Big Car Races at Hutchinson, Kansas on May 27, 1951

Big Car Races on the

Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

Hutchinson, Kansas

Sunday – May 27, 1951

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

Attendance – 2,500

Ernie Johnson

Don Radbruch collection

Clair Cotter

Wood collection

Bert Hellmueller

Bob Stolze collection

Time Trials – 14 Cars - 1 Lap

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Bert Hellmueller	Louisville, Kentucky	26.65
2	Leon DeRock	Mason City, Iowa	26.92
3	Clair Cotter	Austin, Minnesota	27.32
4	Mickey McCormick	Hutchinson, Kansas	27.65
5	Ernie Johnson	Christine, North Dakota	27.85
6	Win Herner	Chicago, Illinois	27.94
7	Tommy Vardeman	Tulsa, Oklahoma	29.54
8	Owen Aleshire	Moberly, Missouri	29.66
9	Dick Eidsmoe	Minneapolis, Minnesota	30.20
10	Louie Yauger	Austin, Minnesota	30.80

After setting the fastest time in time trials, Hellmueller was plagued with timing gear problems for the rest of the day.

First Heat – 7 Laps

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Leon DeRock	Mason City, Iowa	3:25.92
2	Mickey McCormick	Hutchinson, Kansas
3	Win Herner	Chicago, Illinois

Second Heat – 7 Laps

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Clair Cotter	Austin, Minnesota	3:24.40
2	Tommy Vardeman	Tulsa, Oklahoma
3	Ernie Johnson	Christine, North Dakota

Match Race – 2 Cars - 3 Laps

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Clair Cotter	Austin, Minnesota	1:21.35
2	Leon DeRock	Mason City, Iowa

Consolation Race – 5 Laps

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Owen Aleshire	Moberly, Missouri	2:27.0
2	Dick Eidsmoe	Minneapolis, Minnesota
3	Louie Yauger	Austin, Minnesota

Novelty Race – 3 Cars - 3 Laps

Place	Driver	From
1	Louie Yauger	Austin, Minnesota
2	Win Herner	Chicago, Illinois
3	Owen Aleshire	Moberly, Missouri

The drivers had to untangle their helmets before they could get started. They then got in their cars and raced around the track for 3 laps before stopping and removing a wheel and tire from their car, which they then had to roll across the finish line. Aleshire finished the 3 laps in the lead but was unable to remove a wheel from his car.

Feature Race – 10 Laps

Place	Driver	From	Time
1	Clair Cotter	Austin, Minnesota	4:43.50
2	Owen Aleshire	Moberly, Missouri
3	Dick Eidsmoe	Minneapolis, Minnesota

Aleshire’s car caught fire just 200 yards short of the finish line. Aleshire guided the car across the finish line then slid the tires for 50 yards before he got the car stopped. He then bailed out. Firemen got the fire out quickly and no one was injured.

Cotter was driving the Greer Offy #6 that was normally driven by Russ Lee.

Tommy Vardeman

Jeff Adams collection

Mickey McCormick

Tommy Madison collection

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