Hal Ruyle

by Stan Kalwasinski

            Hal Ruyle was one of the top runners in local stock car action in the late 1940’s and 1950’s, winning the stock car championship at Chicago’s Raceway Park in 1950.

            Teaming up with car owner and “mechanical whiz” Hank Salat, Ruyle captured nine feature races during his title-winning season, including the track’s annual 300 Lap Classic on Sunday afternoon, October 15.  Taking the lead on lap 243, Ruyle scored the victory in a record time of 1:28:47.84, defeating Bud Koehler, Irv Wurm and Bob Pronger in the grueling contest in front of a reported crowd of 11,421 fans. Salat’s rapid-running ’46 Packard also carried Ruyle to victory in Raceway’s 100-lap Season Title race on October 1 as he bested Pronger and Eddy Anderson.  Raceway presented a total of 57 stock car programs that year with Ruyle winning seven of the last eight feature races he competed in. 

            Known as the “Farmer Boy” from St. Louis, Ruyle was actually a product of the East St. Louis, Ill. area, born on July 22, 1919.  Working in the coal mines of downstate Illinois as a young man, Ruyle ended up in Chicago, a lover of cars and a good mechanic.  When Raceway Park began its first full season of short track stock car action in 1949, Ruyle was among the top runners on the dirt oval, scoring two feature wins during the season.  He finished 28^th in the track’s second annual 300-lap battle, piloting a ’39 Ford.

            After his championship year, Ruyle was again one of “the guys to beat” at Raceway Park as he finished sixth in the points and scored six feature race victories in 1951.  One of his victories was a 60-lap win on September 8 as he bested Bob Button and Rich Sutkus before a crowd of 12,204.  In 1952, Ruyle switched his attention to the new 87^th Street Speedway in Chicago, which had previously been known as Gill Stadium before its complete renovation.  Ruyle captured 14 features during the season at 87^th Street, chasing Bill Van Allen all year long for track championship honors.  Ruyle was also among the top runners at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Ind.  Ruyle wheeled a ’49 Mercury to a 100-lap victory at the northwest Indiana half-mile dirt oval in October to close out the season. 

            In 1953, Ruyle competed at both 87^th Street Speedway and at the new Santa Fe Park Speedway in Willow Springs, winning feature races at both track, including three at 87^th Street.  Ruyle defeated Van Allen and Bill Moore in a 30-lap chase at Santa Fe on August 27. 

            Ruyle, along with a half-dozen or so other local drivers, was among the competitors in the first ever NASCAR Grand National stock car event held in the Chicago area.  The half-mile Santa Fe oval hosted the historical event on July 10, 1954 with Dick Rathmann in a ’54 Hudson scoring the victory.  Driving a 1952 Mercury, Ruyle started 16^th in the 23-car field and finished 12^th in the 200-lap contest, taking home $178 for his efforts.

            1954 saw Ruyle return to Raceway Park’s victory circle as he made off with top honors in a 25 lapper on August 15.  7.955 fans saw Ruyle defeat Bob Williams and Bud Koehler.  Ruyle would finish 10^th in the final points tally at Raceway that season, posting a seventh place finish in the track’s annual 300 lapper.  Ruyle dropped to 18^th in the standings at Raceway in 1955 and was unable to crack into the feature win column. 

            During its last season of operation—1956, 87^th Street Speedway saw Ruyle score a couple of wins, including a victory in a 25-lap main event on June 30.  Ruyle returned to Raceway Park in 1957 and made off with three early-season feature wins.  Ruyle joined Bill Van Allen and was part of car owner Mike Gbur’s potent team.  One of Ruyle’s victories was a 50 lap score on Memorial Day as he drove Gbur’s “modified-looking” Nash Rambler No. 61 to the win.  The paved Mance Park Speedway in Hodgkins was another track frequented by the Van Allen/Ruyle duo during the year. 

            Ruyle also saw action on the dirt at Santa Fe in 1957, winning four feature races.  Ruyle set a track record for six laps on Santa Fe’s half-mile, covering the trophy dash distance in 2:13:14 on July 14, 1957.

            Living on the southeast side of Chicago, Ruyle was a truck driver during the day for Dust Motors, hauling steel out of the mills in South Chicago and northwest Indiana.  Ruyle’s racing career was coming to an end for the most part in 1958 with the Chicago speedster still enjoying a solid season at Raceway Park, finishing 10^th in the final points.  Ruyle scored his 22^nd and final Raceway Park feature race victory of his career on Memorial Day, again winning one of those important 50-lap holiday events.

            With his racing career over, Ruyle continued to wheel his steel-hauling trucks.  Suffering from emphysema, Ruyle passed away at the age of 53 on April 6, 1973.  Ruyle was one of the best during his career on Chicago area short tracks, battling against some of the best and winning!

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