BruceBoening

Boy, what can I say... Awesome collection. And I agree with your statement in your profile... leave the patina as much as possible to last racing condition. In my gunsmithing hobby people want me to restore firearms back to original condition and I have the hardest time convincing them to just get things working again and let it go at that. For some reason the Moss really stands out and catches my eye as the "classic example" 1/4 from my era... 1957-1960. Don't remember the extra roll bar bracing though....thought they had just the single bent tube like my Kurtis. Oh, well.. good memory... just short. -Bruce

Howdy again guys. Today when I was going thru some old Hurricane Ike flooded papers in my garage... ran across a few items of interest from the early days of the track at Scholes Field in Galveston. Sorry about the bad quality but they have been thru a flood you know. Oh, that's my sister in my virgin, never been run, Kurtis in Sept. 1958. It was my 7th birthday present on the day the picture was taken on the runway apron at Scholes. Up to that point I had just been getting the feel of some Offy 1/2 demo cars they had at the airport that had the upper front cowl that opened up for easy entry and exit and I believe that had centrifical cluthes in them also. I used to have a blast in those Offy's running all over the airport aprons. Wonder what ever happened to those cars? Enjoy. Bruce 1/4. Update..... Randy, just got around to looking at a blowup of the color photo with the cars lined up at the start / finish. I'm now certain that was not taken in Galveston because I know we didn't have a wall. I'm sort of thinking it was a later picture either at Pasadena or perhaps up at the Garland Nationals? Really don't recognize many of the cars either as being from the Houston area. Any ideas? I'm leaning toward Garland because the gray or powder blue car on the outside front row is from Gladewater, TX which is about 50 miles to the East of Garland. Like my dad used to say, he had a good memory but it was just too short - ha.

Howdy Gene and welcome to the forum. Keep those great stories and pictures coming. I'm like you.... everytime I pass by Gulfgate I look over at where the track used to be and memories start buzzing around in my empty little head. I even think about the cafeteria Picadilly's I think that used to be adjacent to the track. We ate there after every race and I loved their chocolate ice box pie boy. Randy, How in the world was I able to get away with that crazy 1/4 (one slash four) number I had on my car the whole time. I've often wondered about that also. -Bruce

Danny, Did a little research and saw that Johnny Parsons also drove for your dad in 1979. He was another great quarter-midget racer from back in our day along with his half brothers Dana and Pancho Carter. They mainly raced in the Indianapolis and Terre Haute areas as kids. Also see that Jerry Sneva was the 1977 Indy Rookie of the Race / Rookie of the Year beating out other notable rookies as Janet Guthrie, Danny Ongais, Bobby Olivero, etc. What a charmed life you had growing up around all the various types of racing. Fantastic. -Bruce

Great to see all the "old" faces again. Looks like ya'll are leaning and barely holding on to each other for the picture. Did somebody take ya'll's wheelchairs and walkers away for the picture?

How about a Pacemaker with headers and side-pipes ????????

Howdy Danny from Bruce in Galveston, TX. Welcome to the forum. Sorry, I'm a late responder but as the others know I chase NASCAR around the country as time and money is available and I'm often gone for extended time periods. Wow, I read all you're posts and what an honor to "know" someone from one of the famous families of early Quarter Midget racing. Personally, I never liked Pacemakers for a couple selfish reasons. One, I was stuck in my Kurtis 500 for my career and my dad wouldn't buy me a Pacemaker. Secondly, and most importantly I could never beat the local Pacemaker's... namely Randy and his buddy Coggie Pierce even after I upgraded to a Solt engine. - ha Curious, I saw you mention ya'll had a shop in Van Nuys, CA around 1956. My uncle Joe Boening was very instrumental in establishing QM racing in SoCal about that time, or so I'm told. His sons, my cousins Eddie Boening and Bill Boening both raced and did very well in the SoCal area. They lived in Van Nuys and raced out of Van Nuys all during the 1950's and was wondering if you or your dad recall the name. I think they moved to Reseda in the early 60's but I know they raced out of Van Nuys during the 50's Again, welcome to the forum and keep the memories coming. -Bruce ps - It's hard to tell on the photo but I also had a lot pinstriping done on my two-tone blue Kurtis. The front nose and rear turtle back were very elaborate. You can also just see some of the striping surrounding the external kill switch just above the hand brake. It was all done by a guy in Galveston who went by the name of Bobo. Wish I had some better pictures but Hurricane Ike took care of that.

