MANCE PARK SPEEDWAY

 

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

 

THROUGH THE YEARS…

 

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