Sprint Car Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Wednesday – September 20, 1961
Sanctioned by – International Motor Contest Association (I.M.C.A.)
Track condition – slick and very muddy
Bert Hellmueller (at left) and his crew are seen here pushing Hellmueller’s Ranger powered #48 sprint car through the mud from the pits to the front straight-away at the races on this date in Hutchinson – Hutchinson News photo
First Heat Race – 6 Cars – 8 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Time |
|
1 |
Mack Terry |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
3:39.59 |
|
2 |
Pete Folse |
Tampa, Florida |
|
|
3 |
Colby Scroggins |
Eagle Rock, California |
|
|
4 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
5 |
Bert Hellmueller |
Louisville, Kentucky |
|
|
6 |
John Boe |
Minot, North Dakota |
|
Folse worked his way up to second place after having started last in this race.
Second Heat Race – 7 Cars – 8 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Time |
|
1 |
Buzz Barton |
Tampa, Florida |
3:44.63 |
|
2 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, Texas |
|
|
3 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
4 |
Bart Manley |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
5 |
Bill Billingsley |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
|
6 |
Bill Hobbs |
San Francisco, California |
|
|
7 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
Trophy Dash – 4 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Time |
|
1 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
1:51.91 |
|
2 |
Buzz Barton |
Tampa, Florida |
|
|
3 |
Pete Folse |
Tampa, Florida |
|
Folse got off to a good lead but his engine started sputtering on the second lap and he dropped 100 yards behind the leader. Folse’s engine smoothed out and he was steadily gaining on Leep and Barton at the end of the race.
Consolation Race – 6 Cars – 6 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Time |
|
1 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
2:47.08 |
|
2 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
3 |
Bert Hellmueller |
Louisville, Kentucky |
|
|
4 |
Bill Hobbs |
San Francisco, California |
|
|
5 |
Bart Manley |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
6 |
Bill Billingsley |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
|
Feature Race – 11 Cars – 15 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
|
|
1 |
Pete Folse |
Tampa, Florida |
|
|
2 |
Buzz Barton |
Tampa, Florida |
|
|
3 |
Colby Scroggins |
Eagle Rock, California |
|
|
4 |
Gordon Woolley |
Waco, Texas |
|
|
5 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
6 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
7 |
Bert Hellmueller |
Louisville, Kentucky |
|
|
8 |
Bart Manley |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
9 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
|
10 |
Bill Hobbs |
San Francisco, California |
|
|
11 |
Mack Terry |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
DNF |
Terry spun out and backed into the fence in the southwest turn tearing out about a dozen boards. He was not hurt and his car was not badly damaged.
|
Buzz Barton Floyd Seago collection |
Harold Leep Jerry Wilson collection |
Pete Folse Bob Mays collection |
|
Bert Hellmueller Bob Stolze collection
|
Gordon Woolley Leroy Byers photo from the book Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays |
Bill Billingsley Armin Krueger photo from the book Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays |
|
Jerry Shumaker L. A. Ward photo from the book Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays |
Bill Hobbs Lou Ash photo from the book Big Car THUNDER by Bob Mays |
Charlie Lutkie Charlie Lutkie collection |
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page