History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

tony bonadies was the first vp of ardc

 

ardc dutch and tony in back and photo of drivers

 

here is a shot of tonys shop in the bronx

 

Tony, Thank you for posting those pics! I love pics that show behind the scenes and those have many interesting details. I really liked the poster behind Mr. Schaefer comparing paid admissions baseball to auto racing in 1947. $19M to $31M !!

Andy

 

Hello, Not sure where I got these from, Some where off the web.

 

Moe those are off an Aussie Site.

 

Tony Bonadies Jr,


Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos! The shop photos are really gems.

Your Dad was my Dad`s favorite driver.

 

In photo of drivers - might the 3rd from the right, front row, be Ritter?

I see the sign says racing at Kingsbridge Armory on Wed & Sat nights? Wasn't aware of that one!

Thought that was a young Tony behind "Dutch".

Can anyone name all those drivers in the drivers photo?

 

Buildy,
You're dead right, they are Australian photos.
They were taken at the now defunct Westmead Speedway in Sydney. It was a half mile dirt track. Closed in the late 1960s. Not sure about the last pic of Sid Middlemas in the Wells #54.... doesn't look like Westmead to me
The young guy in the yellow #65 is Gary Rush, who went on to become Australia's greatest sprintcar driver. Rushie won the Aussie Sprintcar Title 10 Times.
Just having another look...Lew Marshall in the #72 was probably taken at Liverpool Speedway, another track that closed down many years ago..1989 I'm thinking.

 

You're right TommyA19 .... THANKS for the heads up!!!

BTW .. If the report last summer, by Chris Economacki in NSSN, about the structural integrity of the stadium and it no longer being safe & sound enough to hold a crowd was correct .. I "guess" the battle to revive the stadium for auto racing (or anything) is over.

Even putting the lack of structural integrity aside, when I left the vintage show there last summer, I took a ride around and looked over what I was told were potential parking areas for fans, etc. and just could not see where or how it would be possible. From what I could see, the lack of parking was a huge issue.

However, I do applaude Ronny Dennis and his team for their efforts to bring auto racing back to this historical jewel.

In the years following WWII, with the Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City and the Ruppert Stauium in Newark .. that general area of New Jersey was a true HOT BED of midget and early stock car racing.

BTW .. the Ruppert Stadium was owned by the Ruppert - Knickerbocker beer people .. who were also the sponsor of the prized Knickerbocker Trophy that is pictured here on this thread with Tommie Elliott, Ronnie Evans, Joe Csiki and I think others.

 

As one of the members of Ron Dennis's team to bring the stadium back to it's glory, it is the city that has the desire to rebuild the stadium so it is the city's responsibility to provide parking for all of the events. Our group is only concerned with bringing racing back to the stadium once the city rebuilds it. It is my understanding that there's parking behind the factories on property that the city owns.
As per my conversation with Chris Economacki with whom I spoke just after he wrote this article he was not aware of everything being done for the stadium,after I explained to him he felt more positive about the stadium.

 

What with today's economy and I believe that just the other day that the city of Paterson layed off some of their men in blue, would the city have the funding?

 

Hey kmajka ...

THANKS for the update. .... I'm glad to hear that the possibility is still alive!!!

I for one hope that, in these poor economic times, the city of Paterson, NJ can come up with the funds to renovate, refurbish, renew &/or rebuild the stadium. That, in itself, would sure provide quite a few jobs and business for construction material vendors/suppliers in the in the area for awhile.

The Hinchliffe Stadium is a historical jewel in regard to auto racing and other sports as well.

I drove back and looked (as best I could) at the proposed parking area behind the factory and what was/is probably the second turn and from what I could see it's not near big enough to provide adequate parking for what's said to be the 10,000 seating capacity of the facility.

I bet that 10,000 number was based on the OLD standard of 18 inches per person. I don't know what the current standard is, but today's modern American is deemed to be "wider" than 18 inches. That would reduce the potential seating capacity "a little". .... Even so, the area needed for parking would be quite substancial. .... But as you said .. 'it's the city's responsibility to provide parking for all of the events'.

PLEASE keep us up to date with (1) the progress of the city's efforts regarding the stadium, (2) any & all updates about auto racing returning there and (3) also any news of a Vintage Race Car Show and Old Timers gathering being held at the historic stadium again this year. .... I'm sure you folks are already hard at work on that annual event.

 

Thanks for the info. Thanks to this site we found the Fred Rockey that owned and raced the midget we are restoring in 1978. With his help we eventully got to Don Edmunds who helped us trace the linage of the car. It is Edmunds chassis number CBM-7. Built in 1965, and is the 7th midget Edmunds built. It was built for his dealer Howard Linne, who ordered it for Bob Lithgow. Lithgow ran the car in USAC for a number of years. With help from this site, we have the entire history of the car.

