INDEPENDENCE DAY AUTO RACES
American Legion One-mile Dirt Oval Racetrack
Oakley, Kansas
Wednesday Afternoon - July 4, 1928
Adult General Admission: 75˘
The Neff Special (actually the Roof Chevrolet Special) passes Bob Fridley of Salina, Kansas at Oakley on July 4, 1928 - Oakes photo from the Hillery family collection
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TIME TRIALS – 1 Mile – (listed in the order they went out for their time trial) |
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PLACE |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
ENGINE |
MAKE / MODEL |
CAR # |
LAPS |
TIME |
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2 |
____ Barch |
WaKeeney, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Ford Frontenac6 |
7 |
1 |
46.00 |
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7 |
____ Anderson |
Colby, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Ford Laurel |
1 |
1 |
59.60 |
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5 |
Leslie Neff1 |
Winona, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Chevrolet Roof Special4 |
13 |
1 |
48:40 |
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6 |
Bob Fridley |
Salina, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Chevrolet Special |
17 |
1 |
57.60 |
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1 |
Bill Epps9 |
Oakley, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
P.E.B. Special2 |
44 |
1 |
45.00 |
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4 |
Lee Hillery5 |
Winona, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Wright Special3 |
99 |
1 |
47.20 |
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3 |
C. R. Hoag |
Denver, Colorado |
6 cylinder |
Hinton Special8 |
11 |
1 |
46.00 |
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FIRST HEAT RACE – 10 Miles |
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PLACE |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
ENGINE |
MAKE / MODEL |
CAR # |
LAPS |
TIME |
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1 |
Bill Epps9 |
Oakley, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
P.E.B. Special2 |
44 |
10 |
8:10 |
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2 |
Lee Hillery5 |
Winona, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Wright Special3 |
99 |
10 |
8:33 |
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3 |
Leslie Neff1 |
Winona, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Chevrolet Roof Special4 |
13 |
10 |
8:36 |
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DNF |
____ Barch |
WaKeeney, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Ford Frontenac6 |
7 |
6 |
DNF |
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DNF |
C. R. Hoag |
Denver, Colorado |
6 cylinder |
Hinton Special8 |
11 |
6 |
DNF |
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DNF |
Bob Fridley |
Salina, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Chevrolet Special |
17 |
4 |
DNF |
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STOCK CAR RACE – 5 Miles |
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PLACE |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
ENGINE |
MAKE / MODEL |
CAR # |
LAPS |
TIME |
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1 |
____ Hunter |
Oakley, Kansas |
Hudson |
Hudson sedan |
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5 |
5:15 |
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2 |
____ Moore |
Monument, Kansas |
Ford |
Stripped Ford |
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5 |
6:24 |
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DNF |
A. Carrol |
Oakley, Kansas |
Hudson |
Hudson coach |
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4 |
DNF |
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DNF |
William Hinton |
Denver, Colorado |
Gardner |
Gardner touring |
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4 |
DNF |
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DNF |
Ernie Bertrand7 |
Oakley, Kansas |
Whippet |
Whippet coupe |
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4 |
DNF |
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DNF |
Ray Richardson |
Oakley, Kansas |
Ford |
Stripped Ford |
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3 |
DNF |
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LAST RACE – 25 Miles |
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PLACE |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
ENGINE |
MAKE / MODEL |
CAR # |
LAPS |
TIME |
|
1 |
C. R. Hoag |
Denver, Colorado |
6 cylinder |
Hinton Special8 |
11 |
25 |
20:50 |
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2 |
Leslie Neff1 |
Winona, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Chevrolet Roof Special4 |
13 |
25 |
29:32 |
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3 |
____ Barch |
WaKeeney, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Ford Frontenac6 |
7 |
25 |
37:06 |
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4 |
Bill Epps |
Oakley, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
P.E.B. Special2 |
44 |
21 |
DNF |
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5 |
Bob Fridley |
Salina, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Chevrolet Special |
17 |
16 |
DNF |
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6 |
Lee Hillery5 |
Winona, Kansas |
4 cylinder |
Wright Special3 |
99 |
4 |
DNF |
Oakes photo from the Gayle Hoyle collection
Oakes photo from the Hillery family collection
Official race starter Pierre “Pete” Bertrand can be seen at right waving the green flag to start the 25-mile feature race. Note the other flags lying on the ground beside him ready to be used. From left to right, the cars are the Wright Special #99 driven by Lee Hillery; the Hinton Special #11, powered by a Curtiss airplane engine and driven by eventual race winner C. R. Hoag; and the P. E. B. Special #44 driven by Bill Epps.
With the largest engine, the Hinton Special was clearly the fastest car in the field on this day, that is, when Hoag could keep it running. The finishing order of the 25-mile last race does not tell the whole story. Epps gave Hoag somewhat of a challenge by gaining on him in the corners but the Curtiss powered racer easily pulled away down the straightaways. After Epps dropped out with four laps to go, Neff and Barch wound up with good finishes but they were far behind the Hinton Special – Oakes photo from the Hillery family collection
1Leslie Levie Franklin “Speck” Neff (1908-1962), also known by the nickname “Babe” Neff.
2The P.E.B. Special was named for brothers Pierre and Ernie Bertrand.
3The Wright Special was owned by Leo Cecil Wright (1901-1990).
4The Chevrolet Roof Special was owned by John William Neff (1885-1946).
5Robert Lee Hillery (1888-1953).
6The Ford Frontenac #7 driven by ____ Barch was owned by Walter Frank Krhut (1893-1984).
7John Ernest “Ernie” Bertrand (1903-1972) is buried at Oakley, Kansas. The Whippet coupe he drove in this race was his family car. It is said to have been fast but unreliable.
8The Hinton Special was owned by William Hinton of Denver, Colorado who occasionally drove it himself at the Overland Park racetrack at Denver although he had also entered it a year earlier in races at Ord, Nebraska. It was powered by a 573 cubic-inch, 160 H.P. Curtiss K6 aircraft engine that was much larger than any other engine in competition at Oakley on this day.
9William Raymond “Bill” Epps (1900-1944).
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