Sixth Annual National Championship Jalopy Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Sunday – July 29, 1962
(These cars were known regionally as “rails”)
Promotional Company – Merrick Racing Promotions (M.R.P.)
Race Director – Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas
Flagman / Starter – Al Alexander of Wichita, Kansas
Trophy Queen – Glenda Abney of Newton, Kansas
Track condition – “muddy and rough with a large berm around the inside of the track”
Attendance – 15,000
Lined Up for the Forst Heat Race on this Day
The #73 on the pole was either Jack Grimes of Wichita, Kansas who had been issued the #73 for that day or Paul Befort, Jr. of Garden City, Kansas who usually used the #73 but had been issued the #64 just for this day. The #73 on the driver’s door is not a paper number but the number on the other side of the car may have been his paper #64. Car #66 was co-owned by Buddy Carroll and Al Torson and driven by Jack Petty all from Wichita, Kansas. Car #77 was driven by Don Belk of Manhattan, Kansas – Photo from the 1965 Hutchinson State Fair racing program
Bill Nelson 81 Speedway program
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Lee Salmans Hutchinson News collection
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David Ross David Ross collection
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Pete Jacobs Jacobs family collection
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Orval Beckel David Ross collection
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Frankie Lies Lies collection
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Gene Potts Schrater family collection
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Charlie Hiner Charlie Hiner collection
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Henry Ellington Ellington collection
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Jack Petty Kenny Greteman photo
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Alvin Riley Gary Shinkle collection
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Bill Bookout Mullens family collection
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Reuben Loepp Mohawk Speedway program
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Cliff Durr Gary Virden photo
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Todd White Todd White collection
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Dick Hendershot Mohawk Speedway program
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Charlie Pitts Charlie Pitts collection
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Forrest Coleman National Jalopy Championship program
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Grady Wade Kenny Greteman photo
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Dick Walker Bob Mays collection
J. D. Cox Lies collection
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Keith Cofield Claudine Cofield collection
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Ted Maupin Lies collection
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Walt McWhorter Bob Mays collection
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Ray Riner Kenny Greteman photo
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Melvin Herrell Melvin Herrell collection
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Roy Bryant Lies collection
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First Heat Race – 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
Time |
1 |
66 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, KS |
4:33.0 |
2 |
78 |
Wylan Cattrell |
Wichita, KS |
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3 |
84 |
T. J. Newman |
Wichita, KS |
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4 |
85 |
Jim Holland |
Hutchinson, KS |
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5 |
64 |
Paul Befort, Jr. |
Garden City, KS |
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|
65 |
Keith Harb |
Wichita, KS |
|
|
67 |
Jay Schrock |
Hutchinson, KS |
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68 |
Jim Goodson |
Junction City, KS |
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69 |
John Riead |
Hutchinson, KS |
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70 |
Bob Riner |
Wichita, KS |
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72 |
Melvin Cattrell |
Wichita, KS |
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74 |
Fate Martin |
Wichita, KS |
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75 |
George Smith |
Wichita, KS |
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76 |
Jerry Bernbeck |
Utica, KS |
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77 |
Don Belk |
Manhattan, KS |
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|
79 |
Jim Kirkland |
Partridge, KS |
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80 |
Alvin Riley |
Medora, KS |
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81 |
Chuck Cadmus |
Phoenix, AZ |
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82 |
Don Wiedel |
Hutchinson, KS |
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|
73 |
Jack Grimes |
Wichita, KS |
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|
83 |
Matt Rohrer |
Hutchinson, KS |
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DNF |
71 |
Al Gunn |
Phoenix, AZ |
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Gunn’s car crashed into the fence in the northeast turn. |
Second Heat Race – 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
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1 |
62 |
George Witzke |
Wichita, KS |
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2 |
58 |
Bud Montgomery |
Denver, CO |
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3 |
57 |
Bill Smith |
Denver, CO |
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4 |
51 |
Phil Simmons |
Norton, KS |
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5 |
53 |
Bob Moberly |
Colorado Springs, CO |
|
6 |
50 |
Walt McWhorter |
Wichita, KS |
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49 |
Jim Hill |
Wichita, KS |
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52 |
Melvin Herrell |
Hutchinson, KS |
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54 |
Ernie Jacobs |
Wichita, KS |
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55 |
Gene Coffman |
Liberal, KS |
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56 |
Harold Schroeder |
