1956 USAC MIDGET REVIEW: TEMPLEMAN TOPS INAUGURAL SEASON
By: Pat Sullivan
The start of a new racing season is always punctuated with pressing questions, but in 1956, uncertainty abounded. The American Automobile Association had bowed out of the racing business at the conclusion of the 1955 season, and in its stead a new group was prepared to pick up the baton.
The United States Auto Club was incorporated in September 1955 and the time had come for the assembled crew to take flight. At first blush, much was the same. At the helm of midget operations was the sometimes gruff, but effective Bob Stroud. Stroud, widely acknowledged as the originator of the four-wide parade lap, could be stern, but he was also known to lend a hand to a struggling racer.
Washington state’s Jack Turner had captured the 1954 and 1955 AAA National Midget championship, and with this as an endorsement, he was anxious to get a chance to compete in the Indianapolis 500.
The inaugural USAC race was contested on January 8 at Fort Wayne Indiana’s Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, and when the night was over, Gene Hartley, the son of midget racing pioneer Ted Hartley (who finished four spots behind his son in fifth) became the first winner in club history for car owner Ray Bolander in the Bill Lipkey-promoted indoor event.
Three weeks later, the tour traveled way out west to compete at California’s Bonelli Stadium where Clark “Shorty” Templeman was the best in a 100-lap grind. By this point in his career, Templeman already possessed an impressive resume marked by five consecutive Washington Midget Racing Association titles beginning in 1949.
In the end, 57 events were held during the 1956 season, and reflecting the times, most races were over 100 laps in distance. Underscoring the strength of the series, seven different drivers emerged victorious in the first seven races and each winner was a future inductee into the National Midget Hall of Fame.
Templeman logged nine wins on the campaign driving Ashley Wright’s sparkling Hardwood Door Special. The highwater mark of Shorty’s year came in the event soon to be known as the Night Before the 500, then held at the original 16th Street Speedway, located right across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
On the eve before Pat Flaherty took a swig of cool milk in victory lane just a stone’s throw away in the 500-Mile International Sweepstakes, Templeman beat the odds and snared all three feature events, a record number of wins for a driver in a single night of USAC National Midget competition.
By mid-June, Shorty sat atop the standings, a position he would never relinquish. Speedway, Indiana driver Chuck Rodee (Rodeghier) finished in the runner-up spot with Eddie Sachs, a four-time winner, checking in at third.
Jimmy Knight uncovered something new during his first career USAC National Midget feature victory at the Sportsdrome in Jeffersonville, Ind. on May 22 as he won the 100-lap midget feature with a roadster type machine unique to the midget scene, but closely resembled the style that was predominant to the big cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In a humorous aside, in June, Sachs served as the substitute flagman at Michigan’s Auto City Speedway. Meanwhile, Jack Turner, USAC Midgets’ first-ever driver representative, failed in his attempt to three-peat as champion, but his six wins were second best on the tour. Over the course of the season, an amazing 25 different drivers visited victory lane.
The law was laid down by the new club following an August 4 race at 16th Street Speedway. Turner captured the 100-lap victory; however, all 18 starting drivers felt the wrath from USAC officials following the event. Each driver was levied a reported $5 fine for neglecting to observe the flags during the feature. A statement of “future violators will be disqualified” was promptly issued.
A season highlight came on October 7 during the running of the Hut Hundred at the Terre Haute Action Track. Tony Bettenhausen, racing for owner Harry Turner, passed Chuck Weyant on the final circuit and won by a mere car length. To the delight of the crowd, Bettenhausen and Weyant had traded the lead repeatedly over the final ten laps.
With Templeman topping the standings, drivers who called Washington home had now notched three-straight National midget crowns. For the new USAC, a year was under their belt, and all looked forward to what lay in store in 1957.
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1956 USAC National Midget Driver Points
POS. PTS. DRIVER
1 3701 Shorty Templeman, Seattle, Wash.
2 2733 Chuck Rodee, Speedway, Ind.
3 2027 Eddie Sachs, Allentown, Pa.
4 1785 Gene Hartley, Roanoke, Ind.
5 1728 Rex Easton, Springfield, Ill.
6 1672 Johnnie Tolan, Victor, Colo.
7 1669 George Amick, Vernonia, Ore.
8 1512 Jack Turner, Seattle, Wash.
9 1320 Jimmy Knight, Worth, Ill.
10 1290 Gene Force, New Madison, Ohio
11 1257 Leroy Warriner, Indianapolis, Ind.
12 1223 Gays Biro, Peninsula, Ohio
13 1135 Al Alpern, Chicago, Ill.
14 1009 Andy Linden, Brownsville, Pa.
15 929 Johnnie Parsons, Van Nuys, Calif.
16 919.5 Elmer George, Hockerville, Okla.
17 896.5 Mel McGaughy, Puyallup, Wash.
18 896 Bob McLean, Granger, Ind.
19 814 Forrest Parker, Lafayette, Ind.
20 764.5 Johnny Kay, New Britain, Conn.
21 761 Russ Congdon, Puyallup, Wash.
22 742.5 Don Branson, Rantoul, Ill.
23 604 Chuck Weyant, Springfield, Ill.
24 552 Hank Nykaza, Chicago Heights, Ill.
25 552 Roy Graham, Buffalo, N.Y.
26 475 Bud Clemons, Riverside, Calif.
27 434 Tony Bettenhausen, Tinley Park, Ill.
28 424 Jimmy Davies, Glendale, Calif.
29 392 Danny Oakes, North Hollywood, Calif.
