Midget 85

Pacemakers These two Pacemakers have been radically changed from their original production as to suspension and friction side shocks. They are rare non the less and could use a lot of restoration work.

MORE 1/4 MIDGET ADDS Adds for Race Craft and Wahlborgs Photos courtesy of Doug Plank ( South Carolina )

Row call.. The racer on the bottom cannot be identified..but possibly a 500 as Doug McBride drove in Texas The next two are (King) 500 Wahlborgs, then a Race Craft, and two Kurtis Kraft 500's from what I can tell.

Another Shot of Vintage Quarter Midgets Photo courtesy of Doug Plank / South Carolina

Help with identification Doug Plank from South Carolina sent us these photos of a 1/4 Midget and asking for advise and description. The best I can tell and known to the boys in Texas is a "Racecraft" midget. However, there have been a few modifications to the body made over it's life span. There are signs of changes made but, I do believe it is a Racecraft with it's markings and traditional markings. The original body did not have louvers but the grill, front axle, and bumpers relate to a Racecraft and appears someone wanted to add effects to the body. The protruding side panels on the side are also signs of a Racecraft. It is possible that other sub manufactures used the Racecraft body to produce their own version which was not totally uncommon. Look for a serial number on the frame which quite possibly be on the top of the frame near the left rear wheel. Note the "Butterfly" steering wheel..

Another Flashback Moment From Doug Plank In South Carolina.. Guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes. This picture was taken on July 3, 2010 at the Mac-O-Chee Quarter Midget Club Hall of Fame ceremonies in West Liberty, Ohio, Ryan Barr took the Plank family car 31 (1957 Wahlborg 300) for a few practice laps. Not only the envy of his racing buddies for driving a vintage car, a few days later Ryan drove to a 4th place finish in the A class at the 2010 Grand Nationals in Indianapolis. · The car (31, “Copperhead”) was purchased for the Plank boys (Doug, Dennis, Darry) for Christmas 1957 · The car is owned by Darry Plank (far right) · Patriarch of the Plank family team, *5 year old John Plank (HOF 2009) stands 3rd from left. · Standing by John is Joy Plank, wife, mother, grandma, great grandma and captain of the Plank racing team) · 31 has been kept in its original condition by Darry (HOF 2009) · Darry was the last to drive 31 in competition in 1962. Darry drove 31 from 59 through 62 · The car and the engine that had not been run for 48 years. · Doug Plank (2nd from right, son of John and brother to Darry, HOF 2009) drove 31 in 58 and 59 and then other cars until 1962. · Unable to attend was Dennis Plank (HOF 2009) who drove 31 in late 50’s · Kenny Plank is in the middle (third from left). Kenny is Darry’s grandson, great grandson of John and Joy, and the son of Ken Sr. second generation driver (deceased) who drove for Darry from 1982-89). · Young Kenny accepted his dad Ken’s 2010 Mac-O-Chee Hall of fame induction at the event. · In the far back middle is Chris Plank (who has also driven), son of Darry, home on furlough from the US Marines for the occasion. · That’s second generation driver Ryan Barr at the wheel in 31. · Chad Barr (far left) is the father of Ryan and drove in the eighties for his dad Mike (not pictured) against Ken Plank in cars owned by Darry. · That's Ryans mom Rhonda kneeling beside him (officer in the Mac-O-Chee club). Doug Plank

More Interesting History.. Thought we would share this site with everyone who's into the classic Lil' Midgets and their start in history of their beginnings. This site will refer to some of the classic car guys who attend my events as well as others in Texas. They are the Pylant Brothers and their reflection of a fun era gone by. It is the story of the midget, it's concept as well as the story behind it. Enjoy! Click here >> http://www.racerboys.com/index.html

Hello Doug, Thanks for staying in touch buddy! Well, all we need to do is gather up a few Quarter Midgets to start with as I have two I would like to display. The Wahlborg is completely down to the frame and progress on straightening out the frame that was obviously bent and out of shape from years of racing and perhaps a few wrecks and was in worse shape than I figured. The signs of some butchered up work is noted and a few altercations to the original production are a far cry from original. I do plan to update a few items on the car with hopefully disc brakes and wheel assemblies to give it some character since many of the original parts were missing. It will however be a nice project when all is said and done and efforts to bring it back to a worthy character is the plan. It will definitely be a "Show Car Midget" with a few added bells and whistles and perhaps the way I would like to have seen them in there day. It's only money..right? I guess the term will be classified as a "Modified Wahlborg" but yet enough character to note it's original concept. Plans are to enter it in car shows and eventually it will find it's home in the game room along with the trophies I have saved over the years. Museum? It would be nice but will have to see what response we get from fellow classic midget owners in Texas. I would like to purchase Larry's Daytona Viper and we have spoken about it a few times. The second midget will be a cloned version of my second midget (#76 ) that had a short life and since I found the duplicate body, all that will be needed is to duplicate the frame and suspension components and go by memory and photos in efforts to bring a piece of history back to life. Have a full plate on my hands for sure. None the less, I hope to have the first midget completed before the end of the year and as time permits to work on it. I will post a few photos soon. Please stay in touch and keep us posted with things going on in San Antonio! Best Regards, -Randy