 

I think your mostly right Bob, the first photo of the orange 10 is Gordon Benny (that was easy as he's my father).
The second photo appears to include the ex Warriner Don Mackay Offy on the right.
The third photo I think is actually Aussie expat Bill Humphries who imported this car and sold it to Eric Morton. Morton ran Lew Marshall in it before Barry Pinchbeck started a long tenure in it.
Gary Rush (in the big BERCO?)
Car 55 is the Linklater Holden with what looks like Ray Oram I should know the 99 but can't think of it just now.
The 23 car is Barry Valentina, this was the "Hollywood Spring and Axle" 54 brought to Australia by Bob Tattersall.
54 is "scare em" Sid Middlemass in the Wells Bros 54.

As small kid I learnt my numbers from cars of this era, to this day I still remember phone numbers as groups of drivers!

 

Mr Roberts,
Mate, you might be right!
However check out page 47 of "Speedway's Sensational Sixties". If my scanner hadn't been "stolen" by my son, I'd post it!
A picture of Lew Marshall in the "ex Billy Humphries Offy" owned by Eric Morton. A Warren Bridge image from 1968, that looks remarkably similar to the photo posted above......helmet and facemask the same.
BTW...Aaron aka Mr Roberts, was a pretty good midget peddler in his day. I think I saw all of his 10/11 Feature wins at PCR in Sydney.
Also watched his dad back in the Sydney Showground days. He was quick also. They own some beautiful old midgets these days.

 

Aaron,
Here is one I just found......

G Benny... L Marshall..... G McClenahan....
Man... weren't they the days for midgets! Dangerous yet exciting!

.

 

Crocky Wright's Midget Auto Racing History Vol I on page 43 in the Chapter on the Birth of the ARDC contains the following...

President......................Bill Schindler
Vice Presidents..............Ed Van Nostrand, Bill Holmes, F Alsheimer
Secretary.....................Ed Bourgnon
Treasurer......................H.E. Hauptner
Counsel........................J. Orenstein
Board of Governors.........Ed Schaefer, Ed Van Norstrand, Mike Caruso,
Honey Purick, Harry Schloeder, Ted Tappett,
Ernie Gesell, John Schloeder,Walt Fusco,
Harry Hauptner, Henry Renard, Ed Bourgnon,
Bill Scarince, Bill Schindler, Harvey Tatersall,
Bill Holmes, Johnny Swier, Fred Alshheimer

A picture of drivers on page 40 shows Mike Joseph, Len Wofsey, Johnny Swier,Bud Mitchell,Tony Bonadies, Len Duncan, Al Duffy, Ted Tappett, Bill Holmes, George Rice, Mickey Lowack, Ernie Gesell, Bill Schindler, and Dutch Schaefer.

While the club was formed in late 1939, their first racing season was 1940.

Additional drivers not named either place above, shown in the 1940 ARDC Final Point Standings on page 68 are Len Golen, Bub Walker, Harry Felton, Pop DeVercelly, Walt Fusco, Johnny Ringer, Bill Baker, Henry Steiger, Jack Duffy, Slim Sipler, Johnny Rice, Ray Nestor, Doc Shanebrook, Andy Furci and Harry Harper.


I have a set of the four Volumes in five books available. Private Message only please.

 

Hello, Off of facebook. You guys are good at figuring out who and where?

 

1952 & 1954 BCRA car and driver points

 

That’s the end of my "Cageless pictures"<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
I think all that's left is 1970-1974 Cages<o></o>
More notes and nick knacks left over if I can<o></o>
scan them…lumpy

 

Stan Disbrow ARDC 1949-50

 

HELLO, Lumpy. Thanks for the photos. I enjoyed them all. If you have any other photos or stories that you want to post, I will gladly read and look at them. Thanks again they were great!!!!!!

 

How badly I wish I was around for the ARDC of the 40's and 50's

 

The # 18 looks like Nick Fonoro. Denny Z

 

Hello, Here is A couple more. Dose anyone know what track?

 

.....'No way! There's got to be more Dick Atkins, Billy Vukovich, Bob DeJong, Gary Emmick, Dickie Deis, Gary Ponzini and Rick Davidson, somewhere!!!

 

Moe:


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1258239&d=1299277947


Top left photo looks like Hershey PA to me #7 Jerry Wall Reider Spl, #17 Howie Spl I think-Could that be Bobby Albert? Mid Sixties. My uncle Jerry drove the Howie,but that isn`t him in this photo.

Denny Z is right the Allen #18 was Nick Fornoro. Also in the #17 and #80 Hough spl. I would say.....

 

These are all drivers that raced in the Okla. Kansas, Texas area in the 30s' 40s & 50s some even up to the 70s