Eighth Annual National Championship Jalopy Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

Hutchinson, Kansas

Sunday – July 26, 1964

 

 

 

Promotional Company – Merrick Racing Promotions (M.R.P.)

Race Director – Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas

Flagman / Starter – Al Alexander of Wichita, Kansas

National Jalopy Trophy Queen – Jackie Miller of Stafford, Kansas

Total Posted Purse $3,000 or 40% of gate receipts

(Due to the large crowd, the purse actually paid out was over $4,200)

 

Attendance – 12,000 

 

 

Time trials for these races were run on Saturday afternoon, July 25, 1964

 

 

 

Cars lined up on the racetrack before the start of the feature race on this day.  Starting from the pole position was #53 Evard Humphrey.  Car #55 owned by Kenny Riffel and driven by Frank Lies can be seen lined up on the inside of the fourth row back – Merrick racing program photo

 

 

 

 

Pinky Mullens

Bob Mays collection

 

Frank Lies

Bob Mays collection

 

Jack Petty

Ray Cunningham collection

 

Dick Hendershot

Mohawk Speedway program

 

Forrest Coleman

National Jalopy Championship program

 

Jay Schrock

Roger Burnett collection

 

Grady Wade

Kenny Greteman photo

 

Leland Salmans

Tommy Madison collection

 

Alvin Riley

Gary Shinkle collection

 

Nut Cokeley

Cokeley collection

 

Harlan Suedmeier

Cokeley collection

 

Elmer Burkhart

Cokeley collection

 

Bob Salem

Duane Burnes photo

 

Larry Torson

Duane Burnes photo

 

Don Shumard

Roger Burnett collection

 

John McGee

Dodge City Globe photo

 

Evard Humphrey

Pogue collection

First Heat Race – 19 Cars – 10 Laps – Time: 6:59.0

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

9

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, KS

  2

62

Ralph Geist

Hutchinson, KS

  3

92

Bob Brown

Hutchinson, KS

  4

993

David Ross

Jetmore, KS

  5

54

Ernie Sherley

Kansas City, MO

  6

1

Ralph Geist

Sterling, KS

  7

41

Alvin Riley

Medora, KS

  8

18

Gilford Shirley

Kansas City, MO

  9

80

Vester VanSickle

Hutchinson, KS

  DNF

65

John Reeves

Hutchinson, KS

      Reeves crashed into the loud speaker tower on the inside of the front straight-away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 14 Cars – 10 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

52

Grady Wade

Wichita, KS

  2

43

Elmer Burkhart

Dodge City, KS

  3

32

Jack Petty

Wichita, KS

  4

12

Wylan Cattrell

Wichita, KS

  5

81

Bryson Mills

Newton, KS

  6

25

Jim Mackey

Ensign, KS

  7

66

Fred Bolich

Hutchinson, KS

  8

78

Ronnie Murphy

Dodge City, KS

  9

60

Phil Martin

Larned, KS

10

70

O. B. “Bob” Immesote

Hutchinson, KS

11

58

E. G. Watson

Great Bend, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Heat Race – 20 Cars – 10 Laps – Time: 4:15.0

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

11

Larry Torson

Dodge City, KS

  2

15

Pete Rosnic

Tulsa, OK

  3

37

Ron Fowler

Chanute, KS

  4

00

Don Shumard

Dodge City, KS

  5

20

Pinky Mullens

Wichita, KS

  6

14

Fred Felkins

Dodge City, KS

  7

69

Dale McCarty

Hutchinson, KS

  8

57

Harlan Suedmeier

Colby, KS

  9

86

Jay Schrock

Hutchinson, KS

10

29

John Riead

Hutchinson, KS

  DNF 

5

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth Heat Race – 10 Laps 

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

55

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

  2

7

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

  3

28

Carl Ferguson

Oklahoma City, OK

  4

32

John McGee

Dodge City, KS

  5

8

Herb Copeland

Dodge City, KS

  6

61

Bob Laden

Oklahoma City, OK

  7

74

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

  8

16

Gene Potts

Great Bend, KS

  9

67

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, KS

10

36

Henry Ellington

Hutchinson, KS

  DNF 

53

Evard Humphrey

Oklahoma City, OK

          Humphrey’s car lost a wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

Trophy Dash – 5 Laps – 12 Cars

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

7

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

  2

55

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

  3

52

Grady Wade

Wichita, KS

  4

11

Larry Torson

Dodge City, KS

  5

15

Pete Rosnic

Tulsa, OK

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Trophy Dash – 5 Laps

Semi–Late Model Stock Cars

Place

Car #

Driver

From

  1

9

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, KS

  2

62

Ralph Geist

Hutchinson, KS

  3

92

Bob Brown

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Semi–National Race – 27 Cars – 30 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Winner’s Purse

  1

32

Jack Petty

Wichita, KS

$300

  2

52

Grady Wade

Wichita, KS

 

  3

17

Roy Andrews

Wichita, KS

 

  4

78

Ronnie Murphy

Dodge City, KS

 

  5

54

Ernie Sherley

Kansas City, KS

 

