History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

This one?

http://www.internetsalespartner.com/images/722_DSCN4351.JPG

 

Yep,I have the Circle Track Mag and all the photos of the car when it was for sale "somewhere" in my collection.

 

Well, that is one very important car that has been saved. I would hope the other two are around somewhere as they are very collectable too.

Doc

 

and pretty tough trophy girl duty sometimes with that guy...

 

Speaking of cars and their whereabouts - the daughter of the late Johnny Ritter told me that when her mother returned to the Detroit area after Johnny was fatally injured on 10/12/1948, she took a midget with her. It could not have been the Offy, I'd say, since it was raffled off. Could it have been his Outboard? Possible - but how many Outboard midgets did he have? In 1949, on Juy 29th, they held a Johnny Ritter Memorial race at the Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ. There were 9 Offies, 8 Fords and 1 Outboard - the former Ritter Outboard which was driven by George Fonder. So, the questions remain - what car went back to the Detroit area, and what happened to it?
Great photos of the Drake that Vuky drove, by the way!

 

I know that Johnny Ritter ran an outboard at Bigelow Field in Grand Rapids, Michigan some. I remember him making life difficult for a lot of "better cars".

Perhaps he had one for the East and one for the Midwest? He died when I was seven, so I do not remember much about him, except that he was one of the greats.

Doc

 

We're coming up pretty fast on the 63rd anniversary of Johnny's death at Medford.
http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?129521-61-years-ago-today-10-12-48

 

Here are a few photos of the late CT. modified stock car champion Sparky Belmont early in his career when midgets were his passion. Many thanks to all the people who helped me obtain these photos:

Not sure of the above track

Cherry Park

Cherry Park
Does anyone remember or have info on any of these cars, i.e. owners, year, chassis, color, etc.
Thanks
Rich

 

There was some discussion about the shape of a Hillegass midget nose a few pages back. Here's a few pictures of a Hillegass midger body.

 

Some close-ups of the nose.

 

Not sure if I mentioned it the last time this subject of the Ritter car in Michigan came up. I have an old rail frame basket case that I got near the Detroit airport about 10 yrs. ago. Someone had cut the frame to shorten/lengthen ? and never completed. Had been "updated" to Crosley front and rear axle but has very early full aluminum body and veery well done frame. Possibly built by Clyde Adams. Just in case, I picked up two Elto basket cases. Sure would like to find a cheap angle drive gearbox. Need to get going on more info history on car.

 

First of all, thanks for the pictures of the NOS Hillegass tin. That is very informative, indeed. Also, I just like looking at the work of these panel beaters rather than the plastic we use now.

Second, by all means document that basket case. The people who can help you are getting few and far between and it needs to be done ASAP. I know thousands of race fans and I only know three who have seen an Elto run in a real race. One is in his mid 80s, one is 78, I am 68. All just youngsters.

Doc

 

Can someone tell me about these two cars as relate to Vukie?

The one pictured below is a postwar Kurtis tube frame with the flared nose "nostrils" that carry into the hood sides, comination hood/cowl flare, headrest, and wishbone radius rods front and rear with close together pivot points. My understanding is that Kurtis made about nine of these for the Drake engine..

The car in the above link would appear to be a pre-war rail frame car, flat tail, conventional nose and hood with parallel front radius rods

 

I believe he did drive both. The red #4 is shown in the Ed Hitze Kurtis book with Vook driving.

Doc

 

Quick update on my quarter midget collection. Newest addition 1958 Racecraft (white with black scallops) also a 1957 Racecraft (orange), 1957 Moss Midjet (blue), primered 1956 Speedway, and the seven cars in the garage, 57 Kurtis, 61 Lenny Gonsel, 58 Racecraft, 57 Racecraft, 56 Stevenscraft, 59 Whalborg, 57 Vikingcraft. Still looking for a track roadster style 1/4 midget.

 

Did you get any photos of the nose behind the tail of the midget?

 

Is this the one your asking about.....Rich

 

Yes, the first photo with the two half sections. I have seen this photo before and it appears that they are for a vertical grill rather than a laid back grill. Im I correct or are they laid back? I have an early Hillegass (1937) midget and the nose is vertical. I have studied Hillegass and somewhere I read that he built his bucks in 1938 and changed his nose and tail. Still trying to do some rearsearch.
Thanks Rich.

 

Try this

 

Over the weekend, the vintage cars ran at Webster City, IA Hamilton County Speedway. 48 cars signed in, about half were open wheel. Of that group there were only three non caged midgets, one non-caged sprinter and one non caged TQ. Are we aging or what?

Pictured below are two #82 Harry Turner midgets. The VW powered Tub car of Lance Turner, and the Chevy II powered tube frame car of Jim and Sue Lothe.

Also the covered grandstand Friday night during track prep for Saturday.

 

Thanks for the photos.

"Of that group there were only three non caged midgets, one non-caged sprinter and one non caged TQ"

It's becoming an issue for Vintage Racing Groups and Events. Running them together on the small tracks can be dicy at best and crazy at worst
and an insurance underwriting nightmare.
I predict a new class of 'obsolete' (not necessarily 'vintage' or historically significant) racers to blossom and the old cars (such as my own to have less and less options to run on ovals) We already see this in So Cal at Ventura and now Perris with back gate paying 'Senior Division Sprinters.
Since there is almost zero management/promotion/regulation/coordination amongst the vintage 'oval' crowd I expect this to come about in a less than optimal fashion over the next few years.

I'm doing as many events as I can whilst still available.

 

Feburary 12 1977 Atlantic City Convention Hall NJ. , ARDC Midget show. Bob Cicconi gets the feature win and that's me in victory lane ( Bob has his arm around my neck ) can you tell I was a Cicconi fan? These are pictures from my dad's archives. enjoy!

 

Now THAT'S vintage. Bob Cicconi with hair.

 

here's another one from AC in 1977 . enjoy!

 

AC from 1977 ARDC.

 

and another!