30 382 Jimmy Reece, Oklahoma City, Okla.
31 376 Bob Gregg, Minneapolis, Minn.
32 367 Wally Hostetler, Indianapolis, Ind.
33 360 Edgar Elder, El Monte, Calif.
34 357 Ronnie Kaplan, Chicago, Ill.
35 357 Mauri Wilson, Chicago, Ill.
36 330 Johnny Boyd, Fresno, Calif.
37 330 Jack Jordan, Elgin, Texas
38 327 Rodger Ward, Beloit, Kan.
39 308 Al Herman, Topton, Pa.
40 279 Eddie Johnson, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
41 270 Bill Doster, Waterford, Mich.
42 247 Tony Lenti, Chicago, Ill.
43 245 Earl Motter, Fresno, Calif.
44 244 Justin King, Columbus, Ind.
45 223 Dempsey Wilson, Lawndale, Calif.
46 221 George Tichenor, Logansport, Ind.
47 197 Palmer Crowell, Hillsboro, Ore.
48 196 Van Johnson, Pittsburgh, Pa.
49 192 Joe Giba, Denver, Colo.
50 180 Dick Brown, Ashland, Mass.
51 162 Len Sutton, Portland, Ore.
52 145 Johnny Baldwin, San Carlos, Calif.
53 141 Eddie Russo, Chicago, Ill.
54 135 Don Horvath, Riverside, Calif.
55 124 Bill Boyd, Los Angeles, Calif.
56 124 Billy Garrett, Burbank, Calif.
57 121 Walt Faulkner, Tell, Texas
58 113 Howard Kelley, Santa Monica, Calif.
59 109 Ronnie Duman, Dearborn, Mich.
60 107 Paul Howe, Danville, Ind.
61 105 Don Hutchinson, Severy, Kan.
62 105 Troy Ruttman, Mooreland, Okla.
63 103 Bob Cortner, Redlands, Calif.
64 102 Buckie Sager, Toledo, Ohio
65 97 Carl Williams, Kansas City, Mo.
66 92 Russ Klar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
67 92 Joe Garson, Los Angeles, Calif.
68 91 Fred Meeker, Norwalk, Conn.
69 90 Frank Burany, Elm Grove, Wis.
70 75 Jim Florian, Mentor, Ohio
71 75 Roy Gillhamer, Fresno, Calif.
72 68 Chuck Marshall, Springfield, Ill.
73 60 Wade Althuser, Pierce, Wash.
74 60 Jim Shaffer, New Castle, Pa.
75 60 Clyde Young, Chicago, Ill.
76 60 Johnny Roberts, Breckenridge, Mich.
77 60 Norm Hall, Los Angeles, Calif.
78 57 Arnie Knepper, Belleville, Ill.
79 56 Ted Hartley, Roanoke, Ind.
80 54 Red Hamilton, Decatur, Ill.
81 45 Johnny Hobel, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
82 40 Jim Hemmings, North Vernon, Ind.
83 38 Willie Hunziker, Riverside, Calif.
84 38 Ned Kirkpatrick, Wood River, Ill.
85 38 Bill Sprentall, Ann Arbor, Mich.
86 38 Danny Kladis, Chicago, Ill.
87 34 Wayne Doerstler, Lancaster, Pa.
88 32 Dickie Reese, Oakland, Calif.
89 30 Walt Geis, Knoxville, Tenn.
90 30 Len Duncan, Philadelphia, Pa.
91 30 Emery Rice, Kansas City, Mo.
92 26 Jud Larson, Grand Prairie, Texas
93 24 Gene Weyant, Springfield, Ill.
94 22 Don Morgan, North Hollywood, Calif.
95 22 Don Edmunds, Anaheim, Calif.
96 22 Don Staudinger, Anaheim, Calif.
97 19 Bill Homeier, Pacoima, Calif.
98 15 Larry Dunham, Norwalk, Calif.
99 15 Claude Lay, Union, Tenn.
100 15 Gig Stephens, North Reading, Mass.
101 15 Larry McCloskey, Saginaw, Mich.
102 15 Art Bisch, Mesa, Ariz.
103 15 Tommy Gray, Lafayette, Ind.
104 8 Bob Veith, Oakland, Calif.
105 7.5 Jim McWithey, Grammar, Ind.
106 4 Ray Crawford, Pasadena, Calif.
107 4 Paul Pold, Seattle, Wash.
108 2 Skee Redican, Bell, Calif.
109 2 A.J. Foyt, Houston, Texas
110 2 Frank Armi, Portland, Ore.
