History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Hugh

I love these shots-keep posting more if you have them!

Some of the oldtimers on here may be able to ID them.

 

Hugh M. Probably Bill Dills in the 42

 

Well our Vintage Speedway Christmas show day in beautiful sunny (100 degree heat) Sydney has come & gone once again.We had a pretty fair roll up of midgets,TQ's,Solo & outfit bikes as well as some great Super Modifieds (vintage sprintcars).A few ales were consumed,quiet a few stories told (remember the saying..the older I get the quicker I was) santa appeared & if you didnt have a good time,you were'nt trying.
# 4 offy acheived the vintage resto of the year (pre roll cage)
# 79 VW " " classic " " " "
& now for some pics,hope you enjoy,hope to have a few better ones soon.

 

Pics 2

 

pic 3

 

pic 4

 

pics 5

 

pic 6

 

pic 7

 

pic 8

 

pic 8

 

pic 9

 

Who is the body builder on the #1 red and white midget? Done there or here?

 

I was wondering about that car,too.

What Engine is in there?
Did that run as a midget or a sprint with that six cylinder?

Nice photos Hutch,and your #79 looks great!

You have 100 degree weather,and we just had our first Snow of the winter on Sat.

 

Well our Vintage Speedway Christmas show day in beautiful sunny (100 degree heat) Sydney has come & gone once again.We had a pretty fair roll up of midgets,TQ's,Solo & outfit bikes as well as some great Super Modifieds (vintage sprintcars).A few ales were consumed,quiet a few stories told (remember the saying..the older I get the quicker I was) santa appeared & if you didnt have a good time,you were'nt trying.

Thanks for the great images, now that I am restoring a vintage midget I really like to view all of the vintage midgets I can find and you guys 'down under' have a bunch.
Just read "Tattersall, the Legend", interesting read. Apparently a real Australian legend!

Blacki-Suede

 

An Internet acquaintance in London, Ontario, Canada is working on this restoration.

Anyone recognize the car or have any info?

The car had no engine or engine plate to give any clues.

The nose obviously is not the correct one for the car.

 

.....'No kidding about the book on 'Tat.' 'Besides Buildy, I'd also like to know about that big 6 in that car. I know that the 6 cylinder Holden was a popular midget engine down under. And from what I've gathered, it was simply a motor out of a passenger car? Hutcho, could you please give us a little more info on the Holden and other 'sixes' that you guys used? I am not aware of the Holden ever being imported into the states?

 

I see a Vic Yerardi midget, the maroon #4. He had quite a collection of cars. New England to down under, must be a story there.

 

The # 1 in pic 2 is actually # 13 pic 4,its the ex Don Mackay Holden owned & restored by Bill Wells,Sydney.To my knowledge always run as a midget,Don had a host of great midgets over the years....Thanks buildy....Blacki another book you maybe interested in Mel Kenyons The Hand of Fire I picked 1 up at Mels house when I visited in 2007.I havent read it yet(no spare time)but I'll read it when I get to the nursing home I quess.
Yes Tatts was sensational here,I actually visited his grave in the morning & went onto Mels that afternoon.
Maybe Rotta can help me with the "holden" story...you there Bob?

 

BTW Blacki take your time & check this site it will take you all different places,restorations,members cars & lots of Aussie history.
www.vintagespeedway.com

 

Little Fauss, The Holden engine was used in a passenger car ( Holden ) a GMH product, released in Circa 1948. It was very similar in appearance to the Chev 6 cyl
engine of the mid to late 40s. It wa sof 138ci dispalcement as I recall.

The engines were readily available, inexpensive to maintain, had a wide range of speed equipment available. Many were fitted with 3 SU, or Solex carbs, and later
fuel injected. Argueably the master at fuel inj was Hedley Mc Gee and his sons.

A strong Holden in a good chassis could take it to the Offy's as the visitors often found. The # 13 in the hands of driver John Harvey was one such example.

Hutcho dropped me in, for this reply. Hope it helps.

 

.....'Rotta14, Thank you very much. 'Just what I needed to know. I noticed that some of the recent pics that Hutcho posted, McGee fuel injection decals were noticable. But, one Holden I'm never going to forget is that Max Linklater #55 of Bryan Cunneen!

 

I remember that Vic Yerardi #4 car well. He would bring that to a bunch of event and run the heck out of it.

Yic was a really great person, an asset to the racing world, and a great friend. When Vic passed away, his wife sold all of his stuff. The last cars around were the Eddie Sachs Indy car and the A.J. Foyt champ car. Vic actually introduced me to A.J. at one of the vintage events at New Hampshire International Speedway. A.J. was there with his Indy car team just before the big split with CART. What a hoot being in the presence of Vic and A.J. They were a riot, like kids from the old neighborhood. Rough and tough both of them but with a real nice side. You could see their long time friendship in how they interacted.

This is one of my favorite Vic Verardi pictures with my wife. Vic always liked a lady on his arm.

I have a special spot in my shop with a bunch of Vic Yerardi stuff. I'll dig up some other pictures of his cars.

Joe

 

Little Fauss, The Linklater was one of the best Holden powered cars in the country. The most famous was driven by National Champ Johnny Stewart, Australia's " most
courageous driver ". It is restored and owned by businessman Roger Jenkin. It is always the centre of attention at car shows.

 

Pics of the Fuel Inj,dry- sumped Holden powered ex Johnny Stewart Aust 1.

 

This image is one of my 1st memories of the Stewart car above. November 1964, Sydney Showground Bullpens corner....Stewart totally demolishes the car right in front of me. He is relatively unhurt.

 

I would presume this to be a car built by Don Mackay or someone else over there as I would think (perhaps erreoneosly) few cars brought over would have had a Holden heart transplant.

 

Would you believe via Texas, Vic Yeradi sold it there with a number of cars in the late 80's where it became part of a large private collection and was purchased earlier this year.
The restoration on this car confirms Vic Yeradi's reputation as a perfectionist and is a credit to him.
The full story is yet to emerge, it is a 1968 Edmunds 4bar chassis number 59, one of three sold new to the North East at that time. Our research so far has it shipped to Ken Hickey at the same time as the Ken Brenn Edmunds 4 bar car (chassis #57) which has appeared in the Honker discussions. As yet unconfirmed it appears to have been sold to Ron Bennett and driven as #22 by Jimmy Kirk. Then the real mystery begins because this car has had very little running and appears to only ever have had an offy in it. There is a later Bennett 22 Edmunds Sesco driven very successfully by Kirk around 1972 but pictures show it to be a later model chassis.
Any information on this car would be greatly appreciated, any information regarding the current whereabouts of Jim Kirk would also be appreciated.
I' ll try and post some more pictures soon, meanwhile thanks for the great thread.

 

Motorhead I have sent my friend Gordon Benny,a former midget star in Aust an email asking for the info on the Verardi #4.I did glance at some paper work about a month ago when Gordon 1st fired it,only a week back he did demo laps at Tamworth speedway & all was good.After going to the states to buy the car he got it here about 6 weeks ago.Gordons still a good pedler at about 77 years young.If you can send me any info or pics I will forward them on email me at kimhutcho54@hotmail.com many thanks.

Growing old is compulsary....growing up is by choice.

 

Great pic Bob unless your Johnny Stewart.
I guess we should pay homage to the many great photographers of yesteryear for the wonderful pics we enjoy today especially without the technology cameras of today.