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What is the best race that you have seen?

Ray

It was on Sunday afternoon, July 29, 1962 at Jack Merrick's fifth annual National Jalopy Championships at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas. 40 some cars started in the 50-lap feature race on the narrow half-mile track. Actually, 50 cars
were scheduled to start the feature straight-up from time trials run the
day before but only the 40 some actually took the green flag. The rest scratched for one reason or another. In reality, by 1962, these cars were no longer jalopies. Some called them "Merrick Cars" while others referred to them as "rails".

The cars were renumbered by how they had timed in during time trials. Merrick had gotten some "sticky fly-paper-type-stuff" and had put the numbers on that. He then issued those paper numbers to each team after time trials and they had to have them on their car by race time. Merrick had issued the numbers in this fashion for the championship races since 1959 but 1962 was the last year he did so. There were advantages and disadvantages to doing so. The advantages were there were no duplicate numbers in the field totaling 85 cars and you could
readily tell in what position each car had been scheduled to start the race. The disadvantages were that the paper did not always stick well and many had lost their numbers by the time the afternoon was over or they were lapping in the breeze; familiar car numbers were covered over and you had to buy a program to tell what your favorite driver's temporary number was; and many of the temporary numbers were not placed directly over the regular numbers thus those cars displayed two different car numbers; their regular numbers and the temporary number. It had rained more than two inches over night before the race leaving the racetrack a sloppy mess.

By mid-morning, the sun was out and Merrick had a standing room only crowd announced at 15,000. Not about to let that much money slip through his fingers, he had two road graders work all morning and into the early afternoon grading the top off the racetrack to get down to a dryer surface. The resultant mud berm was a continuous pile (or windrow) a few feet high around the corners of the track. The races were late getting underway but were very exciting even if the feature was won from the pole by Charlie Lutkie (Alden Davis #1).

Early in the feature, third row starter Charlie Hiner (Pius Selenke #6) spun in the first turn in front of the remainder of the field - a tightly bunched field that was left with nowhere to
go. Their choices were to try to get stopped, pile into Hiner's spinning mount, turn into the outside board fence, or turn into that high mud berm that separated the track from the infield. Bill Nelson (Bob Garner #14) chose the latter and did a slow roll over, over the berm landing on his top in the infield. Instead of scrambling from his car, he waved his arms so frantically many thought he must be injured. As it turned out, all he wanted was to get his car up-righted so he could rejoin the fray. Several men turned Nelson's car back over and he sped off to a point on the back stretch where he could reenter the racetrack. He restarted the race one lap down on the back of the pack. What a show he put on though tearing through the field to finish in 10^th place though still one lap behind! (Nelson always felt that, since yellow flag laps did not count, he had stayed on the lead lap and, therefore should have been declared the second place finisher he having passed everybody but Lutkie.) Hiner recovered from his spin to run as high as third place before a blown radiator hose left him stuck atop the mud berm on the back stretch with about five laps remaining.

Although Nelson was the only competitor to pass Lutkie, several others put on passing clinics including Frankie Lies who started 30th and finished 6^th; Dick Unger who came from 33rd to
finish 7^th; and Joe Lehman who came from 37th to place 9^th.

Fifth fastest qualifier Henry Ellington missed the starting lineup for the 50-lap feature
at Hutchinson that day after receiving minor injuries when ran over the spinning #16 car driven by J. D. Cox and then flipped his car several times in the third turn during the fourth heat race.

When it was all over, the board fencing was almost completely missing at both ends of the
racetrack.

"Stay between the fences and don't scratch the paint 
above the windows"

My best race was also the Hutch Nationals. It was 1975 and the first time that I had ever been to Huthc and man was I impressed, at the people and the atmosphere. I had never seen anything like that at a race track, it was also very hot this was the first time that I ever saw the 95 Shot Hampton car and the orange Jelly 24 with Harold Leep in it. When he was announced I could here the fans clap and stomp. we were running our modifieds against the supers but at Hutch that was that big of deal. I really don't remember what the 17 and 117 did but Mike in the 71 made the feature but was starting in the back. the feature finally started and Mike was flying. I was standing in 3 & 4 and when Mike came into 3 the left front wheel would come up and he would tap the brake and the wheel would stop and you could see the knockoff. He passed Emmett in the Zink car then the battery went dead, Emmett finished in the top 10 so i guess mike rally was flying. i kept watching Harold and Dale Reed they would pass each other and run together but never touch. I could see Harold ever-time he came off turn 4 he would look to the inside.I was so impressed that 2 cars could run that close for that many laps and never touch. Harold ran out of gas and the show was over about lap 40 and Dale had the biggest payday of his career. That was the best race that I ever saw.

