Midget Racers back in the 50's

Troy Ruttman at work on, of all places, a road course.

 

And a few more from the Justice Brothers collection.
Does anyone have information or body off pictures on how cars like the #33
or "blu-green special" were put together?
It looks like modified stock frame rails, and I would like to know more. '22

 

The main rails from a Willys car was a popular choice with some builders being relatively small and light weight. Kurtis used a single round tube frame, as shown and aside from the main rails it shows the typical construction of the midgets of that time.

 

Roy, which of the family would have raced at Hershey, PA. in the 60's? Mc Coy and Mann ring bells. I remember an outboard 2 stroke, a few Chevy IIs, lots of V860's and of course Offys. Sure wish I had my old programs, my Dad and I went all the time. 22Dodge, a friend rebuilt a midget before he died several years ago. It was originally Harley flathead powered and used Model T frame rails.

 

Oh, and welcome Tractorguy!! Midgets rule!

 

Kinda OT but did you read what Tony Stewart said was the hardest race to win? A- "The Chile Bowl". Coming up soon in OKC.

 

Here is a pic of a Edmunds midget frame from the 60s, and as you can see, aside from the rear torsion tubes, not much had changed, pretty basic and simple.

 

Thanks for the pictures and information.
I plan on going back to Justice Brothers in a few weeks, and will be
spending a little more time with detail photos on some of the cars,
the "blu-green special" being at the top of my list.
Something about that one that I really like. '22

 

Well im not 100% sure of this but i would have to say Michigan _ Ohio_ maybe Indiana too

 

Jimmy drove for Ken Brenn out there in the 60's

 

Here's a few shots from the Hershey meet this year:

 

Here's my part of Midget Auto Racing history.

Kurtis-Kraft Offy powered midget. I bought it back in 1988 from a fella' in NJ, Dennis Smith. Super nice guy.

This is the car that helped launch Mario Andretti's career. He drove it in '62 & '63 for the Mataka brothers outa' Flemington, NJ.

After Mario won 3 feature races in one day on Labor Day weekend Sunday in 1963, the car was nick named the "3 n'1" (3 wins in one day). That punched Mario's ticket to go BIG TIME racing.

The rest is now history.

I've never run the car. It just hides in a corner of my shop.

 

Lil ol ' Mario almost made a midget car look big.

 

I've been to the JB place a few times & I belive Ed Justice Sr. told me that the #1 in your photo was one of the first midgets on the west coast. Not everyone believes what Ed Sr. says about his collection. He does have some great stories from when he and Zeke started their company.

I would suggest a few places to get more info. One is a group that I am a memeber of, Western Racing Assoc. http://www.westernracing.com/. I was so inspired by what I saw when these guys would run exhibitions with CRA in the 80's I now own a rail midget and am a member. A great group of guys.

The other group in online and is a great place to get info from the guys that were there. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/racinghistory/

My midget is a Hillegas built around 1941. I run a V8-60. Not sure of the frame rails but they are a modified C channel.

Bart

 

That's a real beauty, and I like that "period" tailer too, Hillegas built some great cars back in the day. The rails may have been handmade as some of the builders did back then. You may already have these, but here are some scans from a old O/W mag. of the restored Hillegas house car from the late 40s-50s.

 

Some very brief amature footage from the late '50s. Mostly stockers, but some midgets running.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4mbIBimgT4&feature=PlayList&p=51F0B3F400006DAA&index=1

 

What a great thread ! Ive been a open wheel dirt fan along time too and fortunately living in Springfield IL able to see many of the top names come thru here too both at "Little Springfield"and the mile.I was working a tow truck at the mile when Danny Drinan had his crash, Its a shame they dont run the Mile anymore but after witnessing that It is understandable. We have a few locals that were rather good aswell back in the day Chuck and Gene "Stooge" Weyant. And later the Kunz brothers some very winning owner/mechanics. BIGSAM63 on here traveled around with Kieth and Rusty Kunz as a crew member maybe he will chime in

 

If you go here:http://www.sofast.tv/ on the 3rd page there are 3 short films of the RMMRA from the 50s-60s.

 

Does nobody else have any information on the Bothwell Collection at the Bothwell Ranch in Tarzana Ca. ?

 

I thought this car was interesting, Evinrude powered.
It is currently for sale on eBay. The information posted is:

1939 Joe Gertler Midget with 460 ELTO (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard).
<O</O
<O</O
Ralph Evinrude built bilge pumps for war ships.
They were powered by Evinrude Outboard Motor powerheads.
After the war, they were available surplus and many were used in Midget racing.
The stock motor was 50 hp, this engine is a 4 cyl. opposed.
They did run in competition and were considered serious racers.


Does anyone have any more information on this type or any other "odd ball" set ups?
It looks interesting... '22<O</O

 

1934 homebuilt with J.A.P. M/C engine.

 

www.midgetmadness.com

 

Great Thread!

 

My dad Edward Renaud raced sprints and Midgets for a stable owner out of Norwich Ct.from the very late 40s to late 53.I think the owner was Red Senecal.dad told me once that he owned more than a dozen midget racers at the same time with 6-8 permanent drivers .They raced all over the east coast but my dad stayed in the New England area racing at lots of fairgrounds out here

 

My father knew some midget racers in Cleveland Ohio back then. He built some bodies for them. He used to take me to the midget races indoors at the Cleveland Arena, where the Cleveland Barons hockey team played. As I recollect they put down a board track on the hockey rink. I remember the smell of castor oil mixed with nitro - the ventilation in that old building was not good. By the end of the night you could not see across the arena. They also raced some motorcycle heats. Later on when I was twelve or thirteen he opened a body shop in Burton Ohio and started construction of a Crosley powered 3/4 midget. Before I was old enough to drive it somebody saw it and made him an offer he didn't refuse. I wonder what ever happened to that TQ?

 

Here is the remains of one my buddy drug out of the woods in east Texas, sitting here in Phoenix now.

 

Any chance anyone has the info on this car? Either the seller or buyer? I have a Gertler Lea Francis and try to keep tabs on the few known cars he built.

 

Johnny Moorehouse. V-8 60 Kurtis

 

Bluto....do you still have that old Willys powered midget? My ex-wifes uncle owned a TQ that was Danny Caruthers first ride. If I remember correctly it was powered by a Fiat engine. There are some great photos on the web of vintage midgets, here is one that has some great shots. http://justmidgets.homestead.com/Americaninput.html

 

The bottom left photo is two of my Dad's cars, #1 and #93. My 1/4 midget sits right in front of them. Have not seen the Bothwell collection, but it would have to be very large to be bigger than what Ed Justice has put together. RIP.

A bunch of us have posted ton's of midget pics on the Vintage Sprint Car thread.