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History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by KKx125, Feb 22, 2009.

  1. tjkas1
    Joined: Feb 17, 2013
    Posts: 17

    tjkas1
    Member

    Regarding the caption... Owner/Driver Ronald Love bought Walt Reiff's midget with a Chevy Nova powerplant (which didn't prove out) and went back to Reiff and bought Reiff's first Offy... WE (meaning my Dad) overhauled it and he went on to run this engine for about 2 years. BTW.... My papa is sitting here telling me what to type... He raced Micro's in California (Marysville, West Cap in Sacto, 5 Star Raceway, Lemore, and Oakland indoors) Got bored and moved on to Hydroplanes....LOL
     
  2. tjkas1
    Joined: Feb 17, 2013
    Posts: 17

    tjkas1
    Member

    Per my dad.... who raced with these guys.... It was an Iron, Full OHV. Regarding it being poured at a foundry in Grass Valley...Walt had his own machine shop on 24th St, in Sacto- Owned every tool known to man...and made and poured all his own parts. So.....
     
  3. tjkas1
    Joined: Feb 17, 2013
    Posts: 17

    tjkas1
    Member

    Right after the war, circa 1946-48....They raced midgets and roadsters at a "wooden floor" indoor skating rink in Fresno, Ca.... Anybody got any pics????
     
  4. tjkas1
    Joined: Feb 17, 2013
    Posts: 17

    tjkas1
    Member

    Finally found the scrapbook....Here's a pic of my Papa, George "Butch" Bair. This was his first Micro, bought from Don Risni. Had an Indian Arrow 15 CID engine. Butch bored it to 15 1/4 (which was the max allowed) and supercharged it. The Arrow took him to 2nd place in the 1962-63 NMMRA Region 8 Winter Championship.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    Midgets and bikes were also raced at The Cleveland Arena - home of the Cleveland Barons hockey team - in the early 50s on a board lined skating rink. I would love to see some pics of those races too. Great memories of castor oil and nirto perfumed air back then. It was so thick at the end of the night you couldn't see across the stadium. Loved it.
     
  6. tjkas1
    Joined: Feb 17, 2013
    Posts: 17

    tjkas1
    Member

    Cleveland Arena sounds like a blast. The one in Fresno, CA was a banked skating rink. Dad said it was "Outstanding" to watch. So sad that we will never have the videos like we do today. Wild races lost to time.
     
  7. racer5c
    Joined: Nov 30, 2002
    Posts: 2,218

    racer5c
    Member

    Does anyone have any info on this beautiful Shilala roadster? a friend of mine is trying to research it's history, any help would be appreciated
     

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  8. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
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    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

  9. spooler41
    Joined: Feb 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,099

    spooler41
    Member

    Speaking of indoor racing,I can remember taking my boys to midget races at the old "King Dome" in Seattle.It was always a lot of fun,lots of noise,exhaust and action on a concrete floor, IIRC this was in the late 70's.

    ...............Jack
     
  10. sideways27
    Joined: Jan 4, 2009
    Posts: 285

    sideways27
    Member

    Here is a rare one regarding indoor racing. It was at the Forum in Inglewood Ca in 1968. We only ran there a couple of times. On hand driving was Sonny White, Bob McCaw, Danny Caurthers, Lowell Voss, Danny McKnight, Duane "Pancho" Carter Jr, Johnny Parsons Jr and the Grand Ol Man of Midget Racing 59 yr old Bullet Joe Garson.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    I also attended an indoor midget race at the Pontiac (MI) Silverdome, at the time the venue for the Detroit Lions NFL team in the 80s(?). I have no photos of that race either. There were a lot of VWs as I remember and a few purpose built Mopar and Ford powered rides.
     
  12. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    When we ran the ASA Circuit of Champions in the Silverdome, the midgets ran the night before.
     
  13. indybigjohn
    Joined: May 22, 2008
    Posts: 1,713

    indybigjohn
    Member Emeritus

    Just looked it up in my files (such as they are). I remembered Butch Miller winning the race, but I had forgotten the date. It was February 27, 1983. The midgets ran Saturday night. We watched their program because we wanted to get our cars in after they were done. I remember watching the feature with Nick Fornoro Sr. We got to be friends when ASA ran as a support series with CART at Michigan a couple of times and we were both flagging.
     
  14. gtxrider
    Joined: Jan 3, 2010
    Posts: 74

    gtxrider
    Member

    I was at the 1st Midget races in Silverdome. I think is was 1981. I will have to dig thru the albums for pictures. Big names were there Kinser, Carter, Carson, Cicconi, Boyd, Kenyon, Knepper... I still remeber how Steve Kiners' shoulders seemed wider than the tail of the midget..
     