Ray

2 of the best races I have seen was both back in the 80's and early 90's and both were WoO shows and Doug Wolfgang just happened to win both of them , One was at Lawton and had about 4 different leaders of the race but Wolfgang came from the back and to this day never seen anyone drive Lawton like he did to win the thing and what use to be Fram Dash at Royse City, Tx. ,Wolfgang and Danny Smith put on a clinic of how to race each other hard with less than a car length between em the whole race and NEVER touch and both have a cheering crowd and get a standing ovation after both pulled up onto the front straightaway,plus they got out and shook each other hands and showed respect for each other.

J.D.

I have been to several great races over the years, these are some of my all-time favorites,

in Supers, Dirt Cars, Midgets, and Sprints.

In the 100 inch Supers, one of my all-time favorite races happended at 81 Speedway in

1972. C. Ray had a special 50 lap race that season, (Not a NCRA race). A wild three car

battle took place over the course of the main event. Dale Reed in the Isaac #6, Grady Wade

in the Jerry Wilson #25, and Ron Fowler in the Schippert #4, ran nose to tail. Dale was the leader,

and did a masterful job from the point. Grady, and Ron, tried everything to get around Dale,

resulting in them exchanging second throughout the race. At the finish Dale held on,

receiving 1,000 silver dollars for the win. Best friend Grady was second, followed by the

Chanute charger Fowler in third.

When the supers changed to dirt cars, Herb Copeland's win over the USAC boys

in 1983 at OKC was very exciting. Hard Charging Tom Bigelow was coming on strong

at the finish in the Knepper #55, but Herby in the NANCE 1N was the class of the field and

came away with the upset victory.

In the midget ranks, one of my all-time favorites was at Creek County Speedway in

Oklahoma in 1994. Tony Stewart the then 23 year old charger was there driving the Kunz

red number 1K. Page Jones, just weeks before his career ending accident would be racing

the Lewis #9, and Robby Flock, also from California like Jones would be part of the

wild dog fight that nite. The Hahn family had the track in excellent shape for the feature.

Throughout the course of the evening these three were the class of the field. During the feature

wild slide jobs were the norm. As the race neared its completion Robby spun Page out,

Tony would grab the lead and the win. After the race, Page and Robby got into it.

For Tony besides his feature winnings, he won a guaranteed spot in the 1995 Chili Bowl

main with his win.

In the sprint car ranks I have seen many great races as well. One of my all-time favorites

occurred at Granite City in a USAC race. The year was 1968, and it was the first year of

the Larry and Gary show. Gary Bettenhausen was a young upcoming charger, and Larry Dickson

the former URC Champion was in his prime as a driver. Defending USAC Sprint Car Champion

Greg Weld was a factor as well that season, finishing 3rd in the final standings in his Mechanical

Rabbit Roadster. Other major players that nite would be George "Ziggy" Snider, 1965

USAC Champ Johnny Rutherford, and local racer Wib Spaulding.

The track was super muddy to begin the evening as it had almost rained out the event.

By feature time the track was perfect, and a great race was in store for the fans.

Gary Bettenhausen had brake troubles, and was all over the track putting on a exciting show

for the fans before finishing third. Greg Weld and Wib Spaulding meanwhile staged a exciting

duel, with Greg taking home the win over the hometown favorite.

No matter what the decade, or the cars, good exciting racing can't be beat for sure

entertainment. Thanks Ray for bringing up this topic. I was at the Hutch race in 1975

that you brought up Ray, and it was a great race as well.

Ray C

I had forgotten about 81 always paying in Silver dollars . Norman always had a pocket full and would but our pit passes with them a lot of times or pay for our meal.

I know of one wife in Wichita that went to the bank to make a deposit at the drive threw and had the canister full of silver dollars, it got stuck in the air tube and they had to take it a part. They asked her to bring all her deposits in silver dollars inside.

Ray