JayCee Speedway

Larned, Kansas

Independence Day Thursday Afternoon July 4, 1957

 

 

Race promoter Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas

Sanctioned by Merrick Racing Promotions of Dodge City, Kansas

Sponsored by Larned Jaycees of Larned, Kansas

President of the Larned Jaycees Dean Sallee of Larned, Kansas

Speedway general manager Wilbur Dirks of Larned, Kansas

Public address announcer Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas

Flagman / starter Ben Hughes of Dodge City, Kansas

Trophy girl Jeannette Gleason of Larned, Kansas

Track condition "dry and very dusty"

 

Total purse $400

 

 

 

 

List of Entries  – 15 Cars

Car #

Driver

Driver From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

3

Nelson Carlson

Larned, Kansas

Wilbur Dirks

Larned, Kansas

 

6

Jim Gibbs

Dodge City, Kansas

Guy Salem

Dodge City, Kansas

 

7

Jerry Jinks

Larned, Kansas

Jerry Jinks

Larned, Kansas

12

Ted Kreger

Dodge City, Kansas

Elmer "Shorty" Adams

Dodge City, Kansas

 

13

Don Bennett

Larned, Kansas

Clyde Bennett

Larned, Kansas

33

Kenney Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

Kenneth "Kenny" Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

35

Fritz Kuntzsch

Larned, Kansas

Joe & Harry Vratil

Larned, Kansas

43

Ron Nicholson

Larned, Kansas

John Nicholson

Larned, Kansas

 

46

Floyd "Dutch" Davis

Dodge City, Kansas

Harold Skelton

Larned, Kansas

47

Jim Maskus

Dodge City, Kansas

Frank Epp

Dodge City, Kansas

 

71

Bob Murphy

Larned, Kansas

Herman Dirks

Albert, Kansas

74

Marvin Lowery

Larned, Kansas

Tabler, Fischer, Sallee & Constant*

Larned, Kansas

 

80

Stanley Trahern

Dodge City, Kansas

Bob Kenneman & Melvin Tuxhorn 

Montezuma, Kansas

88

Jack Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

Jack & Jerry Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

97

Lyle Lewis

Dighton, Kansas

Dale James

Dighton, Kansas

Nelson Carlson

Toiler & Toiler

    

Stanley Trahern

Cokeley collection

  

Lyle Lewis

Huddleston & Peoples photo from the Cokeley collection

   

Jack Culver

Huddleston & Peoples photo from the Cokeley collection

  

Jim Maskus

Huddleston & Peoples photo from the Cokeley collection

 

Ted Kreger

Coffman collection

 

Fritz Kuntzsch

Tiller & Toiler

 

Ron Nicholson

Bill Nicholson collection

 

Don Bennett

Cokeley collection

 

Bob Murphy

Bob Murphy collection

 

Marvin Lowery

Mike Constant collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owners

Car Owners From

 

1

47

Jim Maskus

Dodge City, Kansas

Frank Epp

Dodge City, Kansas

2

33

Kenney Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

Kenneth "Kenny" Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

3

46

Floyd "Dutch" Davis

Dodge City, Kansas

Harold Skelton

Larned, Kansas

4

13

Don Bennett

Larned, Kansas

Clyde Bennett

Larned, Kansas

 

5

88

Jack Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

Jack & Jerry Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

 

DNF

35

Fritz Kuntzsch

Larned, Kansas

Joe & Harry Vratil

Larned, Kansas

     Kuntzsch lost control of his car near the #2 corner and rolled it several times off of the racetrack.

     Maskus led every lap of this race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 10 Laps

 

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

 

 

1

97

Lyle Lewis

Dighton, Kansas

Dale Janes

Dighton, Kansas

 

 

2

80

Stanley Trahern

Dodge City, Kansas

Bob Kenneman & Melvin Tuxhorn

Montezuma, Kansas

 

 

3

3

Nelson Carlson

Larned, Kansas

Wilbur Dirks

Larned, Kansas

 

 

4

71

Bob Murphy

Larned, Kansas

Herman Dirks

Albert, Kansas

 

 

5

43

Ron Nicholson

Larned, Kansas

John Nicholson

Larned, Kansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

Trophy Dash – 5 Laps

 

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

Started

1

80

Stanley Trahern

Dodge City, Kansas

Bob Kenneman & Melvin Tuxhorn

Montezuma, Kansas

5

2

47

Jim Maskus

Dodge City, Kansas

Frank Epp

Dodge City, Kansas

 

3

97

Lyle Lewis

Dighton, Kansas

Dale James

Dighton, Kansas

 

4

3

Nelson Carlson

Larned, Kansas

Wilbur Dirks

Larned, Kansas

 

5

13

Don Bennett

Larned, Kansas

Clyde Bennett

Larned, Kansas

 

     Trahern won this race by 1/5 lap over Maskus.

