History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

more 1952

 

Indoors 1953

 

More from 1953

 

and some more

 

Great pic John good to see names like the great Jimmy Knight and Harry Turner again and I hope thy are not forgotten. BK

 

I have to tell you all about something I had my hands on yesterday. It was handed to me and when I opened it up and read thru it I could not believe what I was holding in my hands. It was the hand written midget build book by George Shilala, it had every item on his cars from the front to the rear of each car he built. Each part was hand drawn with all the dimensions. I felt like I was holding one of midget racings holy grails. Would anyone on here have any idea of the value of this book? I know it is what someone is willing to pay for it but I am looking for something in the ball park to start with.

 

sideways27, Your midget build book by George Salih sounds like something the Indianapolis Speedway Museum would love to have. If they did want it, you could set/declare the price (as high as you want) donate it and take the tax reduction.
Denny Z.

 

Are you meaning George Shilala here and not George Salih?

 

A racing car museum with an accessable library with a focus on midgets would be a much better choice, preferably in California. Justice Brothers comes first to my mind but not sure if there is a lbrary or reference room. Ditto for Speedway Motors' American Museum of Speed.

The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing exactly fits the bill although I suspect California built Shilalas (and Solars) were not too common in the East although the higher production Kurtis' were.

 

My mistake you are correct it is George Shilala just going too fast and my brain was not in gear.

 

The only problem with a museum this book was very well used and is the kind of book that you would not want people just going thru it. It would not last long. It needs to be in a place where someone who would take care of it and maybe make copies of the origional and allow people to look at the copies. I just think it is a peace of racing history. I know there are people out there that would love to have this item and have been contacted by a few already. I want it for my collection but I feel the price is over my budget. That is why I am asking the question what is it worth?

 

When I get good stuff like albums rare paper or other racing stuff I send them to Gordon White. He puts them on Micro film and take copies to the Smithsonion and sends copies to EMMR. This way historians have access to them.
Also before Ron Heddendorf passed on he digitally copied many of the Ardc and Roths photo. He saved thousand of pics from getting away. I have Ronnie Househollders albums including the Shwinn bicycle funny book abou their bicyle run behind his midget and some original phots of it. When I`m gone I want my stuff to go to EMMR.

 

Hey sideways, I think Stan has the best idea. Denny Z.

 

Gordon white's web site w/contact info

http://artemis.crosslink.net/~gewhite/

 

I like that idea, and I am going to pass it on to the owner. I know he knows Gordon White very well. Thanks Guys for your input.

 

One tough driver!! Ernie McCoy

Ernie went through 6 hours of surgery on the left side of face & hundreds
of stitches after this mishap.

This actually was the third time he needed a plastic surgeon following an accident and all involved his face.
Most would have quit the sport, but Ernie ran into the 1970's

Pic is from the Illustrated Speedway News 1957

 

His real name was Ernie Musser.

 

stan,
what happened to the ardc pics that Ron Heddendorf saved, are they available for public viewing or in a private collection?

Paul

 

Paul,
I`m sure Ron gave copies to EMMR, I will check out this week. ARDC is having their Spring meeting at my place on Sun. Ron Lauer will be there he is Heddendorfs son in law. I have coppies of them. There are over 3500 photos by Eli Roth alone.. Tons of stuff.
I`ll get back to you next week.

 

I had that comic as a kid. Would be neat to see it now,,,,

 

thanks stan, If EMMR has them It would be worth driving out to view them, I am looking for ARDC pics from 1957 in particular.
we lost my uncle at an ardc race in aug 1957, he ran ardc all that year till his death so i am hoping maybe I may find a pic of him in his car? all the pics we have (4) are posed (seated pics).
please let me know if you can help me out with info!
Paul

 

1952 Illustrated Speedway News photos

 

more 1952 action

 

1953

 

Thanks the photos, John. Those were the days when there was still a true "ladder" system. Midgets - Sprint Cars - Championship Trail - Indianapolis.

 

Stan and all - best I know, Ron Lauer has the Heddendorf photos and slowly has been posting some of them on Facebook. I know Heddendorf had some CD's made - I have a couple of them. Wish Lauer could make up some more.

 

My dad's first car was a midget racer - my grandfather imported some cars into Panama just before WWII broke out to start a racing series on the dirt horse racing ovals. The war brought on gas rationing and the cars sat until my dad turned old enough to drive. My grandfather gave him one of the midget racers to bomb around the Panama Canal Zone in. Here is dad in 1944 in his midget racer - he used to gives girls rides on the boat tail with their legs in the cockpit and their arms wrapped around his shoulders.

 

Ron's been posting some of those shots on a Facebook group I started called Vintage Sprint cars from the beginning to the 80's and he has posted some on a Facebook page started by Buildy called Traditional open wheel circle track front engine race cars and I believe Ron started a group called Back in the day with ARDC where he has posted Hedddendorf's photos. His contributions have been a great help with My group along with the others where He has posted. So if any of you guys are on Facebook check these three sites out ..........Rich

 

Gotta love those fords

 

Balboa stadium