West Side Racetrack

Wichita, Kansas – October 10, 1916

 

 

Wichita Eagle

October 11, 1916

Page 9

 

Smashed Records and Fence

 

Driving Barney Oldfield’s Famous 300-Horsepower Car Cap. Kennedy Makes Half Mile in 35

 

Four Machines Plow Through Rail

 

Thrills for 4,000 Spectators

 

            Grippingly Interesting and sensationally spectacular were the automobile races witnessed by thousands at the West Side track yesterday afternoon.  Four men crashed through the fence and managed to escape uninjured.  W. E. Crum, driving a Buick, went through the fence at the north end of the track during the five-mile race and succeeded in getting back on to finish the race.  Again, during the Twenty-five-mile race, Crum went through the fence, this time going through the inside fence at the north end of the field, damaging the car so he had to withdraw.

            Two records were established by Captain Harvey Kennedy, one a new Kansas track record for the mile on a half-mile track.  Mr. Kennedy broke the Kansas one-mile record while driving a Maxwell twice around the track in 1:10.25.  This lowered its former record five seconds.  In driving Barney Oldfield’s 300-horsepower front drive Christie, Captain Kennedy established a new half-mile record going one lap in 35 seconds, his being three seconds lower than the old record for the half-mile.

            Jerry Wonderlich in a Marquette Buick was able to grab three first places.  He took first in the five-mile race.  This was one of the most hair-raising races of the afternoon.  In the first few laps, Crum went through the north outside fence and was able to get back into the race when the crowd was expecting to see the ambulance which went to the scene, drive off to the hospital him within.  No sooner had the crowd subsided from that crash until Lee Oldfield in his Oldfield Special hit the inside fence at the south end of the track, his car turning completely around while crushing the fence for yards.  In the four-mile relay race between Ed Carlitz and Jerry Wonderlich, Carlitz crashed through the north inside fence in his National damaging the car so that it was out of the races for the rest of the afternoon thus throwing the race to Wonderlich.

            Miss Ruth Law raced with Wonderlich in a two-mile speed event, she driving her airplane and he the Marquette Buick.  Miss Law was an easy winner.

 

List of Entries

 

 

Time Trials (incomplete list) – 2 Laps

 

 

Exhibition Time Trial – 1 Lap – Time:  35 seconds

 

 

Exhibition Airplane vs. Automobile Race – 4 Laps

 

 

10 Lap Race - Time:  6:27

The above is an incomplete list of the entries in this race.  Both Crum and Oldfield crashed and did not finish this race.

 

 

Relay Race – 8 Laps – 2 cars entered

 

 

Feature – 25 Laps – 4 cars entered – Time:  14:58.5

Hugh Doyle finished this race on a flat tire.  W. E. Crum crashed and did not finish.

 

 

 

Ruth Law (1887-1970) in her Airplane in 1916

Department of the Navy, Bureau of Aeronautics, Naval Aircraft Factory, Still Pictures Branch, National Archives at College Park

 

 

 

¹Lee Oldfield (1889-1978) was not related to Barney Oldfield.

 

²The races on this day at West Side Racetrack were promoted by Capt. Harvey Kennedy.

 

³W. Ernest “Ernie” Crum

 

 

 

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