1956 USAC National Midget Entrant Points
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1 3585 Ashley Wright, Orland Park, Ill. (#2)
2 2571 Schroeter & Loniewski, Michigan City, Ind. (#87)
3 2177 Lloyd Rahn, Tuscola, Ill. (#4)
4 1847 Red Marley, South Bend, Ind. (#88)
5 1671 Carl Evans, South Bend, Ind. (#56)
6 1500 Lee Elkins, Kalamazoo, Mich. (#73)
7 1470 Bob Higman, Lafayette, Ind. (#67)
8 1298 Lloyd Hamm, Richmond, Ind. (#22)
9 1224.5 Mari Hulman, Speedway, Ind. (#21)
10 1223 Al Jackson, Euclid, Ohio (#9)
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USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: January 8, 1956 – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – Fort Wayne, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Gene Hartley (Ray Bolander #8), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Pete Peterson, 4. Johnny Roberts, 5. Ted Hartley, 6. Jack Bates, 7. Bob McLean, 8. Danny Kladis, 9. Ernie McCoy, 10. Jimmy Knight. FQ: Johnny Roberts
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: January 29, 1956 – Bonelli Stadium – Santa Clarita, California
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Johnnie Tolan, 3. Johnnie Parsons, 4. Edgar Elder, 5. Bud Clemons, 6. Dempsey Wilson, 7. Walt Faulkner, 8. Johnny Boyd, 9. Billy Garrett, 10. Rodger Ward, 11. Bob Cortner, 12. Dickie Reese, 13. Don Horvath, 14. Bob Machin, 15. Johnny Baldwin, 16. George Amick, 17. Hal Minyard, 18. Larry Dunham. FQ: George Amick
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: February 11, 1956 – Grand Rapids Stadium – Grand Rapids, Michigan
FEATURE: (37 laps) 1. Leroy Warriner (Bob Higman #67), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Bob McLean, 4. Hank Nykaza, 5. Johnny Roberts, 6. Forrest Parker, 7. Ted Hartley, 8. Gordon VanderLaan, 9. Dick Good, 10. Rex Easton. FQ: Gene Hartley
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: March 31, 1956 – South Mountain Speedway – Phoenix, Arizona
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Johnnie Tolan (Bill Krech #76), 2. Johnny Boyd, 3. George Amick, 4. Dempsey Wilson, 5. Danny Oakes, 6. Walt Faulkner, 7. Howard Kelley, 8. Johnnie Parsons, 9. Rodger Ward, 10. Bob Cortner, 11. Larry Dunham, 12. Rex Easton, 13. Hank Henry, 14. Johnny Baldwin, 15. Billy Garrett, 16. Jim Gilchrist, 17. Skee Redican, 18. Don Edmunds. FQ: Bob Cortner (14.160)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: April 8, 1956 – Airport Speedway – Fresno, California
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Rodger Ward (A.J. Murphy #51), 2. George Amick, 3. Johnnie Parsons, 4. Johnny Baldwin, 5. Earl Motter, 6. Rex Easton, 7. Dempsey Wilson, 8. Joe Garson, 9. Johnny Boyd, 10. Shorty Templeman, 11. Bill Homeier, 12. Billy Garrett, 13. Howard Kelley, 14. Bob Cortner, 15. Johnnie Tolan, 16. Jack Jordan, 17. Edgar Elder, 18. Troy Ruttman. FQ: Edgar Elder (14.550)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: April 14, 1956 – Broadway Speedway – Knoxville, Tennessee
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Chuck Weyant (Johnny Pawl #18), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Eddie Russo, 4. Gene Force, 5. Ronnie Duman, 6. Leroy Warriner, 7. Willie Hunziker, 8. Wally Hostetler, 9. Walt Geis, 10. Carl Williams, 11. Claude Lay, 12. Rick Kerr, 13. Dwight Brown, 14. Red Hamilton, 15. Hank Nykaza, 16. Bob McLean, 17. Bob Tattersall, 18. Chuck Rodee, 19. Elmer George, 20. Johnny Roberts. 21. Don Branson. FQ: Hank Nykaza
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: April 21, 1956 – Gardena Stadium – Gardena, California
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Johnnie Parsons (Fred Gerhardt #45), 2. Johnny Boyd, 3. George Amick, 4. Jimmy Reece, 5. Jack Jordan, 6. Edgar Elder, 7. Jimmy Davies, 8. Danny Oakes, 9. Johnnie Tolan, 10. Dickie Reece, 11. Johnny Baldwin, 12. Tony Bettenhausen, 13. Dempsey Wilson, 14. Frank Armi, 15. Walt Faulkner, 16. Joe Garson, 17. Bill Homeier, 18. Rodger Ward. FQ: George Amick (14.500)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 13, 1956 – Salem Speedway – Salem, Indiana
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. George Amick (Johnny Pawl #18), 2. Gene Force, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Russ Klar, 5. Wally Hostetler, 6. Roy Graham, 7. Eddie Sachs, 8. Bob McLean, 9. Bob Gregg, 10. Mel McGaughy, 11. Justin King, 12. Chuck Rodee, 13. Hank Nykaza, 14. Bob Reemsnyder, 15. Bob Tattersall, 16. Leroy Warriner. FQ: Hank Nykaza (21.430)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 22, 1956 – Sportsdrome – Jeffersonville, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jimmy Knight (Jimmy Knight #10), 2. Bob McLean, 3. Don Branson, 4. Rex Easton, 5. Shorty Templeman, 6. Chuck Rodee, 7. Mel McGaughy, 8. Eddie Johnson, 9. Bill Boyd, 10. Leroy Warriner, 11. Hank Nykaza, 12. Roy Graham, 13. Wally Hostetler, 14. Len Duncan, 15. Bob Tattersall, 16. Gene Force, 17. Bob Gregg, 18. Dick Brown. FQ: Bob McLean (15.450)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 24, 1956 – Motor City Speedway – Detroit, Michigan
