History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

I found these pictures on the NEMA web page. The picture of Johnny Coy with the Brenn car says 1977 but I doubt it. 67 maybe

 

Hello, gtxrider. The 3<SUP>rd</SUP> photo is A badger. So 1978 is right on that photo or is real close. That is my guess?

 

More like 1967 on the Coy/Brenn picture. End of season looking at the paint.

 

Coy picture looks like Thompson always last race of year no cage so earlier than '70 Also Lenny was about 16 or 17 in '68 so that shot is likely '77 Today 16 or 17 year old could race sprint or midget but not in '67 or even '77

 

'77 is the year Lenny was the ARDC champ and drove the Dewey Cali Badger so that could be 77. I think the picture was at New London Waterford in CT. If so that was the race Doug Cleveland tried to pass Lenny going into the first turn and didn't quite make it. Dewey said laughingly "He could have had second".

 

Sad news on the NEMA midget site. long time owner and super nice
guy JIM 0'brien died today................

 

http://k.b5z.net/i/u/6010713/i//Jim_s_car2.jpg Jims current car...was always super nice to me when i go to the NEMA races.....so sad...

 

Gods speed Jim.

 

Hello, Well guys I am still waiting for my pumps. So nothing new on the badger. Started on the body but only At the beginning. I did work on my fathers old race car trailer. This is the trailer I will be using to hall the car. Not done still have to put decking down and tires, etc. I remember one time after we ran A show. A couple came in the pits and told my father. They were driving around on A Saturday and saw the race car. They drove up to see what kind of car it was and to check it out. So they decided to follow us. Well they followed right to the track and watched the races and were surprised that there was racing every sat. night. (not no more) I never forgot that. I have memories of falling sleeping up in the back window watching the roll cage bouncing up and down. Thanks, Tom

 

http://www.nemaracing.com/2011_Photos/Waterbowl%20-%20April%202-3/651-Untitled-10.jpg More pics of Jimmy Obrien.....

 

http://www.nemaracing.com/2011_Photos/Waterbowl%20-%20April%202-3/455-Dad-and-Chris.jpg

 

http://www.nemaracing.com/2011_Photos/Waterbowl%20-%20April%202-3/650-EvansVictory.jpg Jim was a long time NEMA midget owner who died yesterday..

 

<TABLE class=style419 style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5><TBODY><TR><TD class=style422 style="HEIGHT: 33px" colSpan=4>NEMA Stalwart Jimmy O&#8217;Brien Passes</TD></TR><TR><TD class=style421 style="HEIGHT: 33px" colSpan=4>The Northeastern Midget Association lost one of its most dedicated competitors and contributors Monday with the passing of Jimmy O&#8217;Brien. As a car owner and officer, O&#8217;Brien helped to write over four decades of NEMA history.

O&#8217;Brien, a NEMA member since 1970, said his greatest moment came in 1990 when son Matt jumped into his #16. That relationship carried into this season.

Introduced to the Midgets by his father, O&#8217;Brien got involved back in the early 1950s. After two years working with others in NEMA, he joined the owner ranks with the Ray Kelly #33. He always referred to Kelly, a NEMA legend, &#8220;as my mentor.&#8221; Chuck Daniel and Len Thrall also played key roles in O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s early career.

A member of the NEMA Hall of Fame, he built his own cars and motors for almost his entire involvement with the club.

His drivers included Johnny Evans, Hank Stevens, Doug Cleveland, Steve Eldridge, Paul Stoehr and Roy Daniel. Cleveland and Evans won in O&#8217;Brien equipment; Stevens won the 1975 dirt track title.

He was a walking NEMA encyclopedia, always willing to share a wealth of club history. He was part of several &#8220;eras.&#8221; Always a defender of the low-buck competitor, O&#8217;Brien, elected to the Contest Board in 1973, was a guiding force for many years. A one-time vice president, he stepped down in 2003 after 13 years as the club treasurer.

