Sportsman Modified Jalopy Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

 

Memorial Day – Sunday – May 30, 1965

 

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

Race Director – Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas

Flagman / starter – Al Alexander of Wichita, Kansas

Total Purse $775

 

Attendance – “close to 1,500”

 

 

 

This photo was taken this day from the stage in the infield.  Left to right are: #4 driver unknown, #00 Don Shumard, #28 Red Cotrel, #11 Bill Nelson and #98 Don Spreier – Hutchinson News photo

 

 

 

Time Trials – 31 Cars

2 Consultative Laps each Timed Separately.  Although Some Drivers Elected Not to Run Their 2nd Lap, the best of the two laps was their official time.

Place

Car #

Driver

From

1st Lap Time 

2nd Lap Time

  1

76

Gene Angel

Hutchinson, Kansas

29.30

28.27

  2

69

D. J. Jackson

Colorado Springs, Colorado

29.13

28.33

  3

107

Roy Bryant

Wichita, Kansas

29.06

28.74

  4

47

Dick Walker

Arkansas City, Kansas

28.94

28.80

  5

29

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, Kansas

28.84

29.04

  6

3

Herb Copeland

Dodge City, Kansas

28.84

29.25

  7

62

Bill Curless

Arkansas City, Kansas

28.88

28.89

  8

86

Jay Schrock

Hutchinson, Kansas

29.20

  9

22

Bob Salem

Dodge City, Kansas

29.29

10

11

Bill Nelson

Wichita, Kansas

29.31

11

4

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, Kansas

31.13

29.36

12

91

Don Beeson

Scott City, Kansas

31.45

29.61

13

26

Dick Hendershot*

Hutchinson, Kansas

29.90

29.84

14

98

Don Spreier

Larned, Kansas

29.86

29.67

15

44

Melvin Herrell

Hutchinson, Kansas

29.95

29.76

16

5

Harlan Suedmeier

Norton, Kansas

29.76

17

96

Allen Immell

Dodge City, Kansas

29.94

30.13

18

46

Len Fry

Kansas City, Missouri

32.36

30.07

19

00

Don Shumard

Dodge City, Kansas

30.30

30.27

20

35

Frank Lies

Wichita, Kansas

30.92

21

17

Jim Curley

Hutchinson, Kansas

32.03

31.17

22

4x

 

 

31.68

31.99

23

66

Ralph Geist

Hutchinson, Kansas

31.82

31.80

24

15

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, Kansas

31.86

 

25

39

Dick Unger

Wichita, Kansas

33.50

32.39

26

28

Red Cotrel

 

33.15

32.83

27

84

Sonny Murphy

Dodge City, Kansas

32.84

33.59

 

75

Marion Jackobs

Russell, Kansas

NT

NT

 

36

 

 

NT

NT

 

27

Bob Kenoyer

Dighton, Kansas

NT

NT

 

10

David Ross

Jetmore, Kansas

NT

NT

 

 

  

First Heat Race – 9 Cars – 8 Laps

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Car #

Driver

From

9

1

00

Don Shumard

Dodge City, Kansas

1

2

28

Red Cotrel

 

5

3

66

Ralph Geist

Sterling, Kansas

6

4

4x

 

 

2

5

84

Sonny Murphy

Dodge City, Kansas

4

DNF

15

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, Kansas

8

DNF

46

Len Fry

Kansas City, Missouri

3

DNF

39

Dick Ungar

Wichita, Kansas

7

DNF

35

Frank Lies

Wichita, Kansas

On the last lap, Montgomery slid into a mud hole on the inside of the northwest turn.

 

 

  

Second Heat Race – 9 Cars – 8 Laps

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Car #

Driver

From

8

1

4

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, Kansas

9

2

11

Bill Nelson

Wichita, Kansas

6

3

98

Don Spreier

Larned, Kansas

3

4

26

Dick Hendershot*

Hutchinson, Kansas

5

5

5

Harlan Suedmeier

Norton, Kansas

2

6

96

Allen Immell

Dodge City, Kansas

7

7

91

Don Beeson

Scott City, Kansas

1

DNF

17

Jim Curley

Hutchinson, Kansas

4

DNF

44

Melvin Herrell

Hutchinson, Kansas

Spreier’s car spun out in the northwest turn on the 4th lap but he was able to continue in the race.