Just tooting my own horn.... Found this on the back page of the Freeway Quarter Midget Racing News of 11/9/1958. Unlike Randy's front page write-up, I only got a single, 4" column on the back page. I also included the adjacent column showing I didn't even qualify a time the previous week. Good grief.

This is off topic for this forum but just noticed that Houston Raceway Park has changed their name to Royal Purple Raceway. Money talks I guess. http://www.royalpurpleraceway.com/

Randy, Thanks for posting those items... I appreciate it. Didn't notice until after I emailed you that you were listed as a member of the Dallas QMA, Car #76? -Bruce

Welcome Kyle, Really great photos and keep them and the stories coming. Randy, et al, I'm still chasing NASCAR around the country so missed out on the some of the posts....stupid me (for chasing NASCAR) as it looks like the 48 car is going to get lucky again this year, oh well. Maybe he'll get put in the fence in turn 2 at Texas like he did last fall. That's where smart azz's belong anyway, you know Randy? Photo below is our most recent "family portrait" with me, the wife and kids. -Bruce Insert - All I can say Bruce is.. the girls are beautiful! -Randy

I see that Jay has modified his listing of that Grand Prix on Craig's List and glad he intends to restore it. Only Grand Prix I remember in Galveston was a green one driven by an asian kid named Rene. His father was a doctor. Don't recall them ever racing anywhere except at the Galveston airport. -Bruce

Randy, I remember a newspaper or newsletter that we had for Houston area racers back in the 50's... Think it was called "The Quarter Midget News" or something like that. I know I had a bunch of them that got flooded by Ike along with my other stuff that somebody threw out without my knowledge or approval. I suspect a little red-headed left-winged geeky girl that showed up at my house to "help" us clean up the mess after the storm. She was driving a silver Mini-Cooper of all things. Anyway, just curious if you have any copies of that newspaper laying around somewhere? -Bruce

Randy, The one thing I "do" remember about her car was the scoop. Great find. You continue to amaze me. -Bruce

Don't know if this has been posted before... but it's pretty neat. Hot Rod magazine cover from February 1958 -Bruce

Doug and Randy, and others.... I agree with all the above statements. It was the greatest time of my life and I think about it all the time. Of course, the older we get the more we live in the past it seems. Besides the excitement of the races, meeting and challenging (sometimes wrecking) new friends on and off the track the experience stays with me in my heart. As a side-benefit, I think we all learned from a very early age the basics of driving which carries forward even to today. Simple things like how to drive out of a skid, sure it can be taught, but the way it becomes automatic is to experience it and what better way than putting a 5 year-old behind the wheel and let him have at it with others on the track. What were our parents thinking back then? - ha. I am still sick thinking that all my photos, news clippings and other memorabilia was destroyed by hurricane Ike. Fotrunately, I can still picture all that stuff in my mind and nobody or any storm will never take that away from me. Later, -Bruce # 1/4 Kurtis 500

Randy, Sorry I've been away for a while but been chasing the NASCAR races all over the country and just got back. Awesome pictures.... keep them coming. Almost wish they make a new Kurtis 500 that I could fit into. Those restorations are beautiful. My first experience driving was an Offy at the Galveston airport when the Noon Optimist Club was considering a track. Then, on my 5th birthday in 1956 my dad surprised me with a stock Kurtis 500 and it was on up at Gulfgate with Uncle Bertie, etc. My sponsers were Bert Lynn Music and 7-UP for the TV shows. The next year got the Solt, slicks, fuel and for the next couple years tried to keep up with ya'll in Gulfgate, Pasadena, at the nationals in Garland and everywhere else. The rest is history right up to the time I wrecked you when you tried that stupid pass on the outside of me between 1 and 2 at Gulfgate- ha. I must offer this though... the steering wheel on a 1955-1956 Kurtis 500 was a very small half-circular wheel....sort of D-shaped if you looked at it from the side. The grips at 3 and 9 o-clock were solid with rubber coverings. The very top of the wheel from about 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock was also covered with the same rubber but had no steel or any support behind it so it would give if you pressed on it.... perhaps a safety thing back then? The rubber that covered this "half-moon" wheel also had parallel blue and red stripes that ran all the way around on the top covering of the rubber. You can see from the attached picture of me (bad ass, I know) how small the wheel was... perhaps only 8-9 inches across. That's the only thing I see wrong with the early restorations. -Bruce

