History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

There are at least two midgets known as "The Checkerboard". The one pictured above is probably the best known. The other was a Midwest car that was powered by two Crosley engines. The car ended up in the hands of "Tradin'" Walt Lovett of Grand Rapids, MI, but the drive train and engines were long gone.

Doc

 

I guess it depends where you're from. The Fred O'Hara checkerboard car was pretty popular in the East.

 

Guys,
Ihanks for all the photos of my #X henderson and #25 checkerboard midgets. You folks get better photos of them than I do. Gonna save them. My checker was bought from Ohara it was white and black #15. We painted it black and white #25. Al had many fine winning drivers in this car. I have a load of checker flag photos all over the east in this car. It is unrestored and has original paint (cracking) but original. Johnny Man had the Bloomsburg race in his grasp, when owned by Ben Cook, I guess Ben gave it too much juice, It blew up with 2 to go.

 

That is what I understood this car to be. Several years ago when they ran a midget show on the 3/4 mile at Pocono, there were several antiques there. It seems to me that your Henderson powered car was there, but I could be wrong.

I like cars that are not over-restored like your #25.

Someone bought the #52 D&D Heet Offy that was run for years by Greg Flatow. He had a bunch of drivers in the car over the years. To put it politely, it looked by a piece of junk, but it ran good, which is why he got good drivers in it. This car is now restored and looks as if it never hit a race track. Everything is chromed, the paint gleams and, I am sure, the owner is very pleased to have it. If I owned that car, it would have dull black paint, very worn upholstery, wheels painted with zinc chromate yellow primer and painted bumpers. That is how it ran for over 20 years and that is a restoration.

Doc

 

We adopted a bit of "checkboard" on our sportsman midget last season. Eddie Sauer spent over 8 hours masking the tail headrest area and another 6 on the dome of the hood. Then people asked where he got the vinyl and even mild mannered Eddie was ready to hit them with a wrench.

Ditto on the over restored vintage cars. They weren't show cars; they were tools to make money.

 

What's the 75 checkerboard car in Ray Boissoneau's collection?

 

More museum pictures.

 

from post 15637 at The Vintage Sprint Car Thread
carl schulz
Indio, CA

"reminds me of The Checkerboard Offy Bill Jones restored and brought to TWS back in 11/09.
http://alblixtracinghistory.typepad....rboard_of.html

photo at TWS:
That's Bill Jones in the red shirt and Don Menard looking over #8
http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1281462066 "

 

Anybody else see the auction for the Kurtis midget body on eBay? Bidding got to $1,500 but did not meet the reserve.

 

Today's batch of museum pictures.

 

Stan, When is your movie get together this year and also the address? I had the address in the GPS but it got lost. Denny Z

 

For those interested - the Racing Expo scheduled for this coming Sunday, September 4th, at the Hinchliffe Stadium, has been canceled due to Irene and the still lingering water and damage problems in Paterson, NJ. It will not be rescheduled.

 

Denny,
It is always the second Sunday in November.
Lobitz Catering
1090 Rt# 940 Fishers Hill
Hazleton, Pa. 18202

 

More EMMR museum pictures.

 

I am a personal friend of Rays & actually expecting a call from him in just a few I saw his Offy powered midget in his garage shortly before he sold it wished id had a crystal ball then id bought it im sure hed love to talk to you shoot me a contact so i can give it to him

 

A little off topic but this was also on display at EMMR.