 |
Shorty Burns |
St. Louis, Missouri |
|
27.80 |
4 |
Bob Vorbeck |
Longmont, Colorado |
Fisher Dreyer Special #27 |
27.80 |
6 |
Art Shumate |
Kansas City, Missouri |
|
27.86 |
|
Clarence Merritt |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
|
|
Claude Gorin |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
Miller Special |
|
|
Tex West |
Dallas, Texas |
|
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Rex Woodard4 |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
T. D. O. Special |
|
|
Warren Hamilton |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
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Waldo Burnett5 |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
|
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Loren Fondoble |
Ogallah, Kansas |
Riley Special #10 |
|
|
Val Jameson |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
|
Elmer Noeth |
Chicago, Illinois |
|
|
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Walt Moffatt |
Denver, Colorado |
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Ray Goodwin2 |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
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Bob Sledge |
Houston, Texas |
Frontenac Special |
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Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
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Bill Harding |
Hastings, Nebraska |
Hardings Special #H-1 |
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Dufek Trophy Dash – 3 Laps
Fastest 3 cars from time trials
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Bill Morris1 |
Dallas, Texas |
Messer Special |
1:22.0 |
2 |
Vic Rothe |
Omaha, Nebraska |
Turco Special #1 |
|
3 |
Cecil Burnaugh |
Moline, Illinois |
|
|
First Heat Race – 6 Cars - 8 Laps
Fastest 6 cars from time trials
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Bill Morris1 |
Dallas, Texas |
Messer Special |
3:40.0 |
2 |
Vic Rothe |
Omaha, Nebraska |
Turco Special #1 |
|
3 |
Cecil Burnaugh |
Moline, Illinois |
|
|
Second Heat Race 6 Cars - 8 Laps
4th, 5th, & 6th place finishers in the 1st heat race plus the next 3 fastest cars from time trials
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Clarence Merritt |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
3:52.0 |
2 |
Shorty Burns3 |
St. Louis, Missouri |
|
|
3 |
Rex Woodard4 |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
T. D. O. Special |
|
Burns coasted across the finish line with a broken axel.
Handicap Race - 10 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Art Shumate |
Kansas City, Missouri |
|
5:14.0 |
2 |
Tex West |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
3 |
Warren Hamilton |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
Invitational Handicap Race – 5 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Cecil Burnaugh |
Moline, Illinois |
|
2:21.23 |
2 |
Bill Morris1 |
Dallas, Texas |
Messer Special |
|
3 |
Vic Rothe |
Omaha, Nebraska |
Turco Special #1 |
|
This was a very close finish with Burnaugh just beating Morris by a slight margin.
Consolation Race – 12 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Loren Fondoble |
Ogallah, Kansas |
Riley Special #10 |
5:58.0 |
2 |
Claude Gorin |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
Miller Special |
|
3 |
Waldo Burnett5 |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
|
Sweepstakes Race – 15 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Bill Morris1 |
Dallas, Texas |
Messer Special |
7:14.0 |
2 |
Vic Rothe |
Omaha, Nebraska |
Turco Special #1 |
|
3 |
Clarence Merritt |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
|
Posey Reeves Don Radbruch collection |
Loren Fondoble Roy Eaton collection |
Bob Sledge Roy Eaton collection |
Bob Vorbeck Don Radbruch collection |
Val Jameson Swart family collection |
Ray Goodwin “One Tough Circuit” by Bill Hill |
1 Bill Morris is an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966). The Messer Special he drove in these races was powered by a Hal engine.
2 One source states that his name was Roy Goodwin.
3 Shorty Burns was an alias used by Thomas F. Scheck.
4 Rex Miles Woodward (1920-1942) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
5 Charles Waldo Burnett (1905-1947) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Ord, Nebraska in 1947 and is buried at Terrel, Oklahoma.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page
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