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Bob Lawrence drove this Larry
Wiles owned 1955 Ford in the stock car races at Winfield, Kansas
on July 23, 1967 but a rod started knocking in hot laps and the engine blew
on the first lap of the heat race. Lawrence raced this car again at Winfield
on September 24, 1967
but, while exiting turn four during his heat race, a Studebaker spun out
right in front of him. There was just enough room for Lawrence to squeeze the Ford between the Studebaker and
the outside guard railing so Lawrence
swerved the car in that direction. The driver of a black Ford saw the
same "hole" and tried to get through it too. There was not
enough room for both cars at the same time so the black Ford struck
Lawrence's car in the left side sending it careening into the steel pipe
guard railing which surrounded the outside of the racetrack. The black
Ford did not make it through either as it bounced off Lawrence's car and into the stalled
Studebaker. No one was injured but this #4 Ford was destroyed.
The above photograph of the
car had been taken in June of 1966 on the drive of Gordon Lewis' Fina service
station which was then located on the northwest corner of 12th Street and
Main Street in Winfield.
The photograph below
was taken in 1967 in turn three (northeast turn) by a photographer for the Winfield
Daily Courier and appeared in the newspaper. #10 was owned and driven by Lou
Steward. #4 was the same car as
pictured above and driven by Bob Lawrence. #88 was owned by Leo
“Shorty” Phillips and driven by Kenney Moore. Lawrence
had owned the #88 car for a time before selling it to Phillips but Lawrence
did not have an engine for it so he never drove it – Photos from the Bob
Lawrence collection
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