Marshall Democrat-News: Features : Racing

Racing

In July 2007, staff writer Rachel Harper began a series of generally retrospective articles looking at the people and history of the auto racing scene in Saline County.

McCown racer featured at Steve McQueen Day car show (04/02/08)

The racing story series (10/25/07)
Editor's note: In July 2007, staff writer Rachel Harper began a series of generally retrospective articles looking at the people and history of the auto racing scene in Saline County. For the convenience of racing fans who want to take another look, we offer the following links to each installment in the series.

Fuel experimentation results earn racer 'Fireball' nickname (10/12/07)
Editor's note: This story is another in a series looking at the history and people of auto racing in Saline County. In 1961, "Fireball" Jim Jenkins started his 31-year racing career after purchasing a race car from Bill Utz, formerly of Lexington...

Marshall man was familiar voice, conferrer of nicknames as announcer at local and area auto racing tracks (09/21/07)
Editor's note: This article is another in a series of stories looking at the people and history of Saline County's auto racing scene. An excerpt from a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article published on April 15, 1973, tells about a Marshall man who became a familiar voice around local tracks in the 1950s and 1960s...

Reluctant driver hooked by first race (09/14/07)
The popular Tommy Mikels Sr. was the man who got Bob Ford started racing in 1964. Ford said he used to go over to George King's farm for many years where Mikels worked on his race car. "I used to hot lap his (Mikels) car at Knoxville and Topeka," he said. He helped Mikels with his super-modified race car beginning in 1961...

Teen dragster from Marshall has been racing half her life (08/24/07)
By RACHEL HARPER Staff writer During the summer, Lauren Thomas may seem like an average, no worries teenager throughout the week, but on the weekends she is a take-her-hobby serious drag racer. "Racing is my passion and I love it," Thomas said. "I can't imagine not racing during the summer."...

Russell Hibbard remembered as quieter of 2 racing brothers (08/10/07)
Editor's note: Our series on the history and people of Saline County's auto racing scene continues. Many have heard of the racing trio from Slater, which included Ken Taylor, Roy Hibbard and, last but not least, Russell Hibbard. These three men would put on a "heck of a show" every Sunday night at Sportsman Speedway in the 1960s, according to racing fans of the era...

Slater man relates tales from local racing career (08/03/07)
Editor's note: This story is the latest in a series focusing on the history and people of the area racing scene. Roy Hibbard spent 22 years manning the wheel of a super-modified, which are now called sprint cars. Hibbard was an accomplished driver with a wide mischievous streak...

McCown racer had series of drivers, storied history (07/27/07)
The McCown brothers racer was just not a ticket to outstanding performances for Ken Taylor but also for Jay Lyle and "Fireball" Jim Jenkins in its 25 years of racing. Constructed in the mid 1960s, the McCown Bros. race car was originally owned by Chick and Wally McCown of Sedalia...

Ken Taylor's successful racing career chronicled (07/13/07)
Editor's note: This story is the third in a series on the history and people of Saline County's racing scene. Additional articles will appear in future editions. "It has been said there are only three true sports in the world -- car racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing. In all, a man faces a physical foe and the possibility of meeting his Maker. The rest are not contests of sport -- but rather should be termed athletic endeavors."...

Memorial race for local legends draws big crowd (07/09/07)
Open seats were few at LA Raceway's Merlyn McCown--Ken Taylor Memorial Race as record crowds filled the stands to honor two Missouri boys who made a name for themselves in sprint car racing. "It is one of the largest crowds I have seen out here at LA Raceway," said "Hollywood" Bob Ramey, LA's official announcer, during the race on Sunday night, July 8...

Race to honor legend of Marshall racing scene (07/06/07)
Ken Taylor was not just an ordinary Slater man with a passion but a talented super-modified driver whom many knew around the state of Missouri, especially since he was a four-time Missouri Super-Modified champion. LA Raceway in La Monte is hosting the first Merlyn McCown--Ken Taylor Memorial Race on Sunday, July 8, to honor two people who were involved in making history in the Central Missouri Racing Association (C.M.R.A.)...