History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

jrbit, I saw the car at Winchester, In. several years ago. Heard it ran up east. Nice car, sorry I do noot know any more about it.

 

jrbit......what a nice car.....love it....

 

Let's start the new year out with a jewel.

Here is a picture of the Chevy II midget Roadster that was campaigned by Carl Meier in the Vintage Race scene for a number of years in the mid 2000's.

Carl would always bring this car and his # 404 ex-Merkler Studebaker midget to the Iowa meets, and Belleville, KS where he could run as hard as he wanted, unlike some other events where he was restricted. Carl was not well the last few years and passed away about a year ago.

At the MOVRCC event at the Hoosier Hundred in May of 2012, while unloading my car I spotted the Roadster on display and met the new owner who had just acquired the car and was on his way back to Florida with it.

Now the best part...The car was built by Fed Pete in Akron Ohio in 1959. The new owner is his son, who also owns another of his Dads' midgets.

The second photo is the first order of business restoring the car. The quick change bearings were beyond distress.

 

My Lucky Score of the Day ....a much needed filter for my Hillegass for $5.00

 

..Santa was good this year .....got me this....

 

The Linklater Holden Car #55, driven by Bryan Cunneen was powered by a locally (Australian) built six cylinder Holden power-plant, as were many of the top performing cars of the 1960's down here. It wasn't until the influx of US Drivers such as Bob Tatersall and Sherman Cleveland, who I understand did leave cars down here, that the Offys became the weapon of choice. However, as can be seen from the video, a well driven Holden could match an Offy.

htttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyYxEMbndLo[/url]

 

#1+#3 are the same car #2 +#8 I think are the same car It was bought from Dick Brown . Later sold to Helen and Don Bailey, they left the H+D in the bumper and called it the HelDon Offy. It`s in the barn.........

 

Stan, I remember Jud larson driving the helDon Offy at langhorne and Williams Grove.

 

There must have been two Hardwood Door midgets. The one I was thinking about was the Carl Anderson Offy. Which was driven by Aaron Woodard, Ernie Gesell and Johnny Tolan and then sold to Ashley Wright and there were many famous drivers who drove this midget including Don Branson, Lloyd Ruby, Chuck Rodee and Len Sutton and many many more. Also the nose and grill are different. I found out this info in the book "Kurtis Kraft Midget" Genealogy of Speed. This car is on the cover and there is a very detailed history of the car in the book. This also has an HW on the Grill and at one time it only had a W on the grill. Im not sure but think it was or still is in the Justice Brothers Museum. I still have not found any information about the 8 on the car? It is not in the book.

 

Jud won with it at the groce, Duane Carter ran it as the Micro-Lube special at Limerock. Lou Bucheri bought it from the Bailies Johnny Mann ran it into the bee`s at Thompson thenit became the Stardust Offy Last owner before me was Jack Bright. It started life as the Jack Rose Offy. Had a ton of History.

 

Here you go, my Dad "2nd from left" with his newCushman powered TQ racer @1952 ..then again in the late 70s with the same car now crosley powered .. we,v since taken the cage off and put the roll bar back jus like it was... Ill get fresh picks of it in the spring alond with his 80s TQ.. sadley we lost Lyle last week but he lives on thru his cars.

 

Dang cant get the other pik to work ,,, hmmmm brain fart

 

mabee ???? got it.

 

sorry to waste the space but they should be together

 

A little video action from WCVR SC Nov Event at Havasu Speedway

Green Flag at 6:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RzNd99Xiig



To: WCVR SC, WRA Dist List
From: Carl Schulz - Indio, CA
Subj: In car video Midget Feature Havasu 95 Speedway
11-9-12
In car camera- Lake Havasu's Mike Luddon in his #3 1969 Trostle Midget "West Coast Special"

Start at 6:00 min
Video credit to Michael Wade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RzNd99Xiig

also- Link to our photo album of this event
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/...012/?start=all

Don't forget to watch for this event coverage in upcoming Vintage Oval Racing Magazine issue.
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looks cool but those track conditions were horrendous! I don't know if I've ever seen such dry slick conditions!

 

Does anyone have photos of "Four Bits" from the movie The Big Wheel with Mickey Rooney... it was #50.... building a model and trying to get the tail correct./... the shape behind the number mainly... and also... any idea what color that was...