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Gays Biro (Al Jackson #9), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Bill Doster, 4. Eddie Johnson, 5. George Amick, 6. Leroy Warriner, 7. Elmer George, 8. Shorty Templeman, 9. Rex Easton, 10. Don Branson, 11. Paul Howe, 12. Gene Force, 13. Mel McGaughy, 14. Johnny Fedricks, 15. Hank Nykaza, 16. Ronnie Kaplan, 17. Bill Boyd, 18. Roy Graham. FQ: Elmer George (13.010)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 29, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana – Night Before the 500
FEATRE: (100 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Dick Brown, 4. Frank Burany, 5. Mel McGaughy, 6. Johnny Kay, 7. Forrest Parker, 8. Ronnie Kaplan, 9. Wayne Doerstler, 10. Tony Lenti, 11. Bob McLean, 12. Wally Hostetler, 13. Jimmy Knight, 14. Rex Easton, 15. George Tichenor, 16. Don Branson, 17. Tony Bonadies, 18. George Fonder. FQ: Wally Hostettler
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 29, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana – Night Before the 500
FEATURE: (150 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Forrest Parker, 3. Tony Lenti, 4. Bob Gregg, 5. Dick Brown, 6. Hank Nykaza, 7. Mel McGaughy, 8. Mauri Wilson, 9. Len Duncan, 10. Bob McLean, 11. Gig Stephens, 12. Al Alpern, 13. Gene Force, 14. Ernie McCoy, 15. Dick Frazier, 16. Chuck Rodee, 17. Wally Hostetler, 18. Roy Graham. FQ: Forrest Parker
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 29, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana – Night Before the 500
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Forrest Parker, 3. Chuck Rodee, 4. Rex Easton, 5. Leroy Warriner, 6. George Amick, 7. Bob McLean, 8. Don Branson, 9. Jimmy Knight, 10. Hank Nykaza, 11. Wally Hostetler, 12. Gene Force, 13. A.J. Foyt, 14. Mel McGaughy, 15. Bob Gregg, 16. Al Alpern, 17. Johnny Kay, 18. Nick Fornoro. FQ: Al Alpern
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 1, 1956 – Raceway Park – Blue Island, Illinois
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Chuck Rodee, 4. Johnny Kay, 5. Al Alpern, 6. Wade Althuser, 7. Jimmy Davies, 8. Roy Graham, 9. Don Branson, 10. Ronnie Kaplan, 11. Rex Easton, 12. Mel McGaughy, 13. George Amick, 14. Bob Gregg, 15. Clyde Young, 16. Mauri Wilson, 17. Russ Congdon, 18. Jimmy Knight. FQ: Johnny Kay
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 2, 1956 – Sportsdrome – Jeffersonville, Indiana
FEATURE: (49 laps) 1. Jack Turner (Carl Evans #56), 2. Johnnie Tolan, 3. Jimmy Knight, 4. Shorty Templeman, 5. Rex Easton, 6. Mel McGaughy, 7. George Amick, 8. Johnny Kay, 9. Russ Congdon, 10. Bob McLean, 11. Howard Kelley, 12. Roy Graham, 13. Jim Hemmings, 14. Bud Clemons, 15. Wade Althuser, 16. Chuck Rodee, 17. Paul Russo, 18. Andy Linden. FQ: Bob McLean
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 7, 1956 – Lafayette Speedway – Lafayette, Indiana
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Rex Easton (Lloyd Rahn #4), 2. George Amick, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Mauri Wilson, 5. Jack Turner, 6. Al Alpern, 7. Elmer George, 8. Russ Congdon, 9. Jimmy Knight, 10. Bud Clemons, 11. Ronnie Kaplan, 12. Leroy Warriner. FQ: Shorty Templeman (13.650)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 8, 1956 – Cincinnati Race Bowl – Evendale, Ohio
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Gene Force (Lloyd Hamm #22), 2. Shorty Templeman, 3. Rex Easton, 4. Eddie Sachs, 5. Andy Linden, 6. Don Branson, 7. Howard Kelley, 8. Bob Cortner, 9. Russ Congdon, 10. Gays Biro, 11. Bud Clemons, 12. Roy Graham, 13. Jim Hemmings, 14. Johnny Kay, 15. Norm Hall, 16. Dick Betts. FQ: Eddie Sachs (12.940)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 9, 1956 – Crystal Speedway – Crystal, Michigan
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Al Alpern (Al Alpern #48), 2. Bob McLean, 3. Wally Hostetler, 4. Bill Boyd, 5. Leroy Warriner, 6. Hank Nykaza, 7. Ronnie Kaplan, 8. Jimmy Knight, 9. Bill Doster, 10. Don Morgan. FQ: Leroy Warriner (18.080)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 13, 1956 – South Bend Motor Speedway – South Bend, Indiana
