Kansas Super Modifieds
Lap #4
There must have been something in the water. Ness County produced several fine racers during the 70's. 1979 was a banner year for the Ness County chargers. When at the Amarillo NCRA race Frusher, Uehling, and Johnson finished 1,2,3, in that order. Dave and Terry each won 2 NCRA features. When the 79 NCRA season was over the same 3 finished 1,2,4 with Emmett Hahn taking the 3rd spot. With Fred Hembree just making the top twenty with a 20th spot, with only 6 starts.
In the Hembree Well Service #79 it's Fred Hembree from Ness City.
Photo #48
Here's Fast Fred in 1979.
Photo #49
Here's Fred In 77.
Photo #50
By Rick Plumlee
Fred Hembree isn't your ordinary Super modified race car driver . Oh sure, he buckles his seat belt like all the rest. And he even goes around and around those ovals like the others.
Actually, he gets around a little better. The Ness City, KS driver leads in points on the circuit at Dodge City, KS this season and ranks second at Wichita's 81 Speedway. This season he has won $4,000, more than he made all last season.
But There's something different about this guy. Yeah he's younger than most, just turned 22. Still, there's more.
In the days of $15,000 and up cars, Fred Hembree, who slaves away as a foreman for his dad's oil field service to support his wife, owns his race car.
Top drivers, like Hembree has become, just don't do that. There's the exceptions, like Wichitan Frank Lies, but he's been around a while and knows the ropes.
“If something goes wrong with the car," said Hembree, “we've got to try to repair it. When you own one yourself, you can't always run out and buy new parts."
And while many top drivers are getting new cars every year or so, Hembree's car is almost considered an antique on the track. It was built in 1969 and he's had it for three years. "I've probably got the oldest car out there," he said, "but we just put on a new paint job and everyone thinks I have a new one." And, if you like psychedelic purple, it's not a bad paint job. Hembree will take his classic to Hutchinson Sunday where he'll rank as one of the favorites for the NCRA sanctioned National Super Modified Championship at the Kansas State Fairgrounds track.
If Hembree's success ever starts to spoil him, he only has to recall his humble beginning.
Racing nothing more than go karts, four years ago he went to a bank and borrowed $3,000 to buy a race car two weeks before the season opened. "That first year I concentrated on finishing and going straight," he recalled. "They went so fast they scared me to death. I got lapped in a l0 lap heat race."
Now he figures he has $l0,000 into his car, all his own money. "It gives you a feeling of independence. You drive when you want to and where."
And also how. "You don't take as many chances on close calls when you own your car, because you're the one who has to pay the bills or work on it.”
Fred Hembree also deserves a checkered flag in common sense.
The always smooth and great Terry Uehling from Ness City.
Photo #51
Here's Terry Uehling in the c88 Don Carpenter super. Terry started out campaigning the super and the late model on the NCRA tour.
Photo #52
Photo contributed by J.D. & Jannie Porter.
Terry Uehling after he just won the 1977 Kansas State Championship at the Kansas State Fair.
Photo #53
Photo contributed by Kim Fairbank.
Jon Johnson from Utica, KS and the #86. This was probably the 76 or 75 car.
Photo #689
Jon Johnson in the #86 from Utica in the 1978 car at Hutchinson. Jon finished 3rd to his son CJ in NCRA points in 2000. He also finished 2nd to his son at the last NCRA race in 2000 at OKC. They also placed 1 & 2 at the 2000 Hutchinson Nationals He is very much still hard on the pedal.
Photo #54
Here's is Jon in the 1977 car at OKC.
Photo #55
Here's Jon Johnson's car in 79 or 80 at Amarillo.
Photo #56
Photo contributed by J.D. & Jannie Porter.
Out Of Jetmore In The Danny King #88 It's Randy Jones.
Photo #69
Dave Frusher, 1979 NCRA Champion from Ness City KS in the championship 88 Danny King car.
Photo #57
The King Family is still at it in 2003. Steven King, 2002 NCRA 360 Sprint Champion. The King family is still carrying on in there winning tradition with Steven.
#88 King Racing's website
Photo #697
Lap #5
Return to Home Page for a complete list of pages at Racing From The Past.