Welcome Alvin and thanks for the info. There are pictures of several Kurtis variations on http://www.vintagequartermidget.com/bodies.html and I think both you and Randy are correct about it being a later model Kurtis. Don't know about the Potter Kurtis FX though because they had rather large side pods. Again, welcome. -Bruce

Very nice indeed. Is the gray car another Wahlborg? Almost looks like it might be a Cherokee. -Bruce

Well, Randy.... Can't wait to see your museum but I'm afraid you're going to have to pry my trophies, etc from my dead cold fingers. My wife and daughters love them and their going to stay in the family. BTW.... just got back from the NASCAR races in Ft. Worth. Got to see the ARCA race on Friday and those dudes were going at it, man. Saturday and Sunday got to spend lounging in one of the luxury suites on the 2nd level for 8 or 9 hours each day before they called the race. Monday... watched the race about 25 rows up from the pit exit yellow line and the crash with 10 cars involved was right in front of us. Love that smell, boy. -Bruce ps - at least the 48 car didn't win this time... just one lap short I suspect.

Well, this is all I could find after Hurricane Ike. Just the 16 trophies, my old helmet and the flag set from the Galveston airport track. The t-shirt was air-brushed by the painter who did the pin striping on my car. One of the first air-brushers in the country I might add as it was a new technique. Hmmm... wonder what that helmet would be worth on Ebay - ha. Would have had more trophies but the Evening Optimist Club for two years decided we were going to race on a point system and didn't give out trophies.... but they were generous with the airplane rides. I think the late Sandra Honea mentioned helicopter rides but don't ever recall those as a prize for winning a race....just airplane rides. My dad happened to be one of the co-pilots who would take us up. Just so happens that in the mid 60's we sold the 1/4 car to a helicopter pilot for PHI who flew out of Galveston to the offshore oil rigs. Got my share os copter rides in those old gasoline Bell bubble front (MASH) type helicopters and really don't want to go on another one. -Bruce

I was at the 59 Nationals and do vaguely recall one of those flips where the guy went to the hospital. I think we got elimated early at that event in the qualifying heats. Again, you're very correct about the push-in roll bar on the Kurtis. We used to pull the roll bar off and load the Kurtis up in the back of our tourquoise 1955 Ford Country Squire station wagon. Fit in there just perfect. Yes, the incident I'm referring to happened in the same spot that you and I got into it.... between 1 and 2 at Gulfgate. Don't remember if the guy that ended on top of me actually did a flip. I'm kinda thinking he just got squirrly and bouncy in front of me after losing control and just ended upright on top of my car after possibly hitting the fence. I just don't remember. Seems like little Joey Jordon got hurt one day (broken arm?) after flipping at Gulgate also. I also recall one of his early races where he sort of freaked out and was a run-away car and the parents had to chase him down to stop him.

Randy, Thanks for the clarification.... it makes sense now. Once again your photographic and detailed memory is awesome. Don't know if this was the same wreck but remember an "incident" where another midget ended up on top of the front of mine. I recall staring at the underbelly of that car after the wreck as it just sat there rocking back and forth before they pulled it off my car. Put it all in a book and I'll be the first to buy one. -Bruce

Sorry you're in such a cranky mood..... are you having hot flashes also? I was grinning because I was so happy to have survived not because of the other clown on the track. And man I never deliberately wrecked anybody, seriously, believe me, honestly. I do recall being on the receiving end a couple times and picking out straw from inside the cockpit. I keep thinking about that car of yours with the gas tube sticking thru the engine cowl way up in the air. You say it had a gas cap on it but I'm still thinking it was just a tube without a cap. Seems like a lot of people had concerns about that setup. But like I said earlier, my memory of back then is pretty much toast and I still don't know how you recall all the fine details and minutia of 50 years ago. I'm jealous of you on that point Randy. -Bruce Ans: I think it is due to all the fumes I enhaled from that funny smelling fuel behind Schilds #1 car .. -Randy

I don't recall using the brakes at all when racing.... pretty much just let off the throttle diving into turns 1 and 3 and let the engine and direct drive slow it down a bit. Of course that was when Burton and Schilds would pass me up! In fact, we had the same disc pads on the 1/4 car for it's entire life. Maybe I used the brake one time when some dude tried to pass me on the outside between 1 and 2 at Gulfgate - ha. -Bruce