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Eddie Sachs (Lee Elkins #73), 2. Rex Easton, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Jimmy Knight, 5. Jack Turner, 6. Leroy Warriner, 7. Andy Linden, 8. George Amick, 9. Gene Hartley, 10. Don Branson, 11. Gene Force, 12. Chuck Rodee, 13. Russ Congdon, 14. Mauri Wilson, 15. Dick Good, 16. Elmer George, 17. Bud Clemons, 18. Bob McLean. FQ: Bob McLean (13.360)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 14, 1956 – Berlin Raceway – Marne, Michigan
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. George Amick (Bob Sowle #8), 2. Rex Easton, 3. Eddie Sachs, 4. Johnnie Tolan, 5. Shorty Templeman, 6. Don Branson, 7. Gene Hartley, 8. Al Alpern, 9. Andy Linden, 10. Van Johnson, 11. Gays Biro, 12. Elmer George, 13. Roy Graham, 14. Joe Giba, 15. Bud Clemons, 16. Johnny Kay, 17. Jack Turner, 18. Tony Lenti. FQ: Jack Turner (13.050)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 15, 1956 – Galesburg Speedway – Galesburg, Michigan
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Mel McGaughy (Mel McGaughy #63), 2. Jimmy Knight, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Jack Turner, 5. Gene Hartley, 6. Russ Congdon, 7. Rex Easton, 8. Elmer George, 9. Leroy Warriner, 10. Chuck Rodee, 11. Eddie Sachs, 12. Al Alpern, 13. Bob McLean, 14. Johnnie Tolan, 15. George Amick, 16. Johnny Kay, 17. Wally Hostetler, 18. Andy Linden. FQ: Bob McLean (15.870)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 16, 1956 – Motor City Speedway – Detroit, Michigan
FEATURE: (75 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Eddie Sachs, 3. Al Alpern, 4. Russ Congdon, 5. Gays Biro, 6. Jimmy Knight, 7. Chuck Rodee, 8. Johnnie Tolan, 9. Elmer George, 10. Johnny Kay, 11. Gene Hartley, 12. Leroy Warriner, 13. Mel McGaughy, 14. Howard Kelley, 15. Rex Easton, 16. Bob McLean, 17. Johnny Fedricks, 18. Jack Turner. FQ: Chuck Rodee
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 20, 1956 – Raceway Park – Blue Island, Illinois
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jack Turner (Carl Evans #56), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Eddie Sachs, 5. Johnnie Parsons, 6. George Amick, 7. Mel McGaughy, 8. Gene Hartley, 9. Al Alpern, 10. Leroy Warriner, 11. Tony Lenti, 12. Johnnie Tolan, 13. Johnny Kay, 14. Russ Congdon, 15. Ronnie Kaplan, 16. Bob McLean, 17. Rex Easton, 18. Norm Hall. FQ: George Amick (12.940)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 22, 1956 – Springfield Speedway – Springfield, Illinois
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Rex Easton (Lloyd Rahn #4), 2. George Amick, 3. Don Hutchinson, 4. Al Alpern, 5. Carl Williams, 6. Chuck Marshall, 7. Shorty Templeman, 8. Ned Kirkpatrick, 9. Chuck Rodee, 10. Eddie Russo, 11. Don Branson, 12. Red Hamilton, 13. Dwight Brown, 14. Bud Clemons, 15. Chuck Weyant, 16. Joe Giba, 17. Jimmy Davies, 18. Bob Wente. FQ: Chuck Rodee (13.640)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 23, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Johnnie Tolan (Hank Green #9), 2. Eddie Sachs, 3. Forrest Parker, 4. Shorty Templeman, 5. Rex Easton, 6. Mel McGaughy, 7. Palmer Crowell, 8. Chuck Rodee, 9. Don Branson, 10. Johnny Kay, 11. Joe Giba, 12. Al Alpern, 13. Jimmy Knight, 14. Ronnie Kaplan, 15. Leroy Warriner, 16. Eddie Johnson, 17. Ted Hartley, 18. Mauri Wilson. FQ: Forrest Parker (15.850)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 24, 1956 – Dayton Speedway – Dayton, Ohio
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Eddie Sachs (Gus Hoffman #7), 2. Roy Graham, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Rex Easton, 5. Joe Giba, 6. Gays Biro, 7. Bud Clemons, 8. Russ Congdon, 9. Norm Hall, 10. Bob McLean, 11. Don Branson, 12. Gene Force, 13. Ray Lyden, 14. Cecil Smith, 15. Bob Reemsnyder, 16. Clyde Egbert, 17. Kenny Swim. FQ: Eddie Sachs (19.825)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 28, 1956 – Berlin Raceway – Marne, Michigan
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Chuck Rodee (Ed Loniewski #87), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Johnnie Tolan, 4. Bill Doster, 5. Wally Hostetler, 6. Jimmy Knight, 7. Roy Graham, 8. Mel McGaughy, 9. Joe Giba, 10. Bob Gregg, 11. Russ Congdon 10, 12. Buckie Sager, 13. Al Alpern, 14. Eddie Sachs, 15. Shorty Templeman, 16. Jimmy Davies, 17. Leroy Warriner, 18. Rex Easton. FQ: Johnnie Tolan
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 29, 1956 – Dixie Motor Speedway – Flint, Michigan
