Track Records

For The Half-Mile Dirt Oval Racetrack At The

Kansas State Fairgrounds

Hutchinson, Kansas

1909 - 1991

For Distances of from 1 to 6 Laps

 

 

 

For the Track Records for Distances of from 7 Laps to 300 Laps

 

 

Most of these records are shown as published in the local newspapers at the time.  Elapsed times have not been located for all races run but these are the best records from the time period that are currently known.  The timing clocks were not necessarily accurate, accurately read, and / or trustworthy.  Additional errors could have been tossed in by the newspapers too, trying to embellish a story or just an error on the part of the reporters.  However, these are what we have to go on now.  There are few times available for races run on this racetrack in recent years as the practice of running time trials and / or timing races was discontinued at the Kansas State Fairgrounds several years ago.

 

 

1 Lap

Date

Time

Driver

Driver From

Automobile

Engine

Sanction

September 20, 1916

35.4

Cliff Woodbury

Chicago, IL

Duesenberg #16

Duesenberg

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1919

34.2

George Clark

Ft. Worth, TX

Duesenberg

Duesenberg

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1919

34.2 tie

Harvey Demster

Indianapolis, IN

Peugeot

Peugeot

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1919

34.2 tie

Dick Seip

Oklahoma City, OK

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

I.M.C.A.

September 22, 1922

31.4

Fred Horey

St. Paul, MN

Frontenac

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

           July 5, 1926*

 

Fred Lentz

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

 

September 24, 1926

31.0

Charles Lebsack

Otis, KS

Kerbs Special #4

Frontenac

None

September 24, 1926

31.0 tie

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, KS

Kerbs Special #1

Frontenac

None

September 20, 1929

31.0 tie

Emory Collins

Regina, Sask., Can

Red Streak D. O. Fronty #7

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1929

31.0 tie

Rea Bray

Hutchinson, KS

Frontenac #4

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

                     1928**

30.0

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, KS

Kerbs Special

Frontenac

 

September 15, 1930

30.8

Rea Bray

Hutchinson, KS

Frontenac #7

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1930

30.4

Rea Bray

Hutchinson, KS

Frontenac

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1930

30.0

Archie Powell

Galesburg, IL

Frontenac #3

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 23, 1932

28.1

Maynard Clark

Milan, IL

Gerber Special #15

Chevrolet

None

September 22, 1933

27.99

Clarence Haskell

Lincoln, NE

Miller Special

Miller

None

September 24, 1937

27.5

Bill Morris***

Denver, CO

Messer Special #4

Cragar

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1938

27.2

Lyn Musick

Dallas, TX

Turco Special #1

 

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1940

27.0

Bill Morris***

Dallas, TX

Messer Special

D.O. Hal

M.H.R.A.

September 22, 1940

26:63

Bill Morris***

Dallas, TX

Messer Special

D.O. Hal

M.H.R.A.

September 16, 1941

25.4

Gus Schrader

Cedar Rapids, IA

Riverside Tire Special #5

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 15, 1946

24.91

Emory Collins

Le Mars, IA

Collins Offy #7

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 18, 1949

24.53

Emory Collins

Le Mars, IA

Collins Special Offy #7

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 22, 1953

24.49

Deb Snyder

Kent, OH

Snyder Offy #3

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 16, 1967

24.40

Jerry Richert

Forrest Lake, MN

Wagner Chevy #63

Chevrolet

I.M.C.A.

September 17, 1968

23.79

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

Forshee Chevy #84

Chevrolet

B.C.R.A.

         July 25, 1982

22.6

Herb Copeland

Wichita, KS

Nance Chevy #1n

Chevrolet

None

    October 15, 1989

19.406

Frankie Kerr

Selinsgrove, PA

Shoff Chevy #23s

Chevrolet

U.S.A.

*According to an article in the July 6, 1926 issue of the Hutchinson Daily Herald newspaper, Fred Lentz was the then current track record holder for the ½ mile distance but it is not currently known when he set that record, how fast he went, or what automobile he was driving when he did so.

**According to an article in the September 24, 1932 issue of the Hutchinson Daily News newspaper, Leonard Kerbs had set a new one-lap track record of 30.0 “four years ago”.  To date, it has not been confirmed that Kerbs even raced at Hutchinson, Kansas that year.

