History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

28 Dreyer, The car originally came to Aust with Frank Brewer, with a V8/60 powerplant.

 

Apologies for being so persistent. Is it known who built the distinctive body?

Are there more pictures showing how the flared sides continued toward the tail?

Did it come over that way or was that part of the heart transplant?

 

The car was re-panelled with all aluminium panels , nose , tail in Sydney
for the then owner, German Werner Greve. Her is a side on shot of john Harvey at the Brisbane exhibition Speedway circa 1959.

 

We have had a few American solo riders race here over the years but I dont recall seeing any on an outfit( 3 wheeler with the pillion passenger) here??? did you guys have these ? check out the old plank for the pillion guy to operate on,some really neat historic stuff dont you think...these guys & gals where tuff thats for sure.

 

Another front-on pic # 13.

 

Here's a nice Vincent outfit seen at "Speed on Tweed"

Stunning looking, maybe a bit "Flasher" than those of the 40's, 50's & 60's.

 

One of the greatest things about this thread, and this whole site, for that matter, is the "bank" of knowledge we have with those participating. It's fantastic to read the history and recollections of years past. The Vic Yerardi postings are a case in point. Thanks, everybody.

 

Ken Schou..

Do you have any recollection of a Kurtis Kraft that Bobby Albert purchased on Long Island in the 70's. It was a really straight car that looked as if it was rarely raced. Bobby made a clone of the Bill Dorer "Bulldog Offy" and still owned the car at the time of his death.

 

Hey Sprinter ..

Only that he made a clone of the "Bulldog Offy".

His son &/or Grandson (who was racing sprint cars last I knew) would know for sure .. so should Stan Lobitz of Lobitz Catering in Hazleton, PA .. as might Tommy Cochrane both of who he was friendly with .. Lobitz probably more so. Marty Himes "might" too .. maybe???

There were "rumors" that he (Bobby Albert) had borrowed the pictures that Bill Dorer's widow had of the car to help make the clone & never returned them. Bobby claimed that he returned every single one .. so who knows?????

Last I knew Bill Dorer's family .. his daughter & son in law Billy Hilty (who also drove the Bulldog Offy) lived in Patchogue NY (here on Long Island) .. but that was quite some years ago.

Putting all that aside .. I found out in the later years of his life that he had one superb sense of humor & was an excellent comedian.

For a long time in his life he made his living buying, fixing, selling & auctioning antique clocks and was quite an expert.

From the days of the SMRC (Super Midget Racng Club) I found out that he also had deep set supersticions involving starting 13th .. Friday the 13th & green race cars (George Weiser's Edmunds) .. when all came to play at a George Marshman promoted show at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, PA. YIKES!!!!

Bobby Albert & Sonny Sanders (Anthony Madonia) were both proteges of Tony Bonadies & attended Bonadies's (midget) driving school .. which somehow developed into a jealous & very competitive rivalry between them throughout their careers.

I've a few other stories about "Bashfull" (HA!) Bobby Alberts!!! .... "Bashful" is a nick name given him by the late Len Calinoff (I believe), when Calinoff was "banging the drums" for the ARDC.

 

I've a question that I originally thought of while on the Modified Stock Car thread here.

Does anyone know what happened to the late Paul Okrent's (Huntington, NY) collection of both midget & stock car photo's? .. Paul at one time worked for ANSCO film and had the first color photo's of race cars that I remember seeing.

When color film, color processing & color printing was still super expensive .. he was able to get all free through ANSCO.

 

Does anyone have pictures of ...........
"Bashful" Bobby Alberts ...... "Lover Boy" Ernie Mc Coy ...... Andy "The Pepsodent Kid" Furci ...... Ed "Dutch" Schaefer, etc., etc. of east coast (mostly ARDC) midget fame they can post?

 

Ken.
We have been through the cast of characters you referred to with no results. The car was restored as a generic Kurtis at the request of the purchaser and is now in the midwest. Bobby was quite a character. I own the Darrell Villa 83 that Bill Dorer purchased in 1966 and became the "Bulldog". For the longest time Bobby would not admit that it was the "Bulldog" but shortly before his death he realized that it was in fact the car.

 

"Does anyone have pictures of ...........
"Bashful" Bobby Alberts ...... "Lover Boy" Ernie Mc Coy ...... Andy "The Pepsodent Kid" Furci ...... Ed "Dutch" Schaefer, etc., etc. of east coast (mostly ARDC) midget fame they can post? "



Ken,

Not sure if anyone likes this stuff,but I like making photo-art from snaps I find here and there.

