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