Kansas City, MO |
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|
60 |
Harold Armstrong |
Wichita, KS |
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61 |
Todd White |
Hutchinson, KS |
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Witzke finished 1/8 mile ahead of second place Montgomery. |
Third Heat Race – 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
Time |
1 |
39 |
Cliff Durr |
Derby, KS |
4:01.0 |
2 |
32 |
Al Baldus |
Kansas City, MO |
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3 |
28 |
Leland Salmans |
Larned, KS |
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4 |
31 |
Dick Hendershot2 |
Hutchinson, KS |
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5 |
35 |
Dick Walker |
Arkansas City, KS |
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6 |
30 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, KS |
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29 |
David Ross |
Dodge City, KS |
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|
33 |
Dick Unger |
Wichita, KS |
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34 |
Verlin Smith |
Enid, OK |
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36 |
Vester VanSickle |
Hutchinson, KS |
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|
37 |
Joe Lehman |
Denver, CO |
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DNF |
38 |
Ray Riner |
Wichita, KS |
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Riner crashed through the fence in the south turn. |
Fourth Heat Race – 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
|
1 |
19 |
Grady Wade |
Wichita, KS |
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2 |
14 |
Bill Nelson |
Wichita, KS |
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3 |
11 |
Orval Beckel |
Wichita, KS |
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4 |
1 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, KS |
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5 |
21 |
Tommy Bell |
Edmond, OK |
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2 |
Stanley Trahern |
Amarillo, TX |
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3 |
Forrest Coleman |
Wichita, KS |
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4 |
Pete Jacobs |
Wichita, KS |
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6 |
Charlie Hiner |
Wichita, KS |
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7 |
Roy Bryant |
Wichita, KS |
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8 |
Gordon Woolley6 |
Waco, TX |
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9 |
Bill Bookout |
Wichita, KS |
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10 |
Bob Roberts |
Sedgwick, KS |
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12 |
Ted Maupin |
Wichita, KS |
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15 |
Gene Angel |
Hutchinson, KS |
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17 |
Doran Raine, Jr. |
Conway Springs, KS |
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18 |
Bill Elliot |
Wichita, KS |
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20 |
Earl Hughes |
Buffalo, OK |
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DNF |
5 |
Henry Ellington |
Hutchinson, KS |
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DNF |
16 |
J. D. Cox |
Wichita, KS |
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Lutkie started last and charged through the field to finish in 4th place. Cox spun out in the northeast turn and collected Ellington who then flipped several times. |
Trophy Dash - 5 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
Time |
1 |
14 |
Bill Nelson |
Wichita, KS |
2:25.0 |
2 |
78 |
Wylan Cattrell |
Wichita, KS |
|
3 |
1 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, KS |
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Semi-Final Race – 30 Cars4 – 30 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
Time |
1 |
57 |
Bill Smith |
Denver, CO |
15.05.0 |
2 |
66 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, KS |
|
3 |
78 |
Wylan Cattrell |
Wichita, KS |
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4 |
52 |
Melvin Herrell |
Hutchinson, KS |
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5 |
51 |
Phil Simmons |
Norton, KS |
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6 |
56 |
Harold Schroeder |
Kansas City, MO |
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DNF |
50 |
Walt McWhorter |
Wichita, KS |
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DNF |
81 |
Chuck Cadmus |
Phoenix, AZ |
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DNF |
83 |
Matt Rohrer |
Hutchinson, KS |
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McWhorter led the first 23 laps before dropping out of the race. Cadmus and Rohrer tangled in the south turn. 18 cars finished the race. |
Feature Race – 40 Cars5 – 50 Laps |
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Place |
Car #3 |
Driver |
From |
Time |
1 |
1 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, KS |
21:51.0 |
2 |
86 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, TX |
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3 |
4 |
Pete Jacobs |
Wichita, KS |
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4 |
11 |
Orval Beckel |
Wichita, KS |
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5 |
9 |
Bill Bookout |
Wichita, KS |
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6 |
30 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, KS |
|
7 |
33 |
Dick Unger |
Wichita, KS |
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8 |
21 |
Tommy Bell |
Edmond, OK |
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9 |
37 |
Joe Lehman |
Denver, CO |
|
10 |
14 |
Bill Nelson |
Wichita, KS |
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DNF |
6 |
Charlie Hiner |
Wichita, KS |
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DNF |
32 |
Al Baldus |
Kansas City, MO |
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Early in the feature, third row starter Charlie Hiner (Pius Selenke #6) spun
in the first turn in front of the remainder of the field - a tightly bunched
field that was left with nowhere to go. Their choices were to try to
get stopped, pile into Hiner's spinning mount, turn into the outside board
fence, or turn into that high mud berm that separated the track from the
infield. Al Baldus chose the outside fence, hitting it and overturning.