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jimmy Davies (Jimmy Davies #24), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Gene Hartley, 4. Don Branson, 5. Hank Nykaza, 6. Al Alpern, 7. Bill Doster, 8. Jimmy Knight, 9. Roy Graham, 10. Bob Gregg, 11. Larry McCloskey, 12. Shorty Templeman, 13. Norm Hall, 14. Buckie Sager, 15. Johnnie Tolan, 16. Van Johnson, 17. Joe Giba, 18. Mel McGaughy. FQ: Jimmy Knight
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 30, 1956 – Motor City Speedway – Detroit, Michigan
FEATURE: (75 laps) 1. Gays Biro (Al Jackson #9), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Eddie Sachs, 4. Ronnie Kaplan, 5. Johnny Kay, 6. Van Johnson, 7. Jimmy Knight, 8. Russ Congdon, 9. Al Alpern, 10. Don Branson, 11. Mel McGaughy, 12. Joe Giba, 13. Hank Nykaza, 14. Bob Gregg, 15. Wally Hostetler, 16. Shorty Templeman, 17. Mauri Wilson, 18. Howard Kelley. FQ: Joe Giba (12.990)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 8, 1956 – Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jimmy Davies (Jimmy Davies #24), 2. Gays Biro, 3. Chuck Arnold, 4. Nick Fornoro, 5. Al Herman, 6. Bill Damico, 7. Dick Brown, 8. Chuck Rodee, 9. Wayne Doerstler, 10. Russ Klar, 11. Shorty McAndrews, 12. Tony Martino, 13. George Fonder, 14. Hank Nykaza, 15. Al Alpern, 16. Jimmy Knight, 17. Jiggs Peters, 18. Johnny Kay, 19. Bert Brooks, 20. Tony Romit, 21. Chuck Weyant, 22. Dutch Schaefer, 23. Red Riegel, 24. Black, 25. Eddie Johnson, 26. Randall, 27. Karl Miller. FQ: Jimmy Knight
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 12, 1956 – Sportsman Park – Bedford, Ohio
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Al Herman (C.E. Kirchner #11), 2. Johnnie Tolan, 3. Al Alpern, 4. Russ Congdon, 5. Eddie Johnson, 6. Jim Shaffer, 7. Gays Biro, 8. Gene Force, 9. George Tichenor, 10. Chuck Rodee, 11. George Amick, 12. Jimmy Knight, 13. Joe Giba, 14. Buckie Sager, 15. Bud Clemons, 16. Roy Graham, 17. Mauri Wilson. FQ: Chuck Rodee (14.640)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 14, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Gene Force (Lloyd Hamm #22), 2. Justin King, 3. Mel McGaughy, 4. George Tichenor, 5. Russ Congdon, 6. Johnnie Tolan, 7. Chuck Rodee, 8. Johnny Kay, 9. Forrest Parker, 10. Gays Biro, 11. Ronnie Kaplan, 12. Bud Clemons, 13. Jimmy Knight, 14. Shorty Templeman, 15. Hank Nykaza, 16. Mauri Wilson, 17. Bob Gregg, 18. Joe Giba. FQ: George Tichenor (15.730)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 16, 1956 – Motor City Speedway – Detroit, Michigan
FEATURE: (75 laps) 1. Jack Turner (Carl Evans #56), 2. Shorty Templeman, 3. Chuck Rodee, 4. Eddie Sachs, 5. Palmer Crowell, 6. Gene Force, 7. Gays Biro, 8. Al Herman, 9. Al Alpern, 10. Elmer George, 11. Johnny Kay, 12. Hank Nykaza, 13. Ronnie Kaplan, 14. Buckie Sager, 15. Gene Hartley, 16. Russ Congdon, 17. Bill Sprentall, 18. Joe Giba. FQ: Russ Congdon
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 17, 1956 – Cincinnati Race Bowl – Evendale, Ohio
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Gene Force(Lloyd Hamm #22), 2. Eddie Sachs, 3. Johnny Kay, 4. Jack Turner, 5. Elmer George, 6. Shorty Templeman, 7. Chuck Rodee, 8. Bob McLean, 9. Russ Congdon, 10. Bud Clemons, 11. Roy Graham, 12. Jim Hemmings, 13. Paul Howe, 14. Cecil Smith, 15. Clyde Egbert. FQ: Shorty Templeman (13.040)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 20, 1956 – Galesburg Speedway – Galesburg, Michigan
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jack Turner (Carl Evans #56), 2. Mel McGaughy, 3. Russ Congdon, 4. Gene Hartley, 5. Jimmy Knight, 6. Eddie Sachs, 7. Palmer Crowell, 8. Hank Nykaza, 9. Johnny Kay, 10. Bob Gregg, 11. Gene Force, 12. Ronnie Kaplan, 13. Bob McLean, 14. Roy Graham, 15. Buckie Sager, 16. Shorty Templeman, 17. Bill Sprentall, 18. Al Alpern. FQ: Eddie Sachs (15.470)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 21, 1956 – Sportsdrome – Jeffersonville, Indiana
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Chuck Rodee (Ed Loniewski #87), 2. Johnnie Tolan, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Gene Force, 5. Mel McGaughy, 6. Palmer Crowell, 7. Elmer George, 8. Justin King, 9. Johnny Kay, 10. Russ Congdon, 11. Don Branson, 12. Jimmy Knight, 13. Jim McWithey, 14. Bud Clemons, 15. Roy Graham, 16. Bob McLean, 17. Bob Gregg, 18. Eddie Sachs. FQ: Eddie Sachs (15.470)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 21, 1956 – Sportsdrome – Jeffersonville, Indiana
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Jimmy Knight (Jimmy Knight #10), 2. Roy Graham, 3. Russ Congdon, 4. Johnnie Tolan, 5. Shorty Templeman, 6. Don Branson, 7. Johnny Kay, 8. Gene Force, 9. Justin King, 10. Bud Clemons, 11. Jim McWithey, 12. Elmer George, 13. Palmer Crowell, 14. Eddie Sachs, 15. Mel McGaughy, 16. Chuck Rodee, 17. Bob McLean, 18. Bob Gregg.
