Does anyone have any information about this organization?

By "googling" I came up with this information:

NATIONAL SPRINT CAR HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
TOM CHERRY by Don Anderson & Dave Argabright
http://sprintcarhof.com/FileGet.aspx?ID=128

He was instrumental, along with Dutch Hurst and others, in forming the Mutual Racing Association in Muncie, Indiana in 1938, Tom's hometown. Running "roaring roadsters", the group raced at the Muncie Steeplechase (literally, a steeplechase course) in 1939. By 1940, they began racing on the tight paved oval at Mt. Lawn Speedway near New Castle, Indiana. That was the year of Tom's first Mutual championship.

The Mt. Lawn website has an entire section devoted to the Mutual Racing Association. You can find it at www.mtlawn.com/MRA/Page.html

I know that in the fall of 1960 the membership of the Mutual Racing Association was combined with another club to form UMRA. I also know that the MRA had been sanctioning three-quarter midget racing for several years.

Had the MRA evolved from roaring roadsters to TQ's? Or was the MRA similar to USAC with different divisions, one of which was TQ's?

Does anyone know where I might be able to find statistics on any TQ races sanctioned by the MRA, or any other organizations?

Thanks,
Sandy

Sandy,

As the note suggest Mutual was a roadster association started by people like Dutch Hurst - first sanctioned the little 500 and raced all over Central Indiana - I think the Mutual you are thinking about was another TQ club that (if I recall) was based in Southern Indiana (I have just drive all night from Canada to see Reid play hockey so it is real early and I'm a tad fuzzy) In other words we are talking about 2 different groups

Ralph Yeagle raced with the Mutual club. We need to get him involved in this.

Joe

Thanks Pat. I looked at the photo's and I knew the cars were not TQ's but the name was the same. Then when I saw the Muncie location I just assumed it was the same group.

Sandy

Joe,

There is a photo in the 1977 yearbook. It is from the 1961 banquet and has the following people in it:

Mel Harpring
Mike Quirk
Rick Meyer
Bud Montgomery
Elmer Smith
Tommy Gray
Bill Campbell
Eddie Clearwater
Ralph Yagle
Bob Parsons
Jim Gettlefinger
Dick Dwenger
Rollin Harpring
Sonny Ates
Russ Hankins
Don Ralston
Ralph Pipe

We need to get as much information as we can from these guys so that we can document the early days of TQ racing in the area.

Sandy

Sandy, I have a couple of "comebacks", that will be racing again this year, after a long hiatus, I'll ck with them, their fathers were involved back in those years, and before, one was a magazine publisher, for motorcycle powered, open wheel cars, he may have all the info, back to day one. Bob

Sandy,

I think it is really cool how many people on that list from '61 helped me 20 to 30 years later! Bud, Rick, Mel and Rollin, Elmer and Dick.

I have a great picture of your dad and Dick Dwenger in the Notham car hanging on my office wall.

I had the opportunity to talk to Ralph Yeagle a couple of years ago and enjoyed his stories, though I didn't know alot of the people he was talking about. I'll make some calls and see if Ralph might join us here. He has never been known as shy!
Joe

That's pretty cool Joe. I would like to make two copies of that if you don't mind.

Charlie Dwenger

You bet Charlie. I'll see you soon. Madison was on of my favorites.
Joe

Sandy, does the name Bill Eply, Epley, come up in your data base? He said his dad ran, when they ran a lot at Muncie, in the early years. Bob