Bill Nelson (Bob Garner #14) chose the infield berm and did a slow roll
over, over the berm landing on his top in the infield. Instead of scrambling
from his car, he waved his arms so frantically many thought he must be
injured. As it turned out, all he wanted was to get his car up-righted so he
could rejoin the fray. Several men turned Nelson's car back over and he sped
off to a point on the back stretch where he could reenter the racetrack.
He restarted the race one lap down on the back of the pack. What a show
he put on though tearing through the field to finish in 10th place
though still one lap behind! (Nelson always felt that, since yellow flag laps
did not count, he had stayed on the lead lap and, therefore should have been
declared the second place finisher he having passed everybody but
Lutkie.) Hiner recovered from his spin to run as high as third place
before a blown radiator hose left him stuck atop the mud berm on the back
stretch with about five laps remaining. |
Pace Lap for the Second Heat Race
#54 Ernie Jacobs, #51 Phil Simmons, #52 Melvin Herrell, #49 Jim Hill, and #50 Walt McWhorter – Melvin Herrell collection
Fourth Heat Race Action
Henry Ellington’s #5 car is shown here riding up over the spun-out #16 car (barely visible) driven by J. D. Cox and the dirt berm that surrounded the inside of the racetrack that day. That is Bill Bookout in the #9 car at left – Charlie Hiner collection
Henry Ellington
This photo was taken just seconds after the one above it. Henry Ellington received minor injuries when his car overturned several times after riding up over the #16 car driven by J. D. Cox and then onto the dirt berm in the north curve during the fourth heat race. The engine was wedged against his foot and it took several minutes to extricate him from the car – Charlie Hiner collection.
Lined Up for the Start of the 50-lap Feature Race on this Day
In the center of this photo is the #1 car that started from the pole position and won the race. It was owned by Alden Davis and driven by Charlie Lutkie both from Wichita, Kansas. The car’s usual number was 24. The #3 car starting directly behind Lutkie was driven by Forrest Coleman. Click our mouse on this photo to see another that was taken just a few seconds earlier – Lies collection
Starting the Pace Lap for the 50-Lap Feature Race on this Date
Left to right in this photo taken before a capacity crowd are: Pete Jacobs in his own #4 car; Forrest Coleman in Ernie McCoy’s #3; Roy Bryant in Lawrence Miller’s #7; Charlie Hiner in Pius Selenke’s #6; Bill Bookout in #9, and a few other cars that have yet to be identified. Charlie Lutkie in Alden Davis’ #1 and Stanley Trahern in Lawrence Brooks’ #2 were off camera to the left of this photo – Charlie Hiner collection
Feature Race Winner
Left to right: Alden Davis, Glenda Abney, and Charlie Lutkie – Lies collection
To view 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 Listed car numbers were assigned for this day only and were applied to the cars on sticky paper after time trials.
4 Thirty-four cars were scheduled to start the Semi-final race.
5 Fifty cars were scheduled to start the feature race but only 40 cars took the green flag. The other ten had scratched from the event for various reasons.
6 The #8 modified driven this day by Gordon Woolley was powered by a Hudson engine. By 1965, The Hudson in this car had been replaced with a 327 cu. in. Chevrolet engine and the car converted into a sprint car. It was then co-owned by Buddy Carroll and Al & Marvel Torrsen and driven by Jack Petty.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page