History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

There is a Northfield, Ohio, an eastern suburb of Cleveland where I believe some early oval track racing took place. Perhaps that may help narrow your search.

 

Gary Bettenhause passed away Sunday 3-16-14 . So said as I raced him many time & and he more than paid the price that the young drivers will never have to pay BK

 

Does anyone have any information on Stan Stroyanov - he was the last known owner of the Northfield Castings Special KK that I have recently purchased. I have asked for information in my previous thread.

 

saw this add for midget stuff/estate sale in fogelsville pa, I think Stan may be near it? not sure if it's all late model midget or older stuff too? wish i was closer I'd check it out.

http://allentown.craigslist.org/pts/4375565389.html

 

This stuff is from the estate of my good friend and racer
Tom Cockrane. The Green car is a Trevis midget. the other may be a Bailey midget. I did not see it listed, but Tom had a new Winters Midget rear there also. I do not think I will go to the sale, I would have to live to over a hundred to finish all the projects I have, Boy would that make a sale when I`m gone. It would take a week to sell all my junk!

 

Gary, Sorry to say Stan Stoynov passed away a few years ago. The last KK car I remember him owning went to Paul Waters in Iowa who has restored and is for sale. That doesn't mean he didn't own your KK, he bought and sold many cars and parts over the years. Stan was a good friend of the Pete Family in Ohio.

Phil

 

I love the picture's guys .so many found memories. I worked for Johnny Pawl when I was a kid.


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Hi Phil,

Thank you for the help, the car has "Northfield Castings Special" on the bonnet and has driver "Bill ______" the last name is missing and on the side panels which are "sky blue" there are USAC stickers with "Registered Car 1958". The car is a parallel 4 bar car and does not look to have really done too much work. I trust this may get someone's memory going.

Gary

 

Gary, I have a book called Spertsman Park Speedway by Ron Pollock, Sportsman Park outside of Cleveland is Northfield Park where they run harness racing. I did not see "Northfield Castings Special" on any pictures in book. I did notice two "Bills" Bill Spears & Bill Boyd. I knew Spears back in the day he drove for Al "Wimpy" Vobler from Cleceland, Oh. Their cars were KK Offys Red & White #1 with Checkard Flags around number. Their period together was more in the '60's. I'll keep looking.

Phil

 

Not enough aggravation in my life.. a guy (somewhere in NJ zip code)finally made an offer on my Elto midget, but waited until less than one minute to go... to make it. so by time I read it, the Ebay sale time ran out, the original sale offer "expired," and they no longer permit contacting each other.
I know..I could relist it with buy it now, at his offer price, but don't know if he was just playing with me..knowing I'd have no time to respond
I'm about worn out..

I was just looking at some of the old 1950s black & white photos at my Dad's old shop in The Bronx, Raceway Garage. It was so cool to notice that there were a NUMBER of brand new midget bodies on their frames, hanging from the Ceiling and rafters, around the fantastic Bluebird, LSR, while my Dad was working on it, (and the pre-war German Adler Grand Prix car)What an extreme variation in old race cars! Gonna have to blow them up and see if I can tell if the new midgets were "Raceway Specials" that he sold a BUNCH of, (either finished or as kits) or the Kurtis Kraft copies that he made a bunch of.

He always said that he like to build midgets with new and different styles and features, in the early Hey Day, but it came to the point, that just about everybody only wanted Kurtis Krafts, after they became so dominant..He said if you went to a midget race, and stripped the paint off the cars, no one would know one car from another..I got to build a couple of KK bodies and frames with him in the 80's, for guys who STILL only wanted a KK duplicate, replica, rebody of their old beat up one, etc..

 

Lofty company..
Here are a couple of shots, From these and other original photos, it can be seen that there were at least five new midgets hanging from the ceiling on both sides of The Bluebird, and even sitting on a long wall shelf. I believe this is 1952..

 

I just found out that a Colorado Racing Hall of Fame member, Bob Olds, passed away on 3 March 2014. I only recently met him, and he was very kind and helpful when We talked. He own midgets that raced many years in Colorado, and across the country. He will be missed.

