SOME OF MY FAVORITE CARS For a complete index, return to the Home Page. The Frank Lies and Kenny Riffel team were almost unbeatable in the blue 55. They were a team Starting in 1958. They campaigned it through the 60's and very early 70's. They retired the famous blue 55 in the middle of the 72 season. Then in the 73 & 74 season Kenny Riffel and Roy Bryant teamed up. The car was involved in the tragic fire at Hutchinson. Jerry Leep's famous photo's show the front end stucking in toward the fire. After that season it showed up at the Hutchinson Nationals once with a late model driver Marvin Bradford or Alan Combs driving it. Then low and behold Dennis Everhart showed up at the Hutch Nationals in 77 or 78? Is this car still around in somebodies garage or shed or out in the weeds somewhere? (Photo #185 Grady Wade from Wichita in 1973, at McCarty Speedway in Dodge City. Photo #186 Photo courtesy of Jim Schippert The Schippert Team cars from the early 70's. Photo #187 Photo from the 1976 NCRA Yearbook. This photo had to be taken in the 1975 season, before August. Grady retired shortly after the the 1975 Hutch Nationals. Aaron Madden raced in 75 Hutch Nationals after his critical burns from the 74 Hutch fire. So I would guess this was taken in the early 75 season. As the caption states Cecil Apple was a noted engine builder, and I beleive Apple engines were run in the Schippert cars. Photo #336 Roger Thompson of Junction City KS, behind the wheel of the John Schippert Mobile Homes car in 1977. The Schippert team consisted of 2 cars in the early 70's, 04 and 4. Notable drivers who had seat time in the Schippert cars were some of greatest drivers of the era. Grady Wade from Wichita, Forest Coleman from Wichita, Roy Bryant from Wichita, Ron Fowler from Chanute, and Roger Thompson of Junction City. Maybe even Dave Frusher from Ness City. Roger continued to drive the car into the later 70's. Leon Spain drove for John in the 60's. Grady, Ron and Roger made very good showings, with Grady Wade winning 2 NCRA features and Ron and Roger having several top 10 finishes in NCRA features in the 04, and 4 cars. Ron Fowler held the one lap record at the Kansas State Fairgrounds for the super modifieds in the 4 car. There may have been other drivers in the car, but these are the ones that I know of. Photo #189 A last lap pass in the B Main at Hutchinson in 1977 put Roger Thompson and John Schippert in victory lane. Here's the last lap pass for the win. Roger has just passed Randy Jones going into turn 3. Not a bad win for a team that had curtailed there racing quiet a bit since the earlier 70's. Photo #189 This may have been the last victory for the Schippert team in the famed 04/4 team. I never did take victory lane pictures but with the 4 car and Roger and John there I made a point to get this one. Photo #190 Roger Thompson in the #04 at The 1971 Enid Winternationals. I think everybody was holding there breath on this one. This photo made the cover of National Speed Sport News. Photo #357

Notice: Although I give credit to the person who contributed the photos for Racing From The Past. Twenty + years is a long time. There were many Photographers around the area. Many of the photos on this website may have been taken by some of the following and this is a blanket type credit to the many photographers. Ivan Brown, Don Clum, Van Cook, Mike Cornelson, Jim DeJarnette, Cecil Dougan, Lennel Fields, Bill Gay, Ken Greteman, Marvin Hutson, C.R. Kendall, Jerry Leep, Earl Mahoney, Tim Malone, Ted McCord, Pat Rigsby, and Chuck Sterling. Without these guys this website wouldn't be as complete as it is.