New Model Stock Car Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Friday – July 4, 1952
Race Promoter – Verne Hamilton of Hutchinson, Kansas
Attendance – 5,000
Norman Horn of Great Bend, Kansas driving a 1949 Packard leads car #50 Bill Lehman of Hutchinson in his 1950 Pontiac during the second 25-lap heat race – Lehman collection
Pre-Published Entry List
|
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
|
Jim Roper |
Halstead, Kansas |
1951 Studebaker |
|
Bob McKim |
Salina, Kansas |
V8 Chrysler |
|
Jimmie Clark |
Ft. Worth, Texas |
1950 Oldsmobile 88 |
|
Norman Horn |
Great Bend, Kansas |
1949 Packard |
|
Jim Ware |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1948 Hudson |
|
Bill Lehman |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1950 Pontac |
|
J. R. “Bob” Cox |
Halstead, Kansas |
1947 Ford |
|
Red Wilson |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1948 DeSoto |
|
Dan Berghaus |
Meade, Kansas |
1949 Mercury |
|
Milton Luft |
Great Bend, Kansas |
1949 Oldsmobile 88 |
|
Jim Reed* |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1948 Ford |
|
Clarence L. "Lead Foot" Bolton |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1947 Ford |
|
Gayford Dye |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1948 Ford |
|
Bill Massey |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1949 Oldsmobile |
|
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
1948 Oldsmobile |
|
Willard Bodkins |
Winfield, Kansas |
1948 Chrysler |
|
Bob Gass |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1946 Ford |
|
Howard Gillham |
Wichita, Kansas |
1951 Oldsmobile 88 |
|
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
1951 Chrysler |
Time Trials – 1 Lap
Place |
Driver |
From |
Time |
1 |
Bob Dugan |
Miami, Florida |
33.83 |
2 |
Frank Black |
Ft. Worth, Texas |
34.00 |
3 |
Bill Wesley |
Liberal, Kansas |
34.19 |
4 |
Jim Ware |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
34.55 |
5 |
Milton Luft |
Great Bend, Kansas |
34.85 |
6 |
Norman Horn |
Great Bend, Kansas |
34.94 |
7 |
Gayford Dye |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
34.95 |
8 |
Bill Lehman |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
35.55 |
First Heat Race – 25 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
|
1 |
Bob Dugan |
Miami, Florida |
|
2 |
Bill Wesley |
Liberal, Kansas |
|
3 |
J. R. “Bob” Cox |
Halstead, Kansas |
|
4 |
Milton Luft |
Great Bend, Kansas |
|
5 |
Fred South |
Salina, Kansas |
|
6 |
Clarence L. "Lead Foot" Bolton |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
Second Heat Race – 25 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
|
1 |
Frank Black |
Ft. Worth, Texas |
|
2 |
Jim Ware |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
3 |
Norman Horn |
Great Bend, Kansas |
|
4 |
Bill Lehman |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
5 |
Jim Wheelon |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
6 |
John Riead* |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
Ware filed an official protest against the car driven by Black contending Black’s 1947 Ford contained some non-stock parts. Race officials inspected Black’s car after the completion of the feature race and found that no illegal parts were being used.
Feature Race – 100 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
|
1 |
Frank Black |
Ft. Worth, Texas |
|
2 |
Bob Dugan |
Miami, Florida |
|
3 |
Milton Luft |
Great Bend, Kansas |
|
4 |
Bill Wesley |
Liberal, Kansas |
|
5 |
J. R. “Bob” Cox |
Halstead, Kansas |
|
6 |
Red Wilson |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
7 |
Clarence L. "Lead Foot" Bolton |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
8 |
Jim Wheelon |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
9 |
Bob Gass |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
10 |
John Riead* |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
11 |
Jim Curley |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
12 |
Gayford Dye |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
13 |
Fred South |
Salina, Kansas |
|
|
Norman Horn |
Great Bend, Kansas |
|
|
Jim Ware |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
South had only completed 70 laps when Black crossed the finish line.
Cars driven by Riead and South suffered blow outs but continued in the race after making pit stops to replace the bad tires.
Cars driven by Wheelon and Bolton spun out in the north turn but both were able to get underway again.
Ware led the race until a tire “went bad” and he lost 4 laps in the pits getting a new one. He was trying to make up the lost ground when he tried to take the north turn too fast on the 64th lap causing his car to roll and flip end-over-end several times. Ware received a small cut over his eye but it was not serious.
Wheelon’s car bumped into Ware’s wrecked Ford but was able to continue on for several laps before a blown tire caused him to loose control and crash through the inside fence on the north curve.
The cars driven by Bolton and Riead collided in the north turn on the final lap and both cars then crashed into the outside fence.
A front axel broke on Horn’s car sending it crashing into a post in the infield of the south turn.
* John Riead and James C. “Jim” Reed (1930-1999) were brothers-in-law.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page
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