***Bill Morris was an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966).

 

 

2 Laps

Date

Time

Driver

Driver From

Automobile

Engine

Sanction

September 18, 1909*

1:24.0

Harry Shoemaker

Hutchinson, KS

Sellers

Sellers

FAM

September 18, 1909*

1:24.0 tie

George Wiles

Hutchinson, KS

E. M. F.

E. M. F.

FAM

September 21, 1912

1:16.6

Barney Oldfield

Wauseon, OH

Cino

Cino

A.A.A

September 21, 1912

1:10.0

Barney Oldfield

Wauseon, OH

Christie

Christie V-4**

A.A.A.

September 18, 1914

1:08.8

Eddie Hearne

Chicago, IL

Case

Case

A.A.A.

September 19, 1914

1:07.6

Johnny Raimey

Cincinnati, OH

Case Comet

6-cyl. Case

A.A.A.

September 24, 1915

1:06.8

Johnny Raimey

Cincinnati, OH

Briscoe

Briscoe

I.M.C.A.

September 21, 1918

1:05.8

Jules Ellingboe

Crookston, MN

Briscoe

Briscoe

I.M.C.A.

September 23, 1921

1:05.8 tie

Leon Duray***

Cleveland, OH

Golden Submarine

Miller

I.M.C.A.

September 22, 1922

1:05.4

Fred Horey

St. Paul, MN

Frontenac

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 22, 1922

1:04:4****

John Boling

Tulsa, OK

“Alimony Anne” Ford

Ford

I.M.C.A.

               July 4, 1923

1:05.2

James Speer

Wichita, KS

Frontenac

Frontenac

None

September 15, 1924

1:05.2 tie

Al Waters

Chicago, IL

Golden Oldfield Special

Miller

I.M.C.A.

September 24, 1937

   55.0

Bill Morris*****

Denver, CO

Messer Special #4

Cragar

I.MC.A.

*The records set in 1909 were set on the old Kansas State Fairgrounds racetrack that was located ½ south of the current racetrack.

**This Cristie V-4 engine had 1,237 CID and was rated at 135 HP.

***Leon Duray was an alias used by George Stewart.

****According to an article in the September 20, 1924 issue of the Hutchinson Herald newspaper, John Boling of Tulsa, Oklahoma set this 2-lap track record at the state fair races in 1922 but it is doubtful that Boling was even entered at Hutchinson that year.

*****Bill Morris of Denver, Colorado was an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966) who was actually from Dallas, Texas.

 

 

3 Laps

Date

Time

Driver

Driver From

Automobile

Engine

Sanction

September 18, 1914

2:35.2*

Eddie Hearne

Chicago, IL

Yellow Case #8

Case

A.A.A.

September 19, 1927

1:40.75

George Young

Milwaukee, WI

Frontenac

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 23, 1932

1:32.0

Pat Cunningham

St. JoSeptemberh, MO

Kerbs Special #K-1

Frontenac

None

               July 4, 1933

1:05.0**

M. Seigle

Wichita, KS

 

 

None

September 18, 1933

1:29.14

Clarence Haskell

Lincoln, NE

Miller Special #24

Miller

None

September 20, 1935

1:28.5

Bill Morris***

Lincoln, NE

Messer Special #3

 

I.M.C.A.

September 15, 1940

1:24.0

Vic Rothe

Omaha, NE

Turco Special #1

 

M.H.R.A.

September 22, 1940

1:22.0

Bill Morris***

Dallas, TX

Messer Special

D.O. Hal

M.H.R.A.

September 16, 1941

1:22.0 tie

Jimmy Wilburn

Portland, OR

Morgan Miller #39

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

            May 30, 1948

1:20.4

Jimmy Wilburn

Indianapolis, IN

Wilburn #93

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

        August 16, 1953

1:18:02

Bob McKim

Salina, KS

Westerhaus #28

Studebaker

U.M.C.A.

*Eddie Hearne’s time for three laps on September 18, 1914 included a tire & wheel change by his crew.

**It is much more likely that this race was run for 2 laps rather than 3 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on July 5, 1933.  For this to have been the correct time for 3 laps, Seigle would have had to have run an average of 21.67 seconds per lap.  Such a feat on the state fair racetrack would have been virtually impossible given the tires and other equipment available in 1933.

***Bill Morris was an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966).

  

 

 4 Laps

Date

Time

Driver

Driver From

Automobile

Engine

Sanction

September 21, 1912

2:13.0*

Barney Oldfield

Wauseon, OH

Cino

Cino

A.A.A.

September 19, 1914

2:19.4

Louis Disbrow

Indianapolis, IN

Gray Streak Case #2

Case

A.A.A.