  6

48

Kenny Wilson

Dodge City, KS

 

  7

9

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, KS

 

  8

62

Ralph Geist

Hutchinson, KS

 

  9

26

Walter Everett

Wichita, KS

 

10

23

Bob Graves

Hutchinson, KS

 

11

60

Phil Martin

Larned, KS

 

12

43

Elmer Burkhart

Dodge City, KS

 

13

81

Bryson Mills

Newton, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Championship Race – 40 Cars – 50 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Winner’s Purse 

  1

7

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

$1,690

  2

6

Joe Lehman

Denver, CO

 

  3

28

Carl Ferguson

Oklahoma City, OK

 

  4

101

Bob Eichor

Oklahoma City, OK

 

  5

61

Bob Laden

Oklahoma City, OK

 

  6

16

Gene Potts

Great Bend, KS

 

  7

00

Don Shumard

Dodge City, KS

 

  8

14

Fred Felkins

Dodge City, KS

 

  9

121

Bob Moberly

Colorado Springs, CO

 

10

29

John Riead

Hutchinson, KS

 

11

98

Don Spreier

Larned, KS

 

12

993

David Ross

Jetmore, KS

 

13

93

Doug Hagans

Utica, KS

 

14

57

Harlan Suedmeier

Colby, KS

 

15

53

Evard Humphrey

Oklahoma City, OK

 

DNF

8

Herb Copeland

Dodge City, KS

 

DNF

55

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

 

DNF

10

Leland Salmans

Larned, KS

 

DNF

5

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, KS

 

          Copeland’s car lost a wheel on the back straightaway and took out a large section of fencing.

          Salmans and Felkins collided in the north turn.

          Cokeley’s car spun out in the southeast turn and was struck by Humphrey.  Even though Cokeley did not complete either his heat race or the feature, he still collected $15 probably for tow money.

          Lies dropped out at the halfway point with mechanical trouble.

          Only 14 cars were running at the conclusion of this race.

          Bryant led 49 laps to pick up $490 in lap money plus $700 for finishing first plus $500 and a diamond stickpin from Wynn’s Oil Proofing in contingency awards for a total purse of $1,690.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unidentified cars are shown here lining up for the first heat race on this afternoon – Duane Burnes photo form the Roger Burnett collection

 

 

 

 

#65 John Reeves crashed his Chevy into the speaker tower on the front straightaway in the first heat race – Cokeley collection 

 

 

 

Cars lined up for the second heat race.  The #60 at left was driven by Phil Martin while the #25 at right was driven by Jim Mackey – Duane Burnes photo from the Roger Burnett collection

 

 

 

Lined up before the second heat race are, left to right, unidentified, #72 Bud Haehn, #60 Phil Martin, #95 Bernie Beydler, #70 Bob Immesote, #66 Fred Bolich, #58 E. G. Watson, #81 Bryson Mills, #45 Bob Riner, unidentified, and unidentified – Bob Buchholz collection

 

 

 

#11 Larry Torson won the third heat race and placed fourth in the trophy dash on this day.  Note the errant tire rolling down the racetrack at right – Hutchinson News photo

 

 

 

#98 Don Spreier and #3 H. A. Ratzlaff spin out on this day – Hutchinson News photo

 

 

 

This photo was taken while the cars were lining up for the 30-lap Semi-Nationals.  Right to left are:  #12 Wylan Cattrell, #17 Roy Andrews (in the white Plymouth semi-late model), #32 Jack Petty, #78 Ronnie Murphy, #60 Phil Martin, and two unidentified cars – Bob Buchholz collection

 

 

 

Cars on the pace lap for the 30-lap Semi-Nationals:  #12 Wylan Cattrell, #17 Roy Andrews (in the white Plymouth semi-late model), #78 Ronnie Murphy, #60 Phil Martin, #62 Ralph Geist – Hutchinson News photo

 

 

 

Jack Petty just after he won the 30-lap Semi-Nationals race.  The car was owned by Neil Swander of Salina, Kansas while the Ford Flathead V-8 engine was owned by Dick Hendershot, Sr. of Hutchinson.  This was the last time that an engine of that design won a race on the Kansas State Fairgrounds racetrack – Petty family collection

 

 

 

#7 Roy Bryant is seen here taking flagman Al Alexander’s checkered flag to win his second consecutive National Championship Jalopy race in a Chevrolet powered car owned by Lawrence Miller – Duane Burnes photo from the Roger Burnett collection

 

 

 

To view part one of a YouTube video that was taken of the races on this weekend

Dwane Wolfe collection

To view part two of a YouTube video that was taken of the races on this weekend

Dwane Wolfe collection

 

 

 

 

 

1 The official program did not list a 13th position in time trials skipping from 12th to 14th position instead.

 

2 Richard M. “Dick” Hendershot (1925-1976) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Salina, Kansas.

 

3 Car #99 was owned by someone from Dodge City, Kansas.  It was qualified in time trials on Saturday afternoon by Charlie Hiner of Wichita, Kansas but Hiner did not feel the car ran fast enough so David Ross of Jetmore, Kansas drove the car in these races on Sunday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page