Ken The Flyin' Farmer Essary
Ken Essary of Cape Fair, Missouri, raced dirt late models for more than 40 years in the #55. He's in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, and he's the reason this store has checkered flags on the sign.
Farm by day.
Race by night.
Ken was born in 1946 and ran his first race in 1971, at 25. Through the 1970s he raced as many as five nights a week, often winning more than 50 features a season, all while running the family farm with his wife, Linna. A farmer that fast earned a nickname.
Linna is Granny Linna. Her name is on our fried chicken and our breakfast.
Ken never raced only for himself. For years his shop helped other area drivers with parts, fuel, tires and advice.
- 1971First raceStarts racing at 25.
- 1970sFive nights a weekRoutinely 50+ feature wins a season while farming full time.
- 1987USAC Rookie of the Year
- 1989Co-founds the MLRAThe Midwest Latemodel Racing Association. He later wins its championship twice.
- 2004Founds the Show-Me Racin' SeriesA late model series he also drove in.
- 2006National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame
- 2007Ozarks Area Racers Hall of Fame
- 2009Still winning at 63Takes the checkered flag at Monett Motor Speedway.
- 2020Flyin' Farmer 55 tribute nightSpringfield Raceway honors Ken on August 15.
- 2026Flyin' Farmer PitstopOpens at Hwy 39 and 248 in Jenkins, named in his honor.
The trophy case
Two Halls of Fame and more than a dozen championships.
- 2006National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame
- 2007Ozarks Area Racers Hall of Fame
- 5×4-State Dirt Track Champion
- 3×Arkansas Dirt Track Champion
- 3×World Classic Champion, Van Buren, AR
- 2×MLRA Champion
- 2×Missouri Dirt Track Champion
- 1987USAC Rookie of the Year
The book
The Flyin' Farmer 55 was written by Ken's daughter, Karen Essary-Johnson, and published in 2006.
A house fire later destroyed Ken's own logbooks, so the book is one of the few records left of his early career. It's built from stories by family, track people and the drivers he raced against.
Stories in the book come from, among others:
- Bill Frye
- Roger Chism
- Tommy Joe Pauschert
- William Todd
- J.V. Brotherton
- Don & Billie Gibson
- Published
- 2006, Litho Printers & Bindery
- ISBN
- 9780977883059
Career facts from Springfield Raceway's 2020 tribute and DirtonDirt. Race images of the #55 are artist renderings.