Midget Racers back in the 50's

This was Danny Caruthers first ride lol (actually it wasn't I will look for a pic of the first one to scan later)

 

racer5c, Murdock isn't the only other midget racer on here, I raced from 1959 and finally retired from driving in 2002, smelt enough alky to last 10 people a lifetime
"Doc" Parsons

 

Posted this on the Sprint car thread, should have done it here. It's Bill Vandewater flagging a midget race at the Jeffersonville (Ind.) Sportsdrome. Has to be 1955 or before, because he's wearing a AAA official's armband.

 

Only Billy wasn't a Russian, and that nick name always pissed him off.

 

It was not a midget race where the driver was impalled by a guard rail timber. It was a track roadster race. I can not recall his name but he was at the Portland, Oregon old timers picnic a few years ago and I talked with him. The timber went through him where he had no lung. Howard Osborne a midget & sprint car driver friend of mine cut him out of the car with a hack saw.

 

modified driver - been friends with dennis smith a long time, he did a great job on that car, he lived just down the road from my Uncle "Jiggs" Peters (1951 ARDC Champ and a stalwart in the midgets in the 50's and 60's) they consulted on the car a lot as it was being built, dennis still misses it

racer 5c(Roy) my Uncle Jiggs ran a bunch for KB Sr. too, a great owner who always gave you the best equipment to work with, still see him frequently, puts on a great car show in sept. every year in warren, n.j. with a very big vintage race car display, just inducted into the midget hall of fame as an owner

 

Anyone from Long Island remember the Island Garden Arena?
It was located in West Hempstead, on Hempstead Turnpike, right up the block from the Aurora Plastics building, where they made the Model Motoring sets.
It was a half domed arena that had all kinds of shows, the circus and in the winter they raced the 3/4 Midgets there.
These shots are from early 1962 - There was nothing greater as a kid then to go see the Midgets on a Friday night race on the concrete floors.
Now remember its freezing out so all the doors are shut, there is no real ventilation system and the shows 3-4 hours long.
That foggy look is the exhaust smoke hanging in the air. By the time the races were over your eyes were bright red, watering like crazy, you stunk and your head felt like there were a thousand bees inside fighting to get out.
Ahh - what a great time!!!
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We had a lot Crosely powered 3/4's here;
http://floridacityspeedway.homestead.com/
Hope ya enjoy the site.

 

Hey Rootie-
What's the story behind your picture in your avatar?!?!?

 

I never thought this thread would ever last this long or have this much interest and history..very cool guys keep it comin'

 

Does anyone have any information or pictures from Teaneck Armory in New Jersey? It was the site of Mario Andretti's first major feature win. My grandfather, Fred Majka raced there in the early 1960's with Harley Powered TQ's. His driver was Tommy Shortino. We only have one picture of his car and are trying to find more. I have most of Crocky Wright's books. I was wondering if there was a second volume of the book "A History of Eastern Three-Quarter Midget Racing."

Last Labor Day Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson was open to a show of vintage race cars, and I got to do parade laps around the stadium in my midget. I am also building a couple more crosley powered midgets as well.

Here's a video my brother took of the hot laps at Hinchliffe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpB5y0zeYHE

I also know Neil Fish who raced the number 47 crosley TQ in the area. His father, Fletcher Fish raced during the 50's and 60's.

 

I neglected to mention that Hinchliffe Stadium is going to be open again this year during the Paterson Great Falls Festival on Labor Day weekend.

 

there was a midget driver killed here in New England in the 1953 season My dad drove midgets and sprint cars for a stable owner out of Norwich Ct.I think his name was Red Senechal (the stable owner) he owned several teams late in the 53 season Red wanted to try out a new young driver and they let him run a car of my dads 2 laps into the main heat a tie rod end broke and the young guy caught the end of a plank outer wall the top plank went down the side of the engine and through the driver and out the back of the car killing him instantly.My dfad said Red was very meticulus about his cars and that this car was checked out at the end of each race.The tie rod end failure was not due to poor maintenance or anything.I think my dad said this happened at what was the Sturbridge Fair grounds which no longer exists.

 

Midget racing at Mitchel Field in the late sixties -
There was also some great street racing done here before the
Nassau Coliseum and all the corporate buildings were built.
Love that sixties look!!!
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That's what they called Billy, but he wasn't Russian. He was Croaitian, and the "Mad Russian" handle pissed him off.

 

Those are 1/4 midgets.

 

Any one remember a driver named Cascio out of Connecticut?

 

pit crewed for ron marten in 1965 ran a offy powered midget at oakland ca on a indoor 1/8th mile track,lotsa offys and v/8 60s on alki,was a blast belive it was on fri nights used to tow down from sacto,midgets super mods and sprint cars now thats american racing at its finest

 

This is from the sixtys