The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-17
TWO DRIVERS
IN AUTO RACES
COME TO BLOWS
Trouble Over Races Furnish
Excitement for Huge Crowd.
Monkey Wrenches Used in
Fight in Front of Grandstand.
COULDN'T CONTROL THEM
Spectators Wanted Strange Cars
to Enter Races.
Seven Thousand Persons Here
to See Speed Kings.

Irate dispositions, heated laps on
the dirt track at the fair grounds.
arguments. and finally a fight be-
tween two racing drivers where
monkey wrenches were used. along
with much profanity all entered into
the excitement at the Kansas Free
Fair Friday afternoon.
Johnny Mais driving a Dodge rae
ing car, loaded his car in a truck
! Thursday afternoon and drove from
Salina to Topeka, accompanied by his
wife, for the purpose of entering Fri
days races. He says he was ask ed
to come by the Topeka post of the
American Legion and ''show up these
transforming racers that never make
more than thirty miles an hour" Lo-
cal Officers of the American Legion.
Joe Nickel, commander, and Leslie
Edmunds, segeant-at-arms, say that
the American Legion took no action
whatsoever officially. They believe
that some unauthorized persons called
Mais individually. L. e. Kerbs, driv-
ing a Ford sixteen-valve car, came
from Otis, Kan, to compete.
The crowd got the spirit of contest
thOroly permeated thru the grand
stand. They wanted to get in some
strange racers, cars that were CON
trolled by no one except the drivers,
and make the races hot. Alex Sloan,
who owns all the cars that are rae
ing at the Free Fair this week
claimed that the International Motor
Contest association would not allow
with men who did not hold member
ships in the organization. The crowd
| insisted.
Many Crowd About-Drivers.
They gor rough. A mob of men
crowded around Sloan. arguing an
grily, insisting that Mais and Kerbs be
allowed to enter. Officials of the fail
could not control the milling crowd
Finally, in order to keep peace and
satisfy the insistent demands. Sloan
| agreed to special race. Johnny
Raimey, driving a Haynes Special, the
fastest car in Sloan's string. was to
| race Mais and Kerbs. The prizes for
the special race were: First, $3.50, sec
| ond SIS, and third, $50.
The crowd left the race track, talk
| ing excitedly. Governor Allen came
up in the judges stand to watch the
fun
! Raimey and Sloan wanted running
starts. Mais and Kerbs wanted stand
/ ing starts, and five miles for the dis
tance. Sloan insisted finally, on three
miles for the distance. and a running
start The Haynes was too heavy, he
/ claimed to get away in a standing start
| The cars went around the track, to
come roaring down the quarter-Stretch
for the start. Sloan shook his head
as they passed the judges stand. The
start was uneven he claimed. They
didn't cross the tape together. Wher
! he stepped out with the checkered
flag to stop the race as they came
around on the second lap, the crowd
went wild again.
| Let 'em go"-"Where do you gel
it" Sloan let 'em go.
At the end of the second lap Herbs
rolled into the pits. The pace was toe
/ hot for him AS Raimey and Mais
! tore around the track the crowd
cheered frantically. Excitement was
| at a fever heat.
! Raimcy in Lead.
By the end of the third lap, Raimey
I was leading by a quarter of a lap
| Maisj seemed to have trouble on the
| turns. The baek-fire from his motor
/ could be heard plainly in the packed