&#8220;Jimmy&#8217;s dedication to NEMA was incredible, an inspiration really,&#8221; says club president Mike Scrivani Jr. &#8220;He loved the Midgets and NEMA in particular. He was an officer under several presidents.
In all the years I knew Jim, seldom did he raise his voice. And
over the past 10 years watching Jimmy and Matt was just a
great thing.&#8221;</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Hello, some photos.

 

Moe always brings the goodies !! Nice stuff Sir !

 

Just saw this car on ebay. One of my favorites, wish I didn't have so much stuff going now, would love to have it....hope the pictures transfer with the "quote" cause that's the extent of my computer knowledge....

 

wasn't there a sidewinder (don't know which make chassis) that ran grandfathered under the NEMA rules up until the late 90's?? I vaguely remember seeing it running a season or two before I started racing with them

wish I still had that chassis I ran in nema, It was the challenger chassis that sammy ran in the first chilli bowl.

 

Hello, revkev6. Don’t know about NEMA series. The last what they called A sidewinder midget that I new of. Cladis owned I am not sure what chassis it was. There was two other cars that ran Grundy county raceway years back. If my memory serves me right they were brothers. Cars were A dark orange one was #44. The other was painted the same cant remember the number.

 

Maybe it was Jon Zahar's roadster you're refering to not sure when he ran that last with NEMA

 

Can anyone Id this rearend and Grill?? thanks

 

Johnny Zeke

 

Hello, Guys. I have Been trying to break the code to be able to get some picks on here. I am not sure if I can .
So here it goes.

 

Ed,Thanks for the P/M on the Zeke/Majka midget.I forwarded the message to the Majka's and they are grateful for the info you have sent,and were wondering if you could post the info on this thread,I've tried but not being computer talented couldn't post it. They are grateful for the info you supplied and would love to share the info with the fellow midgeteers here in hopes of others having some info to help them with their resto project,.....Thanks.Rich and the Majka's

 

Originally Posted by Ed Battle


Johnny Zeke's #5 midget
I got my army discharge in 1952, rented a garage on Wade St. Bridgeport and bought the Fray# 78 V860, and my favorite V860 from Len Thrall, and somehow went to visit with Mr. Paul Krisak (spelling?), over on Williams St. in Bridgeport, who owned and had in a rented garage next to his house, the #5.
I bought it (No idea of the price - probably quite reasonable as the Fray car cost $450 and the Thrall car (Which I later sold to Len Calinoff) cost $300.
Put the # 60 on with painted tape. Later went back to Mr. Krisak and bought a special manifold and
Lincoln Zephyr distributor which would convert the engine to a CROSS-FIRE. He had never used it.
I put the distributor on my #90 (the Thrall car) and with a switch, I could fire on 4 cylinders, which
I thought would be valuable to isolate problems down to 4 cylinders.
Later I sold the #60 (#5) car to Walt Boyd in Fairfield, who took it all apart and was set to race it, when he got a
super deal on an almost new railframe midget.
I don't think he ever put the #60 back together and sold it to some other party.

 

COOL!!!! you guys figured out how to post it,hopefully it will jar peoples memories to help you guys with the resto......Rich

 

More Johnny Zeke #5 info:

Other side of #5 (#60)



Johnny Zeke in Harvey Tattersall's "Catfish" (Although I generally remembered Herbie Heldt driving it)

 

before you say it, these cars have roll cages, I just thought I'd share some of the 2011 season opener for ARDC from Susquehanna Speedway. enjoy!

 

Here are a couple more pictures of the Sam Traylor Offy and the Kenz&Leslie V8 60 1/25th scale Revell midget built using after market decals from Scale Auto Details.

 

LEE GREENWALT, Thanks, did enjoy the ARDC pictures. The first picture of the three drivers, the guy in the middle......is he wearing an ear ring or is that a flaw in the picture.
I hope it's a flaw, Race drivers don't wear ear rings. Denny Z

 

Al DeAngelo