History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Sorry about missing the replies to my post. I'm new at this.
The cars we're owned by my grandfather Alton Jones (aka Pop Jones). The # 6 was black/ light blue. I understand that the body was a KK copy built in Albany NY buy a guy who worked for a bus company. Alton lived in Lunenburg MA and owned Jones Garage on Massachusetts Ave. He was also a machinest for New England Truck Compnany (NETCO) in Fitchburg MA. The driver in #6 is Art Rouseau, Alton is wearing the cap, and my father Lester is the young guy (the photo was taken in Keene NH). Several other racers drove the cars including Dynamite Dugan who is in the 64. The 64 was changed to #5, but me and my father have doubts about it being the original car. I think my grandfather was on the board of directors of the Bay State Midget Association and was second place
in the standings in 1953. My father said they raced locally 5 nights a week and traveled further week ends to race. Thanks for the interest. My father has much more information and if I get better at this forum thing I'll keep it coming.
Dan

 

Sorry about missing the replies to my post. I'm new at this.
The cars we're owned by my grandfather Alton Jones (aka Pop Jones). The # 6 was black/ light blue. I understand that the body was a KK copy built in Albany NY buy a guy who worked for a bus company. Alton lived in Lunenburg MA and owned Jones Garage on Massachusetts Ave. He was also a machinest for New England Truck Compnany (NETCO) in Fitchburg MA. The driver in #6 is Art Rouseau, Alton is wearing the cap, and my father Lester is the young guy (the photo was taken in Keene NH). Several other racers drove the cars including Dynamite Dugan who is in the 64. The 64 was changed to #5, but me and my father have doubts about it being the original car. I think my grandfather was on the board of directors of the Bay State Midget Association and was second place
in the standings in 1953. My father said they raced locally 5 nights a week and traveled further week ends to race. Thanks for the interest. My father has much more information and if I get better at this forum thing I'll keep it coming.
Dan <!-- / message -->

 

Hi Ken,

No my uncle Len Fucello kept an album. All the pictures I post are scans from his photos. Len Duncan was a cousin.

Mike

 

Here is a photo I think fits in nicely with whats going on out there today. I've always loved this one.
A midget sculpted from ice and snow. The work of Charlie Paris in front of Vitucci's Blvd. Auto Parts.

 

Got'cha Mike. My error, sorry.

Would still love to see it.
PLEASE post as many pictures from it as possible.

T H A N K S!!!

 

I agree,love seeing this stuff!

That ice racer is a beaut,someone put some work into shaping that.

 

I love it too.
There was no better place to do it too .. then in front of Boulevard Auto Parts.
MANY famous names in east coast midget racing hung out there.

If only I had that kind of talent, I'd build one too .. out of all the @*#&$^ing snow we now have here.

 

Happy New Year everyone. Does anyone know if Jake Vargo once owned a V8 60 Kurtis midget? I believe that his brother Ed did, but did Jake too? In Crockeys book it mentions Al Herman driving the Vargo V8 60 midget.
Thanks!

 

Thanks, Jack... It's cold and white up north.
HGS

 

Ken... you like my avatar??? It ain't vinyl!

HGS

 

Way to go .. brush & paint ONLY!!!
Plus, the cars, the driver & the family that carried that number that you painted just that way .. will always be special to me.

I have to mention that while I liked the cars, all that vinyl on the two Silver Crown cars at Lobitz's party this year .. the vinyl turned me off.

 

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BCRA champion Tommy Copp With USAC champion Jimmie Davis<O></O>
Swapped lead many times eventual winner Tommy Copp<O></O>
In the Sim Clark Chevy11<O></O>
I think this is the first win by a Chevy11 in USAC<O></O>
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1958?
This is Walt Reaf indoors Oakland,Calf. with Bob Morrow in front

 

A Heads Up...

The indoor midget races New Years Eve and New Years Day at Fort Wayne are available from this website on an inexpensive Pay Per View.

[SIZE=+0]Apparently it comes through your computer. [/SIZE]

There is a free demo tonite.

http://www.racesontheweb.com

 

#8 Allen Heath
#1 Billy Garrett
#10 Jack Jordan
#2 Duke Beamer

 

Still Haven't Found out anything just thought i would refresh , Thanks deek

 

Here Are The Pictures

 

Here are The Pictures

 

That really is a nice piece, have you been able to get any more info on it's history yet?

