Another Racing Legend....A Story About The Racing Career of 
JAY WOODSIDE
by Rich Boteler

Jay and the second Jalopy he built for himself and drove in 1958

#42 - Owner Merle Heath - Sedalia, MO. 
Jay drove this car to his first sprint car victory (Altoona, Iowa) and Rookie of the Year in IMCA 1961

Jay in the John Slack Midget that  he almost ran in the Hut Hundred.

Jay was born on January 6, 1939 in Dodge City, Kansas and was adopted at birth by Claude and Harriet Woodside. He was raised in the small town of Haysville before the family moved to Wichita in 1953. Both of Jay's parents are now deceased and he has no brothers or sisters.  His marriages produced two children, Randy and Ronda, and three step sons, Rocky, Jason and Eric. These children have given Jay six grandchildren with another one on the way in May and one great-grandson. Jay and his wife Pat were married in 1996, they still reside in Wichita today and they are both retired. 

In 1952, Jay was asked by a teacher if he would like to go with the school band to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. Although Jay did not play an instrument he accepted the invitation and carried a tuba while marching with the band. Being a large lad of about 300 pounds at the time, Jay figures they gave him the biggest horn they could find for him.  By accompanying the band on this trip, this became a very important decision regarding his future ambitions. While at the fair, Jay witnessed his first Sprint Car race and he knew then that he wanted to become a racecar driver. The winning driver that day was a large man, so Jay figured he could do it also. Later a friend, Chet Wilson, encouraged Jay to lose weight, telling him he was too fat to be a racecar driver. With the help of his Mother and his desires as an incentive, he did lose a lot of weight and pursued his racing career. 

While in the 7^th grade he and a friend, Doran Raines, who’s Dad owned the local salvage yard, spent many days tinkering with some old cars. They would put different engines in Jalopies and drive them around the yard. All this mechanical experience helped Jay in later racing endeavors. One day Doran picked Jay up to go to school and later in the day these lads took their car and raced it around the track that circled the football field. This didn’t get the approval of the school administration and soon they were sent to different schools in the area. Years later Doran would own the last National Championship Racing Association (NCRA) 100 Inch Sprint Car that Jay would drive.

In 1955 Jay started driving Jalopies at the local race track for any of the car owners who would give him the chance to race. While he didn’t have a lot of success doing this he was getting some experience and learning to drive a racecar. He did this for a couple of years and he also helped some of his friends with the mechanical part of their racing. With the experience he gained over these two years, Jay decided he wanted his own car. He bought a Jalopy that had been driven once and wrecked. Roy Bryant, who was one of Jay’s racer friends, got his Dad to straighten the car out for Jay. To start the year he had Harold Leep drive the car for six weeks and Harold won all six Features they were in. Following this Jay started driving the car himself and he had more success with his race finishes than he’d had driving for other car owners. Towards the end of the year he totaled the car out and Jay started making plans for the next racing season.

Over the next few years Jay continued to compete in the Jalopies at his local track in a car he had built for himself. Any chance he got to drive a Modified or Sprint Car, he’d quickly jump at the opportunity. He had become good friends with Harold Leep, Bill Nelson, Dale Reed and a car owner, Red Forshee and he would accompany them to many races. In 1958 he was in the running for three Jalopy Championships but never won any of them because he decided it was best to travel with his friends in pursuit of a Sprint Car ride. When this group took Red’s car to 81 Speedway for a practice session, his driver friends talked Red into letting Jay practice the car also. Another night Jay had talked an owner into letting him drive his car for the night. While he was being pushed off to qualify, Bill said “Oh my God, he is only 17” and this was overheard by Frank Winkley, one of the race officials. When Jay came around the track expecting a green flag, instead he saw the black flag and after stopping in the pits he was removed from the car. During this time Jay briefly drove a Chrysler powered Sprint Car for car owner Bob Smith and also had a few Midget rides. A couple of highlights from this period were winning the Hutchinson State Fair Championship Race in 1958 and finishing 2^nd in points in the Five State Fair Jalopy Championship in Liberal, Kansas.