Here is Dutch. Trenton 1959.




Dutch in #21.


Tony Romit.



Bob Harkey-a friend of my family and one great guy!


King Carpenter.




Tony Bonadies

 

Buildy, that is Dutch in the 99, but that isn't Trenton in 1959. Had to have a roll bar to run there once they paved the place in 1957. That car was a V8-60 earlier in its life, still has the carb intakes in the middle of the hood. I can't remember who drove it, I have seen pictures of it upside down at Hatfield on the 1/2 paved track.

 

Re: Bulldog Offy. Bobby and I raced together and were good friends for many years. In the mid 80's he brought a Kurtis frame, 110 Offy, body, most of the needed parts to my shop here in Bloomsburg. He asked me to assemble it and have it painted red, with some black on it as well. He wanted to make the thing look like the Bulldog car.
The frame was like new, although, if I remember correctly, I think it was originally built as a V8-60 frame.
Bobby gave me some pictures he had of the original Bulldog car and I copied the lettering and numbers as best as I could.

Spike Gillespie

 

.....'Hi Spike Gillespie, 'That is a beautiful car you've got for your avatar. 'Would love to see some pics of it and know a little bit about it sometime. Also, I've always like the style of nose on that #60 car right above your post and who originated it? Was it strictly for Offy engine cars that were a lot easier to cool? Because the air inlet's awfully small.........'And to Buildy; Tony, congrats' on your uncle Jerry being inducted into the Hall of Fame recently. I've always thought Jerry Karl must have some amazing stories to tell, especially from his time with Smokey! 'Too bad they're both gone. Also, when anybody mentions some of the greats from days past like you guys did in the before mentioned posts, how can you not mention the great Len Duncan!

 

That is a Charlie Peck nose on the 60 car. He was from northern Ky, close to Cinncy. No I do not think it would cool a Ford 60.
Jim Graybeal

 

.'And to Buildy; Tony, congrats' on your uncle Jerry being inducted into the Hall of Fame recently. I've always thought Jerry Karl must have some amazing stories to tell, especially from his time with Smokey! 'Too bad they're both gone."


Thanks-I just wish I could have recorded Jerry when he used to tell the stories!
He had tons of them and all true.
I am no good at telling them,though.
He used to get us rolling with laughter over some of the crazy things that happened.

One thing I can tell that he said about Smokey`s twin turbo Chevy Indy car.
He said you best have that thing pointed in the right direction when the turbos lit,it was like a Saturn V rocket blasting off.
It would light the tires up in smoke at 190 mph coming out of the turns at Indy if he wasn`t careful.
Smokey tried out more than a few drivers including some good ones and Jerry was faster than any of the others.

Smokey` rocket.





Since this is a cageless Midget thread,I better show that Jerry spent quite a bit of time in cageless Midgets.
Here is one of them.

 

"Buildy, that is Dutch in the 99, but that isn't Trenton in 1959. Had to have a roll bar to run there once they paved the place in 1957."


Good call Jim,

I noticed that after I posted the other day,but it was time to go to work and I forgot to come back and comment on it.
What year did they pave Trenton? I know it was paved by 58. Was it 57?

Pretty sure the photo I made that one from was at Trenton.

 

I can confirm the second 22 car with the Sesco. My dad bought it from Bennett around 75' and ran it in ARDC as the 29. I've got a tickle in my brain that says the previous 22 with the Offy at least intially stayed in the northeast and ran either with ARDC or SMRC (although I'd lean to ARDC).

Could it have been the Bud Mills Car?

 

Hi Guys,
Just came on board to the midget sight. The second #22 Bennett car is here in CT. Dean Howie of NJ restored it several years ago . A friend of mine purchased it, ran it for a few years and has since passed away. I helped maintian it for him and it sits quietly in his sons garage.
I do know that my brotherinlaw(Midge Miller) remembers going to the Philly airport with Ken Hickey and picking it up and helped unpack it. He also remembers it having a different engine offset. Ken proceeded to fit a Ford sesco in it.
Just another observation, the dark #29 with the Dutchman is the Hespell Offy that Ken Hickey assembled. It later was painted the familar red and white colors #3. It was sold to Mike Sheehan and Dutch continued to drive it. I recently restored it for a friend as the Hespell car.
Like the sprint car sight, I really enjoy all the imput and knowlege you guys share!

 

here are a few pics

 

WELCOME wynns #1 ..

