Bo Stearns' Track-Wichita,Kansas

[Olen McGuire]

While in the area of Wichita, I found another old race track with a notable history of old race tracks.
Kansas oilman Gerson Albert "Bo" Stearns bought 320 acres of land for $45,000 just north of Wichita,Kansas in the summer of 1928. He built a horse ranch that included a 1/2 mile flat dirt oval racetrack. It was considered to be the first racetrack in the nation to be equiped with floodlights for nightracing. He built a 6,000 seat grandstand and it was used for horse,automobile, and motorcycle racing.
The half-mile track was used for auto racing from 1930 until 1939. A one-fifth mile dirt oval track was put in on the infield in early 1938. The shorter racetrack was used for midget auto racing for only one year.
Stearns moved his oil business to Russell,Kansas in 1939 and was not able to spend much time there after he moved.
A tornado struck the racetrack on June 25,1939 and took out the lighting system and surrounding horse barns.The grandstand was torned down by another storm the same year.
The Stearns ranch has had a number of owners since, but the racetrack not being used for decades is still visible today.



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Aerial view taken late in the year 2000.
The white in the infield is ice.



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Photos above were taken at a 100 mile race in the late 1930's.
(Photos from the Swart family collection)

[Jerry Lee]

Pretty cool, Dad! I like these stories of tracks from the past as well.

If you check out that bottom photo, it doesn't look like there was much to protect the spectators from the action on the track. Just that little chain link fence in front of the grandstand.:eek:

[Olen McGuire]

I don't think the crowd was in much danger with the speeds they attained in those days,besides I think down town Wichita was more dangerous because everybody was learning how to drive.

[Jerry Lee]

Dad! When you were motorcycle racing back in the day, didn't you tangle it up in a similar type fence once or twice?:eek:

[Olen McGuire]

Yeah,that ended my racing dreams, it was 1955 on an old Harley "45" ,and I had the choice of a cement wall or chicken wire fence.I must have made the right decision because I'm here to talk about it.

[Jerry Lee]

Yeah, good choice! Or I wouldn't have been around to bring it up.

[superstroke]

I don't care who you are.....that there is funny!!!!

[Mitch G.]

Olen, you are becoming the king of the lost race track posts! Excellent story.

[lakeside #29]

Miss Peggy here,
I want to thank Olen and Jerry Lee for the great reading material. I have had a lot of fun learning about the old tracks. I remember stories of the Midgets at Merchant's Park in South Denver from my mother. Keep the great stories coming.

Miss Peggy #52 Modified

[Quick Time]

Great information regarding lost but not forgotten tracks. Thanks!!
I heard plenty about Merchant's Park, I think it was located about where the old Montgomery Wards store was. As kids we rode our bicycles behind that store on dirt hills. True memories

Chuck

[Olen McGuire]

The following was taken from the Wichita Eagle newspaper.
(The first part is dedicated to Miss Peggy #52 Modified)




Wichita Eagle
Thursday, August 4, 1932 – page 6:




Racing Notables to Perform Here

Famed Woman Driver Will Strut Stuff in Program Sunday

Celebrities of the nation’s fastest race tracks, including such notables as Elfrieda Mais, Sig Haugdahl, and Bo Huckman, will arrive in Wichita Thursday to be in readiness for the postponed auto races to be held on the Bo Stearns track on North Lawrence Sunday.

Officials state that Wichita has been picked as the only city where these three race track celebrities will be featured together. Any one is an exhibition attraction and a drawing card for large box office receipts and it is unusual for the trio to be booked on one race card, Mr. Swenson writes.



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Miss Elfrieda Mais holds the record as the world’s champion woman race driver. Miss Mais will also put on exhibition driving on the track Sunday.




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Photographs from the Sigurd W. Haugdahl collection

Haugdahl’s Rocket Car

Sharing honors with Miss Mais will be Sig Haugdahl, internationally famous as a champion of the dirt track, who will give an exhibition of his rocket car, the only car of its kind in the world and this year’s sensation on race tracks. This car was to have had its initial appearance on the Wichita track in June but the races were postponed because of rain. Its appearance in Atlanta, Georgia July 4th was the sensation of the year, races declare.

In addition to those stellar drawing cards will be scores of racers from both coasts. Mr. Swenson writes he has been in touch with nationally famous speed men who are now on their way to Wichita for the race Sunday.

[lakeside #29]

Hi Quick Time,
Merchant's Park was just south of Wards. There was a parking lot in-between the property. The area became a shopping center and I only remember a Nobel-Sysco outlet and Denver's Moter Vehicle office.
Miss Peggy

[lakeside #29]

Wow! Thank's Olen. When I was about 3 my father built me a car that looked very much like the one Miss Mais drove. Dad fabricated the body out of tin, had coaster wagon wheels and a small lawn mower moter. I was the terror of south Lowell Boulevard. Miss Mais was a brave lady to race with such great men racers in 1932.
Love you,
Miss Peggy