 

 

  

Third Heat Race – 9 Cars – 8 Laps

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Car #

Driver

From

3

1

62

Bill Curless

Arkansas City, Kansas

6

2

107

Roy Bryant

Wichita, Kansas

5

3

47

Dick Walker

Arkansas City, Kansas

2

4

86

Jay Schrock

Hutchinson, Kansas

9

5

76

Gene Angel

Hutchinson, Kansas

7

6

29

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, Kansas

4

7

3

Herb Copeland

Dodge City, Kansas

8

DNF

69

D. J. Jackson

Colorado Springs, Colorado

1

DNF

22

Bob Salem

Dodge City, Kansas

Salem’s car spun out on the southeast turn on the 2nd lap.  He got back into the race only to drop out before the end.

Jackson’s car spun out in the southeast turn on the 8th lap.

Cokeley collected $5.30 from the purse for his 6th place finish in this race.

 

 

  

Trophy Dash – 8 Cars – 5 Laps

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Car #

Driver

From

3

1

4

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, Kansas

4

2

11

Bill Nelson

Wichita, Kansas

7

3

107

Roy Bryant

Wichita, Kansas

5

4

98

Don Spreier

Larned, Kansas

8

5

47

Dick Walker

Arkansas City, Kansas

6

6

62

Bill Curless

Arkansas City, Kansas

1

7

00

Don Shumard

Dodge City, Kansas

2

DNF

28

Red Cotrel

 

 

 

  

Consolation Race – 6 Cars – 5 Laps

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Car #

Driver

From

4

1

29

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, Kansas

6

2

22

Bob Salem

Dodge City, Kansas

5

3

3

Herb Copeland

Dodge City, Kansas

1

4

15

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, Kansas

2

5

35

Frank Lies

Wichita, Kansas

3

DNF

91

Don Beeson

Scott City, Kansas

Montgomery’s car spun out in the northwest turn on the 1st lap but he was able to continue in the race.

Beeson’s car spun out in the southeast turn on the 2nd lap.

Cokeley collected $16 from the purse for his 1st place finish in this race.

 

 

 

Feature Race – 18 Cars – 25 Laps

Starting Position

Finishing Position

Car #

Driver

From

10

  1

4

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, Kansas

  3

  2

107

Roy Bryant

Wichita, Kansas

  1

  3

76

Gene Angel

Hutchinson, Kansas

  2

  4

29

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, Kansas

  7

  5

86

Jay Schrock

Hutchinson, Kansas

  8

  6

11

Bill Nelson

Wichita, Kansas

  6

  7

62

Bill Curless

Arkansas City, Kansas

12

  8

98

Don Spreier

Larned, Kansas

  5

  9

3

Herb Copeland

Dodge City, Kansas

  4

10

22

Bob Salem

Dodge City, Kansas

11

11

5

Harlan Suedmeier

Norton, Kansas

18

12

84

Sonny Murphy

Dodge City, Kansas

17

13

15

Mel Montgomery

Wichita, Kansas

14

DNF

26

Dick Hendershot*

Hutchinson, Kansas

13

DNF

00

Don Shumard

Dodge City, Kansas

15

DNF

66

Ralph Geist

Hutchinson, Kansas

16

DNF

4x

 

 

  9

DNF

91

Don Beeson

Scott City, Kansas

Beeson’s car crashed into the fence in the northwest turn on the 2nd lap.

Geist and car #4x collided in the northwest turn on the 4th lap.

Curless finished the race on a flat tire.

Montgomery crashed through the fence in the southwest turn after receiving the checkered flag.

Only the first 11 cars were running on the lead lap by the end of the race.

Cokeley collected $40 from the purse for his 4th place finish in this race.

 

 

 

  

Bill Nelson

81 Speedway program

Bill Curless

77 Speedway program

Charlie Pitts

Charlie Pitts collection

Frank Lies

Cokeley collection

 

 

 

Mel Montgomery

Montgomery family collection

Bob Salem

Roger Burnett collection

Forrest Coleman

National Jalopy Championship program

Dick Walker

Bob Mays collection

 

 

 

Roy Bryant

Bob Mays collection

Nut Cokeley

Cokeley collection

Herb Copeland

Bob Mays collection

Jay Schrock

Roger Burnett collection

 

 

 

Don Shumard

Roger Burnett collection

Dick Hendershot

Mohawk Speedway program

Don Spreier

Cokeley collection

Harlan Suedmeier

Cokeley collection

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

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