September 24, 1920

2:16.4

John Boyd

Oklahoma City, OK

Hudson Special

Hudson

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1929

2:06.4

Emory Collins

Regina, Sask., Can

Red Streak D. O. Fronty #7

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 16, 1947

1:56.73

Billy Snyder

Minneapolis, MN

 

 

I.M.C.A.

September 21, 1954

1:56.34

_____  Musick

 

 

 

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1959

1:46.41

Parnelli Jones

Torrance, CA

Fike Plumbing Special

Chevrolet

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1966

1:41.50

Grady Wade

Wichita, KS

Wilson Offy Killer #25

Chevrolet

B.C.R.A.

September 17, 1968

1:37.74

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

Forshee Chevy #84

Chevrolet

B.C.R.A.

September 10, 1978

1:36.2

Dave Frusher

Ness City, KS

King Chevy #88

Chevrolet

None

September 12, 1982

1:33.7

Charlie Randolph

Muskogee, OK

#9

 

None

*Oldfield’s Cino automobile was only powered by a 35-HP engine so it is highly unlikely that he was able to run the four laps nearly as quickly as was claimed over the megaphone to the crowd that day and in the local newspapers the next day.

 

 

5 Laps

Date

Time

Driver

Driver From

Automobile

Engine

Sanction

              July 4, 1921

3:34.2

Charles Crow

Hutchinson, KS

Essex

Essex

None

September 25, 1925

3:15.0

Fred Horey

St. Paul, MN

Miller Special

Miller

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1927

2:48.75

Jim McFadden

Penalosa, KS

Frontenac

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 17, 1928

2:48.2

Jim White

Sharon Springs, KS

Frontenac

Frontenac

None

September 25, 1931

2:26.0

Emory Collins

Sioux Falls, SD

Miller #7

Miller

I.M.C.A.

September 25, 1931

2:23.2

Clyde Gilbert

Denver, CO

Lloyd Fisher Frontenac #5

Frontenac

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1935

2:03.0**

Bill Morris*

Lincoln, NE

Messer Special #3

 

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1935

2:11.0***

Bob Sledge

Houston, TX

Riley Special #5

Riley

I.M.C.A.

September 20, 1935

2:07.0****

Pat Cunningham

St. Joseph, MO

Kerbs Special #K-1

Riley

I.M.C.A.

September 15, 1940

2:23.0

Bob Vorbeck

Longmont, CO

Dreyer Special

Dreyer

M.H.R.A.

September 20, 1940

2:20.0

Bob Vorbeck

Longmont, CO

Dreyer Special

Dreyer

M.H.R.A.

September 19, 1941

2:16.0

Gus Schrader

Cedar Rapids, IA

Riverside Tire Special #5

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1960

2:15.85*****

Eddie McVay

Kansas City, MO

 

 

None

         July 31, 1966

2:05.0

David Ross

Jetmore, KS

Ross Chevy #54

Chevrolet

M.R.I.

         July 27, 1969

1:48.3

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

Dutton Chevy #16

Chevrolet

M.R.I.

September 18, 1983

1:40.1

David Hughes

Breckinridge, OK

#60

 

None

*Bill Morris of Lincoln, Nebraska was an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966) who was actually from Dallas, Texas.

**It is much more likely that this race was run for 4 laps rather than 5 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on September 21, 1935.  For this to have been the correct time for 5 laps, Morris would have had to have run an average of 24.6 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 27.99 seconds at that time.  Running 5 laps that quickly on the state fair racetrack in 1935 would have been virtually impossible given the tires and other equipment available back then.

***It is much more likely that this race was run for 4 laps rather than 5 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on Septembertember 21, 1935.  For this to have been the correct time for 5 laps, Sledge would have had to have run an average of 26.2 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 27.99 seconds at that time.  Running 5 laps that quickly on the state fair racetrack in 1935 would have been virtually impossible given the tires and other equipment available back then.

****It is much more likely that this race was run for 4 laps rather than 5 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on Septembertember 21, 1935.  For this to have been the correct time for 5 laps, Cunningham would have had to have run an average of 25.4 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 27.99 seconds at that time.  Running 5 laps that quickly on the state fair racetrack in 1935 would have been virtually impossible given the tires and other equipment available back then.

*****The Hutchinson News reported that this race was for 6 laps but the reported time for that long a race would have been highly unlikely if not impossible.  It is much more likely that the race was for 5 laps which would still have been a new track record.

 

 

 6 Laps

Date

Time

Driver

Driver From

Automobile

Engine

Sanction

September 21, 1912

4:16.6

W. W. Brown

Kansas City, MO

Buick Model 10 

Buick

A.A.A.