  15. Dadburgess
    Joined: Nov 9, 2010
    Posts: 27

    Dadburgess
    Member

    I was there, and filmed it (8mm), until I ran out of film. It was a very long day for Dean Isley... trucked in and built a quarter mile dirt track in the dome, but had a severe lack of track preparation equipment and a water truck. I can close my eyes and still see Dean, wearing a white sport coat, trying to water the track with a garden hose.

    The dust was incredible, and you could not see the crowd on the opposite side of the stands. The track rutted up and as a result many guys ended up on their heads.
     
  16. Driver McWheelman
    Joined: May 9, 2011
    Posts: 7

    Driver McWheelman
    Member

    /Users/jrdallenbach/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Masters/2012/08/20/20120820-225425/Sr Sprite dirt.jpg
     
  17. 28dreyer
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 1,166

    28dreyer
    Member
    from Minnesota

     
  18. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    Now that you've mentioned it the Silverdome was probably the last place anybody should try to hold an auto race as the fabric roof was held up by positive air pressure from within and I'm sure the air handling equipment was not up to the task of exchanging the air as necessary.

    At least the old Cleveland Stadium was able to open their doors for a little breeze.
     
  19. 28dreyer
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 1,166

    28dreyer
    Member
    from Minnesota

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jtSHTPOBlc

    Here is a wonderful you tube video I just ran across of an IMCA Oldtimers meet at the Washington County Fairgrounds at Lake Elmo Minnesota in the late 80's, probably 1988, wooden fence and all.

    Easily recognized midgets are the #29 Willys of Tom Barclay from Kansas, #7 Kurtis Offy of Al Swenson from Chicago, #2 Black Duece once campaigned by Billy Hoff with an Offy later a V8-60 and here with a Triumph in it's later life and driven by Rex McBeth.

    The big cars include the Vic Sala Fronty #7 from California, the #13 ex Kenny Larson Fronty from North Dakota, the #22 Ranger of Gene Cunningham from Des Moines and the #91 Wyandotte Tool Champ car of Cy Kubista with a Lincoln heart transplant. The #6 sprinter I am spacing on at this time.

    TQ's of Roger Block and Dennis Wright are also pictured.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2013
  20. JOHN EVANS
    Joined: Dec 30, 2010
    Posts: 93

    JOHN EVANS
    Member

    Roadsters from 1957
     

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  21. JOHN EVANS
    Joined: Dec 30, 2010
    Posts: 93

    JOHN EVANS
    Member

    More from 1958
     

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  22. JOHN EVANS
    Joined: Dec 30, 2010
    Posts: 93

    JOHN EVANS
    Member

    1st pic 1959
    2nd pic 1962 I have posted this one before
    3rd pic 1964 I have posted this one before
     

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  23. gtxrider
    Joined: Jan 3, 2010
    Posts: 74

    gtxrider
    Member

  24. BZNEIL
    Joined: May 28, 2005
    Posts: 660

    BZNEIL
    Member

    Heres one for you 28dreyer. Gus Hoffman ran this car at the Cincinnati race bowl and then onto Usac. He then went on to have sprint cars and indy cars. I believe Mutt Andersen was the wrench on that car. His son Richard ,grandson Rob and great grandson AJ now have the car and display it occasionally. The latter 3 also happen to have the most successful Usac sprint car team of all time with 81 national wins and 9 championships and looking to #10 this year.

    [​IMG]
     
  25. 28dreyer
    Joined: Jan 23, 2008
    Posts: 1,166

    28dreyer
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Thanks BZ for contributing that.


    This is the link to the Earl Kouba history. Two of Earl's Kurtis Offy's are owned by the family along with a rare Norberg 5 main bearing engine.

    http://www.joekouba.com/earl.html

    I believe two more generations of Koubas are currently active in open wheel racing.
     
  26. racer8
    Joined: Jan 17, 2009
    Posts: 54

    racer8
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    I believe Rich Vogler drove for Hoffmans. BK
     
  27. BZNEIL
    Joined: May 28, 2005
    Posts: 660

    BZNEIL
    Member

    He definitely did!
     
  28. carl s
    Joined: Mar 22, 2008
    Posts: 745

    carl s
    Member
    from Indio, CA

    fyi
    The March issue of Vintage Oval Racing Magazine has some photos of BCRA vintage competitor John and Joe De Martini' Bayview Garage #5 midget at Petaluma.
    http://www.vintageovalracing.com/

     
  29. carl s
    Joined: Mar 22, 2008
    Posts: 745

    carl s
    Member
    from Indio, CA

  30. JOHN EVANS
    Joined: Dec 30, 2010
    Posts: 93

    JOHN EVANS
    Member

    Indoor action 1952
     

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