6300 S. East Ave.
Hodgkins, Illinois
…operated by the Mance Brothers—Bill, Art, Hal and Tom
…Harold W. Mance, 72, passed away on 9/10/89
…Charlie Soulee – track photographer
TRACK CHAMPIONS
1960 Bryant Tucker
1959 Bud Koehler
1958 Arnie Gardner
1957 Bill Van Allen
1956 Bill Van Allen
1955 Arnie Gardner
1954 Ed Slamp
1953 Art Fehrman
1960
Bryant Tucker – Track Champion
…final program held on 9/1/60—Bryant Tucker – feature winner, Bud Koehler – second, Gene Marmor – third.
1960 Feature Winners
Bryant Tucker 5
Arnie Gardner 2
Harry Simonsen 2
Don Oldenberg 2
Chuck Eberhardt 2
Bud Koehler 1 (50 lapper)
Bill Lutz 1
Gene Marmor 1
1959
Bud Koehler (’59 Studebaker Golden Hawk #77) – Track Champion
…Bob Pronger, driving a 1957 Ford, copped the annual Emma C. Mance Memorial 50 Lap Championship race. It was reported that it was Pronger’s fourth feature win in a row. Pronger defeated Bud Koehler, Harry Simonsen, Arnie Gardner and Legs Whitcomb.
…Bud Koehler wins 50-lap Spring Championship 5/31/59
…Don Oldenberg wins 30-lap late model feature 6/5/59
1. Oldenberg, 2. Rich Clement, 3. Harry Simonsen
…Bud Koehler scores third win of the season 7/17/59, Arnie Gardner also has three wins
1. Koehler, 2. Gardner, 3. Ray Young. Dave Thompson – old model stock division winner
1958
Arnie Gardner – Track Champion
1957
Bill Van Allen – Track Champion
1956
Bill Van Allen (V8-powered Braley Electric 1952 Nash Rambler) – Track Champion
…Final points: 1. Bill Van Allen, 2. Arnie Garnder, 3. Art Seckman
…Chuck Eberhardt of Plainfield wins Easter Sunday (4/8/56) season-opening 25 lap feature over Hank Chapman of Aurora and Johnny Kapovich. Bill Van Allen dropped out of feature.
1955
Arnie Gardner – Track Champion
…track paved for 1955 season (opened around 6/5/55)
1954
Ed Slamp – Track Champion
1953
Art Fehrman – Track Champion
…opened 5/3/53 (high-banked 1/5-mile dirt (clay) oval
How to get there: Mance Park Speedway is located Ľ-mile south of Route 66 on East Ave., 3 miles south of LaGrange, the first crossroad east of U.S. 45. Follow the Arrows!
…called “Chicagoland’s fastest and highest banked track” in 1953