 

Kurtis serial #154, Was the first full midget Johnny Parsons Jr. raced, he qualified 2nd at Santa Maria July 4th 1964 1st time in the car. ran out of B&D Automive in Burbank Ca. #44 and was owned by Owen (Bud) Herron, some of the others who drove this car, Chuck Arnold, Jack Sachse, Johnny Wood, Don staudinger, Steve Stapp, Bob Mathoser, Larry Mimmis, Willie Swift, Wayne Douglas. Bud sold the car to Newt Garrett in the in the bay area who ran the Midget indoors and outdoors, some of the guys who drove the car for Newt Garrett from 1971 - 1980 Gene Gurney, Carl Davis, Dick Smith, Dave Jolly from down under, Jack Walker, Dan Oniel, Charlie Hays, Chuck Ross, Jack Thompson,
COULD NOT GET THE PICTURES TO POST, SORRY! YOU CAN CHECK THEM OUT ON MY PROFILE ALBUMS

 

Deek: Happy New Year to you and yours. I will get to you one of these days for a look-see. John Stickley

 

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I located a Midget for sale. Went to look at it and was surprised to see it was an aluminum monocoque type construction. I've never seen anything like this.

Car is in great condition with a fresh Chevy II with a bunch of good stuff inside. Airheart brakes, torsion front and rear, Halibrand Q/C.

I heard of Harry Turner building monocoque midgets, but have been unable to locate any pictures. I don't know if this is one of them

Take a look at these pics and please help me I.D. what I'm looking at. I have no idea what this car is worth. Anybody willing to help me out?

I'm also gonna' post this over on the sprint car thread.

Thanks.

 

Harry's son Lance is a HAMB member and lurks here occasionally. Harry's last "stooge", Gregg Kishline, is trying to start a Turner chassis registry.

Lance still operates Turner Auto Body in Kenosha Wisconsin. I believe (11) "tubs" were built but you'd have to check with Gregg on how many are accounted for. There are (2) at the shop plus (1) that was never finished. I'll see if I can get Gregg to post the history of these unique cars here.

The "Kenosha Gang" of midget racers certainly deserve a book of their own. Among the notable K-Town midgets that still around are Ernie Fredrickson's Sidewinder [restored out in California] and his #50 Roadster [restoration in progress at the Turner shop], and the 1959 BMARA championship winning Kurtis-V8 60 of Billy Wood [back on display after 50 years in storage].

Gregg has the rear engine VW he built & raced at Joliet Stadium in the late 1970s and a never completed Badger-like roadster.

I'll make sure they look at your photos.

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois
Official PR hack of the #50 Roadster restoration team

PS: Is that an independent front suspension on the car? If so Gregg will definitely be in touch. He has been searching for the whereabouts of the only tub with IFS for some time now. He has photos of it in ints earlier livery.

 

Thanks for info.

The front is a tube straight axle with torsion bars. Arms are real short. Doesn't look efficent.

 

The car Gregg is trying to locate was built with IFS & a Chevy II. The Chevy was pulled and to fit a VW they cut a hole in one side of the tub and a U-shaped cut-out in the other side. The car in the photo looks like it has both of those modifications.
When IFS was banned it makes sense that someone converted it to a solid axle. The forward pointing radius rods are very odd.
I hope to hear from Gregg shortly.

 

From Gregg Kishline:
Lance and I scoped the HAMB photos, while comparing notes over the phone. Ain't technology wonderful?

There are too many discrepancies. Brackets and structures come and go over time, but some of the original basics have to match up. Details, details.

Our joint decision on this midget is that 1) it's not the independent tub that went to California in the 70's, and 2) Harry didn't build it. The known non-Turner monocoques include one built by Don Vogler (accounted for, owned by Mike Halling) and 2 or 3 built by Tom Mislich (one in southern IL). This car on the HAMB site MAY be one of the Mislich tub copies, but it doesn't look like Tom's work to me. The next and most likely possibility is that it's a tub as built someone who saw one of Harry's and decided to do their own version.

Thanks for asking.

 

Not about these cars, but in the late 50's &/or early 60's Floyd Trevis built four tube chassis space frame cars (they looked somewhat like roadsters, but were uprights). .... They have forward pointing radius rods.

Those cars were fairly sucessful, especially the #24 that was owned by Ken Brenn. It handled well .. especially on dirt. It was driven by many famous drivers. Quite a few won features in it.

Buildy (Tony) might have better pictures of the front suspension, showing the forward pointing radius rods? I believe the pictures I'll post are also his.

Frank .. whether it be a Turner or not, I think that car is truly neat!!!!

 

On the lighter side.

COMMENTS????

 

Thanks for all the input and information about the mystery midget I posted pics of.

Sure would be nice to track down some history.

The previous owner was a guy in North Carolina. The current owner bought the car, ran it a few laps and the engine exploded. Not a good way to start a relationship with a car.

 

Frank ..

Any way to contact the previous owner in NC?

Did the current owner run those few laps with any midget club/organization? (I can't think of any midget clubs down there, but there is a TQ club in Florida.)

The engine blew? If he wasn't "a racer", I bet'cha he got on it before it was warmed up (maybe).

Also (and this might be a clue) did it run on methanol or gasoline???