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 25, 1956 – Raceway Park – Blue Island, Illinois
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Eddie Sachs (Lee Elkins #73), 2. Jack Turner, 3. Gene Hartley, 4. Shorty Templeman, 5. Chuck Rodee, 6. Elmer George, 7. George Amick, 8. Ronnie Kaplan, 9. Hank Nykaza, 10. Mauri Wilson, 11. Clyde Young, 12. George Tichenor, 13. Roy Graham, 14. Johnnie Tolan, 15. Al Alpern, 16. Jimmy Knight, 17. Bob Gregg, 18. Andy Linden. FQ: Andy Linden
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 26, 1956 – Quad City Raceway – Moline, Illinois
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Gene Hartley (Red Marley #88), 2. Shorty Templeman, 3. Eddie Sachs, 4. Chuck Rodee, 5. Johnnie Tolan, 6. Johnnie Parsons, 7. Chuck Weyant, 8. Jack Turner, 9. Hank Nykaza, 10. Van Johnson, 11. Don Branson, 12. Jimmy Knight, 13. Howard Kelley, 14. Bud Clemons, 15. Chuck Marshall, 16. Andy Linden, 17. Al Alpern, 18. George Amick. FQ: Johnnie Parsons (16.450)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 27, 1956 – Springfield Speedway – Springfield, Illinois
FEATURE: (75 laps) 1. Andy Linden (O.M. Burns #47), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Tony Lenti, 4. Van Johnson, 5. Elmer George, 6. Eddie Sachs, 7. Shorty Templeman, 8. Don Branson, 9. Johnnie Tolan, 10. Chuck Rodee, 11. Roy Graham, 12. Hank Nykaza, 13. Jimmy Knight, 14. Johnny Kay, 15. Jack Turner, 16. Jimmy Davies, 17. George Amick, 18. Ronnie Kaplan. FQ: George Amick (13.100)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 28, 1956 – Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Forrest Parker (Forrest Parker #12), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Leroy Warriner, 4. Chuck Rodee, 5. Eddie Sachs, 6. Gays Biro, 7. Johnnie Tolan, 8. Gene Force, 9. Roy Graham, 10. Ted Hartley, 11. Jimmy Davies, 12. Johnny Kay, 13. Ronnie Kaplan, 14. Bud Clemons, 15. Jimmy Knight, 16. Jim Shaffer, 17. Bob McLean, 18. Andy Linden. FQ: Gays Biro
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 29, 1956 – Dixie Motor Speedway – Flint, Michigan
FEATURE: (75 laps) 1. Gays Biro (Al Jackson #9), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Roy Graham, 4. Johnny Kay, 5. Hank Nykaza, 6. Buckie Sager, 7. Al Alpern, 8. Bill Sprentall, 9. Emery Rice, 10. Ted Hartley. FQ: Gays Biro (18.380)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 2, 1956 – Sportsman Park – Bedford, Ohio
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jack Turner (Carl Evans #56), 2. Al Herman, 3. Shorty Templeman, 4. Gays Biro, 5. Jim Florian, 6. Chuck Rodee, 7. Johnnie Tolan, 8. Leroy Warriner, 9. Eddie Sachs, 10. Eddie Johnson, 11. Buckle Sager, 12. Andy Linden, 13. Roy Graham, 14. Gene Hartley, 15. Bud Clemons, 16. Johnny Kay, 17. Jim Shaffer, 18. Elmer George. FQ: Andy Linden (14.550)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 3, 1956 – Cincinnati Race Bowl - Evendale, Ohio
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Leroy Warriner (Bob Higman #67), 2. Gene Force, 3. Eddie Sachs, 4. Elmer George, 5. Shorty Templeman, 6. Paul Howe, 7. Don Branson, 8. Chuck Rodee, 9. Jim Hemmings, 10. Johnny Kay, 11. Roy Graham, 12. Al Alpern, 13. George Amick, 14. Buckie Sager, 15. Don Morgan. FQ: Elmer George (12.850)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 4, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jack Turner (Carl Evans #56), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Andy Linden, 4. Gene Force, 5. Gays Biro, 6. Johnnie Tolan, 7. Mauri Wilson, 8. Leroy Warriner, 9. Ronnie Kaplan, 10. Paul Howe, 11. George Tichenor, 12. Elmer George, 13. Jimmy Knight, 14. Shorty Templeman, 15. Don Branson, 16. Bud Clemons, 17. Hank Nykaza, 18. Eddie Sachs. FQ: George Tichenor (15.920)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 17, 1956 – Springfield Speedway – Springfield, Illinois
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Eddie Sachs (Justin King #79), 2. Chuck Rodee, 3. Leroy Warriner, 4. Andy Linden, 5. Gene Hartley, 6. Jimmy Knight, 7. Arnie Knepper, 8. Al Alpern, 9. Don Branson, 10. Ronnie Kaplan, 11. Chuck Weyant, 12. Elmer George, 13. Billy Garrett, 14. Al Chamberlain, 15. Rex Easton, 16. Hank Nykaza, 17. Johnnie Tolan. FQ: Don Branson (12.860)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 19, 1956 – Terre Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Earl Motter (Mari Hulman #21), 2. Andy Linden, 3. Chuck Weyant, 4. Forrest Parker, 5. Gays Biro, 6. George Amick, 7. Gene Hartley, 8. Chuck Rodee, 9. Al Alpern, 10. Leroy Warriner, 11. Hank Nykaza, 12. Eddie Russo. FQ: Earl Motter (25.980)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 22, 1956 – Raceway Park – Blue Island, Illinois