September 18, 1914

3:56.0

Eddie Hearne

Chicago, IL

Yellow Case #8

Case

A.A.A.

September 19, 1914

3:44.4

Louis Disbrow

Indianapolis, IN

Gray Streak #2

Case

A.A.A.

September 24, 1915

3:43.2

Johnny Raimey

Cincinnati, OH

Briscoe

Briscoe

I.M.C.A.

September 21, 1917

3:35.2

Floyd Willard

Albert Lea, MN

Prince Henry Ford #18*

Ford

I.M.C.A.

September 21, 1918

3:27.4

Jules Ellingboe

Crookston, MN

Briscoe

Briscoe

I.M.C.A.

           July 4, 1925

3:00.0

Delbert Ging

Hutchinson, KS

Ford Special

Ford

None

September 21, 1937

2:28.1**

Bill Morris***

Denver, CO

Messer Special #4

Cragar

I.M.C.A.

September 21, 1937

2:31.2****

Tex West*****

Dallas, TX

 

 

I.M.C.A.

September 16, 1947

2:16.7******

Emory Collins

Le Mars, IA

Riverside Special Offy #7

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 16, 1947

2:20.21*******

Wally Stokes

Willoughby, OH

 

 

I.M.C.A.

September 22, 1953

2:57.32

Deb Snyder

Kent, OH

Snyder Offy #3

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 18, 1958

2:51.10

Harold Leep

Wichita, KS

Wilson “Offy Killer” #25

Chevrolet

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1959

2:46.24

Arnold Knepper

Belleville, IL

Mocca Circle Duce #2

Offenhauser

I.M.C.A.

September 19, 1960

2:15.85********

Eddie McVay

Kansas City, MO

 

 

None

          July 4, 1968

2:18.90*********

Don Spreier

Larned, KS

 

 

M.R.I.

        July 25, 1982

2:45.20

Frank Key

Wichita, KS

 

 

None

 September 8, 1990

2:15.76

Jed Day

Wichita, KS

 

 

None

July 26, 2019

2:00.706

Jeremy Campbell

Wichita, KS

Campbell #10

Chevrolet

N.C.R.A.

*The Prince Henry Ford was well known but it had been around for several years by 1917 and was too big and heavy to be competitive so it is unlikely that it was capable of setting this track record.

**It is much more likely that this race was run for 5 laps rather than 6 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on September 22, 1937.  For this to have been the correct time for 6 laps, Morris would have had to have run an average of 24.68 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 27.99 seconds at that time.  Running 6 laps that quickly on the state fair racetrack in 1937 would have been virtually impossible given the tires and other equipment available back then.

***Bill Morris of Denver, Colorado was an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966) who was actually from Dallas, Texas.

****It is much more likely that this race was run for 5 laps rather than 6 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on September 22, 1937.  For this to have been the correct time for 6 laps, West would have had to have run an average of 25.2 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 27.99 seconds at that time.  Running 6 laps that quickly on the state fair racetrack in 1937 would have been virtually impossible given the tires and other equipment available back then.

*****Tex West was an alias used by Austin E. Wetzler (1903-1962).

******It is much more likely that this race was run for 5 laps rather than 6 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on September 17, 1947.  For this to have been the correct time for 6 laps, Collins would have had to have run an average of 22.78 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 24.91 seconds at that time.

*******It is much more likely that this race was run for 5 laps rather than 6 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson Herald and the Hutchinson News on September 17, 1947.  For this to have been the correct time for 6 laps, Stokes would have had to have run an average of 23.37 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack was only 24.91 seconds at that time.

******** It is much more likely that this race was run for 5 laps rather than 6 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson News on September 20, 1960.  For this to have been the correct time for 6 laps, McVay would have had to have driven his midget an average of 22.64 seconds per lap yet the record for one lap of this racetrack in a sprint car was only 24.49 seconds at that time.  If this race did run for 5 laps instead as it was reported, the time would still have been a track record!

********* It is much more likely that this race was run for 5 laps rather than 6 laps as reported in both the Hutchinson News on July 5, 1968.  For this to have been the correct time for 6 laps, Spreier would have had to have averaged 23.0 seconds per lap in his modified jalopy yet the record for one lap of this racetrack in a sprint car was only 24.40 seconds at that time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Track Records* for Distances of from 7 Laps to 300 Laps

To Return to Page 1 of the History of Automobile Racing at the Kansas State Fairground s in Hutchinson, Kansas