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

First Semi-Final Race – 8 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

1

80

Stanley Trahern

Dodge City, Kansas

Bob Kenneman & Melvin Tuxhorn

Montezuma, Kansas

2

47

Jim Maskus

Dodge City, Kansas

Frank Epp

Dodge City, Kansas

3

12

Ted Kreger

Dodge City, Kansas

Elmer "Shorty" Adams

Dodge City, Kansas

4

71

Bob Murphy

Larned, Kansas

Herman Dirks

Albert, Kansas

5

74

Marvin Lowery

Larned, Kansas

Tabler, Fischer, Sallee & Constant*

Larned, Kansas

     Lowery ran in fourth place throughout most of this race but spun out near the #2 corner on the seventh lap loosing that position to Murphy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Semi-Final Race – 8 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

 

1

97

Lyle Lewis

Dighton, Kansas

Dale James

Dighton, Kansas

 

2

46

Floyd "Dutch" Davis

Dodge City, Kansas

Harold Skelton

Larned, Kansas

 

3

6

Jim Gibbs

Dodge City, Kansas

Guy Salem

Dodge City, Kansas

4

33

Kenny Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

Kenneth "Kenny" Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

 

5

88

Jack Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

Jack & Jerry Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

  

 

  

 

 

 

B Feature Race – 15 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

Started

1

33

Kenny Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

Kenneth "Kenny" Gillette

Dodge City, Kansas

3

2

47

Jim Maskus

Dodge City, Kansas

Frank Epp

Dodge City, Kansas

3

46

Floyd "Dutch" Davis

Dodge City, Kansas

Harold Skelton

Larned, Kansas

 

4

88

Jack Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

Jack & Jerry Culver

Dodge City, Kansas

 

5

13

Don Bennett

Larned, Kansas

Clyde Bennett

Larned, Kansas

 

6

35

Fritz Kuntzsch

Larned, Kansas

Joe & Harry Vratil

Larned, Kansas

 

DNF

7

Jerry Jinks

Larned, Kansas

Jerry Jinks

Larned, Kansas

 

     Gillette's car spun out of control in front of the bleachers on the third lap.  In the maley that followed, Kuntzsch's jalopy was struck in the back end by Jink's car severely damaging Jink's mount and eliminating it from the race.  The accident caused a complete restart and only Jinks was not able to continue in the event.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Feature Race – 20 Laps

Place

Car #

Driver

From

Car Owner

Car Owner From

 

1

97

Lyle Lewis

Dighton, Kansas

Dale James

Dighton, Kansas

 

2

80

Stanley Trahern

Dodge City, Kansas

Bob Kenneman & Melvin Tuxhorn

Montezuma, Kansas

 

3

3

Nelson Carlson

Larned, Kansas

Wilbur Dirks

Larned, Kansas

4

71

Bob Murphy

Larned, Kansas

Herman Dirks

Albert, Kansas

5

43

Ron Nicholson

Larned, Kansas

John Nicholson

Larned, Kansas

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fritz Kuntzsch gets some help loading the wrecked jalopy onto the trailer at the JayCee Speedway at Larned, Kansas on this afternoon. Left to right are Don Spreier, Fritz, Alan Burger (child), Art Walton pushing just above Alan Burger, and Otis Shuck.  This photo shows the left side of the car - Walton collection

 

 

 

Fritz Kuntzsch of Larned standing by the left side of the Vratil brothers owned jalopy sedan that he rolled near the beginning of the first heat on this afternoon - Walton collection

 

 

 

An unidentified woman standing beside the left side of the Vratil brothers owned jalopy that Fritz Kuntzsch rolled during the first heat race on this afternoon - Walton collection

 

 

 

The right side of the Vratil brothers owned sedan jalopy that Fritz Kuntzsch wrecked during the first heat race on this afternoon - Klein collection

 

 

 

 

 

* D. Vane Tabler, Rex Fischer, Dean Sallee, and Riley Eugene "Gene" Constant all of Larned.

 

 

 

 

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