In seperate postings .. speaking of a car that was like new, as if almost never ran & now of Midge Miller can you tell us anything about the beautiful black #2 Kurtis Offy that Midge ran with the SMRC? Maybe of it's history before Midge aquired it (that's what I was always most curious about) and maybe what's become of it since. Although it wasn't .. it looked to be brand new in 1973 when Midge first campaingned it with the SMRC. .... Now this could be very wrong, but I half remember that Dutch (Schaefer) found or knew of it some where and told Midge &/or Carl about it for Midge?

When you speak to Midge, please tell him that I said "HELLO!!"

 

THANKS Tony (Buildy) GRRRRRREAT STUFF .. keep 'em coming please.

In so many ways, Dutch was my hero!!!!

I had a lot of laughs with Tony Romit .. backing him up on the flag stand at some of the SMRC shows. I can also remember him driving a red Offy #55 (I think) that had "white walls" with the ARDC. The "white walls" were so the owner Nick Dwino (??spelling??) could easily pick it out & follow it on the track.

King (Kingsley) Carpenter was another master on the Hatfield (PA) dirt .. in MIke Sheehan's car (I think) as he would repeatedly & purposely bang the right rear wheel on the fence between the third & fourth turns (creating another white wall).

The last time I saw the Bonadies roadster was with the SMRC at New Egypt (NJ) with Tony Junior in it. One day at New Egypt he backed it into the fence in the fourth turn .. his helmet flew off & rolled down the track .. the drivers behind him SCATTERED trying to avoid it .. thinking it was his head was still in it. ..... Tony Jr. still owns the car. Last I heard he was in Florida and the car (disassembled) was at his Mom's (Frances) house in Connecticut. His Mom had remarried to the (now deceased) ARDC car owner Lou Hennessey .. who Bobby Alberts told LOTS of VERY FUNNY stories about.

 

Hey Sprinter 2 ..

How do you have the car now .. as the Bulldog Offy or the Darrell Villa #83 Offy or something else?

How about some pictures of it on here?

I'd love to see your car .. with all it's grrrreat ARDC history .. at the annual show that Ken Brenn is a part of in his home town of Warren, NJ next summer (September I think). If you'd like info on the show Private Message me & I'll give you Brenn's phone number.

 

Little Fauss is right .. not only pictures of those with nick names like .. "Bashful" Bobby Alberts ...... "Lover Boy" Ernie Mc Coy ...... Andy "The Pepsodent Kid" Furci ...... Ed "Dutch" Schaefer .. but of drivers like the GRRRREAT Len Duncan too.

In fact of anyone from that era or before or after .. whether it be AAA .. ARDC .. USAC .. MARC .. SMRC (even though there were cages by the SMRC came into being) or what ever.

Anyone have any pictures of Johnny Mann in the Stropoli Brothers Kurtis .. whether Ford V8-60 &/or Chevy II? How about Roger Bailey, Maurice Viette?

There's been a lot of chatter about Bobby Albert. Anyone have some pictures of him they can post?

Spike Gillespie .. any of you????

How about any of Connecticut's Louise Chariot in the former Charlie Nagy Trevis .. or of Russ Klar in that car &/or in Nagy's Kurtis?

Older pictures too!!!

JBarzda ... both WELCOME and THANKS .... GRRRREAT pictures!!!

PLEASE don't sit on any pictures that you have folks .. even those of you in the Midwest or the West Coast, plus you folks from Down Under in OZ too .. we'd REALLY ENJOY seeing them .. PLEASE!!!

 

Hi Ken,

Here is Sprinter2 in his beautiful Darrell Villa Midget at the Hershey Car Show in 2007.

 

jbarzda,

Thanks again for sharing from your fantastic collection of Joe Barzda photos!!!!

 

WONDERFUL that Tony's (Buildy's) Uncle .. Jerry Karl was inducted into that Hall Of Fame!!!!

When many of us think of Jerry Karl & Indy we think of Smokey Yunick &/or "think" we know of his career in Indy cars. I know I did & really did NOT.

Take a look .. I think most of you will be pleasantly surprised!!!

http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/KarlJerry.htm

 

Thanks Ken,

We can be proud that Jerry was a Valley Stream kid who started out at Freeport Stadium in the bombers in 1957.
For the HAMBers-Jerry also did some Hot rodding and street racing on LI in his early wild days.
He drove rich kids cars for money over at Cross Bay BLVD,etc.
He did it the old fashioned way. He was so broke in 1972 he took a chance and drove out to Ontario Cal in an old station wagon,with no ride. He slept in the car-no money for a motel.
He ended up meeting and getting a try out with Smokey,and finally his dream of being competitive in Indy racing started to come true.


Oh-here is a snap of Bobby Albert for you.