I'm guessing the car was bare aluminum with black lettering on the hood, black shape behind the number and a white number?

thanks!
Zach

 

Good Humor...Man


Pun intended

 

Ed Rachanski from ZMAX has sold his Big Open Wheel Race Car Collection to The Museum of American Speed in Lincoln NE.

 

Good news. The wonderful Joe Lencki cars and engines as well as all the rest will have the best possible home and will be available for all to see.

 

Thanks you Speedy Bill. These historic items will be in good hands.

Ed was not feeling well but still arranged to get his Lencki 6 dohc to our vintage show at Havasu Nov 2011
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums...ent=KathShumanHavasuraceLenckiNov52011121.jpg

 

Might anyone have photos of Dave Moses's midget front 1959 when he won BCRA championship? I know he was driving for Jack London in the USAC shows but who was he driving for in the BCRA ?
Many thanks!!!!

 

from turn4 california racing legends
This may be what you're looking for but wasn't labelled with any other details other than Davey Moses Bayview Special and 1959.

Tom Motter's Book "BSRA First 50 years" would probably cover it.

and Rodney David Moses (son or grandson?) is on facebook with a 'Bayview Garage Special' poster-so I bet you could contact him.
https://www.facebook.com/rodneydavid.moses

 

SUHRsc, 'Sorry I can't help you out with pics of "Four Bits" but a lot of us are still upset with Billy Coy for his accident that killed Happy Lee. 'Afterall, he did say that if anyone ever got in his way that "he'd drive right over 'em!"

Flubyu! 'Our friend carl s is right on the money with that photo of Davey Moses. Davey was driving the Bayview Garage Special for Leonard "Lenny" Esposto when he lost his life at Sacramento on the Sunday afternoon after he had previously won a USAC Midget race the night before at Ascot Park driving for Jack London.

Davey's son, Rod, builds high-dollar, mountain bikes and accessories in Oregon.

That car is fully restored today with the Ford V8-60 engine, numbered #5 and is more beautiful than ever. It is owned by a gentleman who is the son of one of Esposto's long time pit-crew men. They run the car in most of the vintage events in northern California.

 

Holy Cow!!!
Welcome back LittleFauss, I have wondered were you have been I havnt seen you here or on any of the other boards! Was hopeing you were alright. I talked to Bill Goff last summer and he sent photos of the Esposto's/ Moses's midget prior to Lenard buying from Moe Goff. Bob Veith is in the car and I believe the photo is from 57 or 56 with a #79 on it. Billy told me his dad (Porter) bought the car #79 from his brother and it is the car I now have. Jim Montgomery set me straight with #79 car and that it was purchased by Esposto to become the 59 BCRA Championship car of Moses. I have photos of the Esposto's car from 1960 on but none from 59 when Moses ran it. Joe Demartini did a great restoration on the car I can only imagine what he started with, hope mine turns out half as nice as his did!

 

Looking for some "vintage" information. I have an older rail frame midget project that probably had a V8/60 in it at one time. Since I don't have any V8/60 stuff, but I have some Jeep engines from some old Jeep projects, I am considering using a Willys Jeep "Go-Devil" flathead 4cyl. I pretty nice rail frame with a Willys just sold on ebay for pretty decent money.
Does anyone have experience with doing an engine like this? In what time period would these have been used ? What if anything was the advantage of using this engine......besides plentiful and cheap ? Was there any resources for speed equipment and/or building tips.
Again, I am now working on history of the car so my choice could change, based on what I find, but I am a little fascinated about the combination. Thanks

 

Willys, Continental, Ford Ferguson, Studebaker were all lesser used engines in the midgets and all beginning before the war. There were manifolds heads and cams but pretty hard to find today. Mostly hanging on someone's wall.

There was a DOHC Continental conversion and an F Head for the Ford that I know of.

PM me for the name of an active Willy's midget owner.

Attached are pictures from my files of two. The first photo is by Bob Ochtrup, the second is from the net.

 

Does anyone recognize this car or driver? thanks in advance for any help

 

Stan,
Thanks for the reply and also for the picture of your Willys powered midget. I may have some technical questions as I slowly move forward......type and mounting of in/out box......magneto application......available speed stuff. Thanks again for the info and all that you add to the vintage open wheel discussions.