History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

I like this car.. a lot!!

 

Stan,

Where you able to find out the name of the owner/location of the Hull midget my grandfather use to race?

 

Not Yet!!!
Stan..................

 

Stan, didn't Tony Romit win at Flemmington in the checkerboard 25???

 

Here it is.

 

Another angle

 

Another

 

WoW!!! That turned out incredible!!! Very impressive.

 

Jim,
I posted that last nite and did not put down all the drivers i have listed.
I will edit that post when I get my stuff together. It is tough to remember all the drivers for each car when you have a bunch.

Stan....................

 

Thanks Rim Ryder!

The first midget my dad and I owned was very similar except for a Chevy II and a bolt on cage. The car was originally built from an Edmunds kit and when we bought it, it came with the never installed roll bar. I remember during a re-build putting on the roll bar and wondring how it would feel to drive without a cage.

I bought plans from Edmunds for the single tube (non space frame) midget circa 1962 and I have all the running gear to put one together. Someday. (you know how that goes!).

Thanks for sharing, and again, a beautiful piece!

Sean

 

.....'Rim Ryder, your Edmunds-Offy is a thing of beauty and I'm sure all of us really appreciate any pics that you feel like posting. I went back and dug up the results of that USRC Midget Race at the old Craig Road Speedway in Las Vegas that you and your Dad were at back in July of 1973. There were a couple of other Offy engine cars there that night but all of the top teams including Leonard Faas, Jr.'s KingO'Lawn cars had already switched over to the SESCO-Chevy.

 

Nick Fornoro Sr. One of the greatest people I ever knew. He always had great advice for young drivers who would listen. Spent many hours traveling to races with him and listening to all his great stories of how he got started and the people who had helped him early in his career. I was fortunate enough to see him one last time at Sekonk about three years ago.

 

LittleFauss,
Thanks for posting the article.
Sorry but our car doesn't have an Offy in it.

 

racerbillyc, I agree completely about Nick Sr. I had the privilege of meeting him when I was flagging for ASA and we ran our first "combined" show at Michigan with CART. We got along great, and he invited me to come up on the flagstand with him for one of their practice sessions. I reciprocated, naturally, but I'm sure those Camaros and Firebirds didn't thrill him near as much as the Indy Cars did me. He said, "Pay attention to the sound." Those things weren't supersonic, of course, but when only one car was out there, and it was coming right at you, it seemed like you couldn't hear a thing until he was about 100 yards away, and then it was a sudden, sharp whine. Never forget that.

 

looking for any personel info or pics of my uncle ronny polis who drove the #2 hilligess midget out of elkins park pa. He ran this car till he lost his life at an ardc race in hagerstown md in 1957. there is a photo of my uncle in this car (but with the #2 turned into a #12 -w/electrical tape) on the 1st lap just before he was involved in his fatal crash with jonny mann. my uncles car was on the pole position? I have heard about the picture for years and cannot find anyone that can give me a lead on it. It was last seen as a display for the hagerstown speedway at a motorsports show, the track rep told my uncle it belonged to the old hagerstown track photographer. over the years I have called,written & emailed the track for a contact number for this track photagrapher and have gotten no where?
FYI- after the acident my grandfather (bill polis) rebuilt the car and it was sold, sometime later in the early to mid 60's it was seen on a trailer in a gas station up around binghamton ny. the new owner stated it came from outside the philly area.
pics are of my uncle ronny in the car at hatfield speedway, at home in the car with my grandfather bill polis (who used to work on ronny householders car as well) and the last pic is of an memorial race for my uncle held at hatfield that mario andretti won, my uncle jim polis is handing him the trophy.
thanks in advance for any pics or info!

Paul

 

Some guy sent me these Hillegas midget pictures. I assume it's an ARDC car. The photo stamps on the back are dated Feb. 1953. Who ? What ? Anybody know anything about this car ?

 

A couple of pictures of Ed Hawkins. He started me on my career in floor covering at his Coram Rug Works, here on Long Island, NY .. also taught me so very much about the business / promotion side of racing.

He promoted the Islip (NY) Speedway for awhile and hosted some grueling 500 lap midget races there .. also owned & promoted the Riverhead (NY) Raceway.

Hey, anyone have a picture they can post of Johhny Coy hanging out of the car (from exhaustion) near the end of one of those 500 lap races?

 

I am helping a friend to trace the histoy of a midget that he has recently bought to Australia.The car has been confirmed by Don Edmunds to have been sold to Danny McKnight in 1971
If anybody can help with history on Danny McKnight it would be much appreciated

 

.....'Hi thebikeguy, I was there and saw the car run. Actually, the car belonged to Danny McKnight's Father and was Chevy II powered. Danny's Father (Bob?) passed away suddenly in mid-1971. It was then that Danny hooked up with Leonard Faas, Jr. and began driving the two KingO'Lawn cars. Danny's brother, Tommy continued running the car with 'usually' northern California drivers. Chuck Gurney, Ken Nichols, etc. The car was one of the prettiest and most attractive cars anywhere; all the chrome, extra long tail pipe and the lettering by Paul Knierim, #84. I will go back into my archives for articles and pics.

 

Ken if you go to this url www.vintagemodifieds.com/.<WBR>../22_al_pillion.jpg there is a picture of the worm with my father Al Pillion behind the wheel. I think Joe asked him to take it out for a spin and see what he thought of the car.
Russ Pillion

 

Hello Little fause

Thanks for the reply and a pesonal message sent

That is the news that we have been looking for

anybody else with info to add??

PLease help

 

Old Pinebrook pictures

 

One more

 

Billy,
Bob and his brother tom were great guys from a racing family. Tom was a good mechanic who lived in florida and raced a sprint and played with the vintage stuff. I bought a Hillegas midget from him before he passed away.
His brother Bob was killed at Reading in Leigh Ernshaws Morgantown Offy at Reading Fairgrounds. I ended up with that car.
Stan....................

 

THANKS Russ .. but when I clicked on that URL I got a page that said FORBIDDEN .. I did not have permission to access, etc., etc..

I'd LOVE to see that picture of your Dad (I remember him) in the worm.

 

Yes Stan Bob and the whole family were good friends of ours my father got Bob his first sprint ride. Bob's death prompted the move of optional to mandatory for roll cages in ARDC and the rest of the country followed suit for the next season.

 

I`ve kind of lost track of this thread,busy with photography of this racing season at Williams Grove and Lincoln.

With Stan and Billy C,etc posting on here,got to remind myself to check in more often!

 

Dad in victory lane with then Checkered Flag Fan Club president Bob Paulsen. I still have the jacket they presented him that night. His only ARDC win in Mataka brothers 3n1.

 

Joe Fiore's latest masterpiece, the Elmer Faulk 1947 Kurtis v8/60. in October 1948 at West Springfield Mass. ARDC ran twin 100 lap mains. Bill Schindler won the Offy main in Caruso's deuce then won the Ford main in Elmer's 24.