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. George Amick, 3. Rex Easton, 4. Elmer George, 5. Bob McLean, 6. Justin King, 7. Clyde Young, 8. Bob Gregg, 9. Danny Kladis, 10. Eddie Sachs, 11. Gene Hartley, 12. Jimmy Knight, 13. Al Alpern, 14. Joe Giba, 15. Jack Turner, 16. Dempsey Wilson, 17. Bob Cortner, 18. Chuck Rodee. FQ: George Amick (12.880)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: August 25, 1956 – Wisconsin State Fair Park – West Allis, Wisconsin
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jimmy Reece (John Zink #8), 2. Johnnie Parsons, 3. Andy Linden, 4. Chuck Weyant, 5. Bob Gregg, 6. Mauri Wilson, 7. Elmer George, 8. George Amick, 9. Eddie Johnson, 10. Roy Graham, 11. Red Hamilton, 12. Leroy Warriner, 13. Johnnie Tolan, 14. George Tichenor, 15. Gays Biro, 16. Rex Records, 17. Wally Hostetler, 18. Billy Garrett, 19. Gene Hartley, 20. Gene Force, 21. Tony Bettenhausen, 22. Al Alpern, 23. Bob Cortner, 24. Shorty Templeman, 25. Chuck Rodee, 26. Joe Giba, 27. Van Johnson 28. Bud Clemons, 29. Bob Veith, 30. Eddie Sachs, 31. Jimmy Davies, 32. Jack Turner, 33. Earl Motter. FQ: Joe Giba (35.620)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: September 1, 1956 – Sportsdrome – Jeffersonville, Indiana
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Tony Bettenhausen (Harry Turner #82), 2. Bob McLean, 3. Gene Hartley, 4. Rex Easton, 5. Shorty Templeman, 6. Chuck Rodee, 7. Jimmy Knight, 8. Jack Turner, 9. Johnnie Tolan, 10. Justin King, 11. Leroy Warriner, 12. Al Alpern, 13. Joe Giba, 14. Bud Clemons, 15. Paul Howe, 16. Gene Force, 17. Johnny Kay, 18. Jim Hemmings. FQ: Rex Easton (15.230)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: September 8, 1956 – 16th Street Speedway – Indianapolis, Indiana
FEATURE: (150 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Gene Hartley, 3. Rex Easton, 4. Forrest Parker, 5. Johnny Kay, 6. Leroy Warriner, 7. Johnnie Tolan, 8. Al Alpern, 9. George Tichenor, 10. Bob McLean, 11. Gays Biro, 12. Len Sutton, 13. Ronnie Kaplan, 14. Paul Howe, 15. Wally Hostetler, 16. Ted Hartley, 17. Jimmy Knight, 18. Chuck Rodee, 19. Hank Nykaza, 20. Justin King, 21. Bob Gregg, 22. Al Chamberlain, 23. Gene Force, 24. Mauri Wilson. FQ: Len Sutton (15.640)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: September 15, 1956 – Motor City Speedway – Detroit, Michigan
FEATURE: (75 laps) 1. Andy Linden (Lee Elkins #73), 2. Shorty Templeman, 3. Chuck Rodee, 4. Gays Biro, 5. Leroy Warriner, 6. Jimmy Knight, 7. Rex Easton, 8. Al Alpern, 9. Ronnie Duman, 10. Wally Hostetler, 11. Bob Gregg, 12. Buckie Sager, 13. Bill Doster, 14. Larry McCloskey. FQ: Chuck Rodee (13.100)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: September 30, 1956 – Dayton Speedway – Dayton, Ohio
FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Shorty Templeman (Ashley Wright #2), 2. Leroy Warriner, 3. Tony Bettenhausen, 4. Gene Hartley, 5. Fred Meeker, 6. Jimmy Knight, 7. Chuck Weyant, 8. Gene Force, 9. Rex Easton, 10. Chuck Rodee, 11. Bob McLean, 12. Paul Howe, 13. Bill Doster, 14. Jimmy Reece, 15. Roy Newman, 16. Wally Hostetler, 17. Hank Nykaza, 18. Justin King. FQ: Gene Hartley (13.949)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: October 7, 1956 – Terre Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, Indiana – Hut 100
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Tony Bettenhausen (Harry Turner #82), 2. Chuck Weyant, 3. Danny Oakes, 4. Bob McLean, 5. Al Alpern, 6. Johnny Roberts, 7. Johnny Hobel, 8. Mauri Wilson, 9. Jimmy Reece, 10. Gene Weyant, 11. Leroy Warriner, 12. Tommy Gray, 14. Don Branson. FQ: Don Branson (25.190)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: October 13, 1956 – Orange Show Stadium – San Bernardino, California
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Bud Clemons (Bob Sorensen #19), 2. Jack Jordan, 3. Don Horvath, 4. Elmer George, 5. Roy Gillhamer, 6. Johnnie Parsons, 7. Jimmy Davies, 8. Johnny Baldwin, 9. Jimmy Reece, 10. Don Edmunds, 11. Tony Bettenhausen, 12. George Amick, 13. Billy Garrett, 14. Jud Larson, 15. Johnnie Tolan, 16. Norm Hall, 17. Johnny Boyd, 18. Skee Redican. FQ: Jack Jordan
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: November 22, 1956 – Gardena Stadium – Gardena, California – Turkey Night Grand Prix
FEATURE: (150 laps) 1. Edgar Elder (Frank Magarian #72), 2. Johnnie Parsons, 3. Rodger Ward, 4. Jimmy Davies, 5. Danny Oakes, 6. Billy Garrett, 7. Bud Clemons, 8. Elmer George, 9. Don Horvath, 10. 9, 11. Jack Jordan, 12. Jud Larson, 13. Johnnie Tolan, 14. 18, 15. 99, 16. 27, 17. Tony Bettenhausen, 18. George Amick, 19. Art Bisch, 20. Ray Crawford, 21. Johnny Boyd. FQ: Edgar Elder (14.500)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: December 30, 1956 – Bonelli Stadium – Santa Clarita, California
FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Johnnie Tolan (Bill Krech #26), 2. Len Sutton, 3. Troy Ruttman, 4. Jack Jordan, 5. Danny Oakes, 6. Bud Clemons, 7. George Amick, 8. Joe Garson, 9. Norm Hall, 10. Dempsey Wilson, 11. Art Bisch, 12. Johnnie Parsons, 13. Danny Jones, 14. Frank Armi. FQ: Bob Gregg (19.030)