 

hey guys I need info and pics of how to route & connect my manual brake rod from my hand brake to the rear left drum on my pre-war midget. It's a model A rear/mechanical brake. I only ask because I am not sure if I should just run the brake rod from the bottom of the hand brake lever to the drum on an angle below or near the rear radious rod or straight back along the frame rail & use some kind of bell crank or pivot point to actuate the drum brake. Seems I would want to keep the rod closer to the frame for saftey rather then out away from the frame? Please post your suggestions and any pics showing how I can do it. I want to be safe but period correct as well.
thanks,
Paul

 

Paul,

Here are a couple of pictures of my set up. The read end and brakes are Model A. It connects to the original arm on the brake drum, and is a clevis comment ion on the lever. Brakes work real well with this set up.

 

Sorry, only one picture loaded.

 

nice car! hard to tell in the pic but it looks like the rod parralels (<SP?) the radious rod back to the brake lever?

 

thanks guys, as usual I got the answer I was looking for ,from Bob (29speedster)

paul

 

Can anyone help with contact info for a Victoria, Australian gent who has been trying to contact me about vintage race cars? He uses the Ebay name Ellingsen44. Or please refer him to my contact info on my website. www.memaerobilia.com Thanks.

 

Hey All, Where is the serial number on a KK midget? Maybe on a dash plate or the frame rail or both? Denny Z.

 

Should be on the frame tube in the cowl area on the right side. Have also seen numbers stamped on the right frame tube back by the gas tank mounts.

 

Thanks Dean.

 

belmont midgets were sold by Ed Stone who owned new england speed equipment. these rail frame midgets were sold in 1946 47 era . the name belmont came about because at that time his speed parts were sold out of his house at 28 emerson ave. in Belmont, ma. later on he moved into a large store at 169 brighton ave in allston, ma. i do have pictures of his belmont bodies and i think an original brochure. Tommy Caruso.

 

Tommy, Are you related to the famous Mike Caruso? Denny Z.

 

hi Denny, i'm honored to know you. and no i'm not related to mike as far as i know but mike jr. always called me cousin. interesting note ,my father was born in italy in 1898 i think the same year mike was born also in italy and in the same region . my father was in the theater business and always said we were related to enrico Caruso as i'm sure mike probably did. and lastly my fathers name was also mike Caruso. and denny i wanted you to know that i was great friends with Joe Sostilio and your fellow statesmen, Chuck Arnold and Smokey Secondo--- Tommy Caruso

 

OK Thanks Tommy, Now I can say I know the famous Tommy Caruso. Actually I never knew Mike, he was before my time but I knew of him. I did drive Smokey's midget once or twice. Denny Z

 

hi denny, do you remember this ? best of luck, Tommy Caruso.

 

Anybody recognize ths car? An Aussie bought it from Waz Brown, former crew chief for Carl Edwards. Brown got it from Kenny Schrader. who cannot remember whose it was.

 

Tommy, Cool...every time I talk to Rolla he brings that up. That pin was the idea of Phil Hedbach (sp?). He was the head guy at Bryant Heating and Cooling and he sponsored Indy cars for years. He loved Indy cars and he payed the bills out of his own pocket rather than having Bryant pay. He was a "colorful" guy much like Andy G. Denny Z.

Just thinking....if I remember correctly he had a contest every year whereby the top sales guy from each Bryant region across the country (or maybe it was a raffle) would be his guest at the 500.

 

Day dreaming a bit about the past today and wondering about the utilization of the major engines used in early midgets after the advent of the Offies, V8-60's, Willys, Ford Fergusons, Studebakers, Eltos, Drakes and Continentals up to the time of this thread.

More specifically, I'm wondering if anyone tried running the updated Studebaker Champion that was converted to an OHV in 1960, and if not, why?

I believe it may have been lighter than the Falcon, had more displacement (maybe too much at 169 cu. in.)had better intake breathing but only four exhaust ports compared to six on the Falcon. The Falcon was an over square high reving engine while the Studebaker was an under square torquer more on the order of an Offy.

1960 would be the same year the Falcons came out and they were run successfully by quite a few.

Of course the Chevy II appeared two years later and it and it's derivations and the later Pintos and Volkswagens were the dominant ones after that.

Discussion, Knowledge, Comments or Observations anyone?