1/4 Midget Restoration progress Have really been busy with life but hope to have a few photos posted before too long on the restoration of one of my 1/4 midget projects. Would like to have finished it long ago but, life get's busy as we all know... Keep us in mind. -Randy

Alvin, Thanks for your input on the midget and welcome to our 1/4 midget chat forum! -Randy

Bruce, The primered 1/4 Midget in the background is a later model 1/4 that I am not familiar with. It appears it is from the late 60's or possibly 70's and as we know the body styles changed considerably. Maybe someone can verify it is a late model Kurtis is what I am guessing. I think Wahlborg midgets were out of business by the time this era of midgets were produced. I would almost bet it is a Kurtis Kraft Even more..the body closely resembles the Daytona Viper in some ways..

More Vintage 1/4 Midgets A small world out there.. Just found out that one of our Street Rodders attending our events has been hiding some of his collections of the Tiny Mite Midgets! With his permission he has allowed us to share a few photos of his collection of Quarter Midgets. Thanks to Jim Swenke for his contribution The Blue and White Midget is a full size or otherwise known as a "King Size" Wahlborg he recently purchased. The larger Wahlborgs came equipped for two types of racing and could be ordered and equipped for the 1/4 Midget or 1/2 Midget class! The 1/2 Midgets were equipped with McCollugh 2 Cycle Chain Saw Engines The bottom photo reflects a "Do It Yourself" kit that was obviously structured and built in the early days of midget building. Note the Air Vent to cool the engine at the bottom of the midget Also note Pre Roll Bar era..

Bruce, I can add to your comment that the trophies on the frount row were from Gulfgate track as the others in the rear came from the Pasadena track. They used different trophy companies pending on the tracks. Matter of fact, I don't think the mold castings exist anymore as I have contacted several of these companies for possible purchases of parts are replacements for some that I have damaged. Whatever you do, you should try and preserve the trophies or in the future donate to me as I am trying to start a museum of sorts if things pan out right.

Jim, I guess the cars were all designed by their master designers with their own interpitation of how they wanted them to look. My favorite body style was always the Wahlborg in general as they looked more closely to the midgets of the Big Brothers during that time span. The Race Craft was second to the Wahlborg in my books. Then, there were the midgets that handled the best which in my opinion and experience were the "Pace Makers" and "Moss" midgets. I drove many different ones and can only speak for my experience as to how the cars handled on the track.. The better your car rode and drove the more likely you could stand on it and get the feel for the characteristics and know how it would react in any situation.

Jim, 10-4 on that statement! All I can say is the experience with racing as a kid lives with you forever. What a way to start your life. I still love racing although the career was somewhat brief as you have experienced in the Stock Car years. Racin' is Racin! Here's an add on the Westkraft Midget which was a spin off the Kurtis Kraft Midget. I had forgotten about this midget and our thanks to Doug for sharing with the Texas boys!

We welcome readers all over the world to share your Quarter Midget experiences in the early days. A friendly Texas welcome from Lone Star Speed Zone to a fellow Quarter Midget racer in South Carolina.. We welcome Doug Plank Randy I have enjoyed following your discussions in Lone Star Speed zone. I grew up in Ohio (now live in SC) and raced quarter midgets from 57-62. I started out in a Wahlborg 300 and finished up in a Kurtis Kraft 500. I am presently restoring a Wahlborg and looking for 58-59 Kurtis to restore. This link should get you to the story of our club and has some good pics. http://www.examiner.org/index.php?option=c...s&Itemid=57 You mentioned Shoji in one of your discussions and the article talks of him. He came to West Liberty Ohio in 59 Labor Day races, the big event of the year. He set a new track record in his silver Kurtis at (I think) 7:32. He won the AA feature I won the B and have an identical trophy. Attached is an old photo of him on the track receiving his trophy form Scooter West, whose dad designed and built the Westcraft, a very nice car mostly a copy of the Kurtis. The Shoji visit dramatically changed racing in our area. Within less that one year later, I had the B track record at 7:20. Kurtis built 6 more cars identical to Shoji’s only the next five were fiberglass. Ron Stewart and Chris Yoder, both members of our club, had two of them. Chris held the World’s fasted time for a while. Thought you might find it interesting that the things you were doing in Texas paralleled my childhood in Ohio. Best times of my life and I will again return this July for a reunion. Keep up the good work and if you see a Kurtis that is available please let me know! Doug Plank Beaufort, SC 29907 Richard Shoji - pictured above

Bruce, I am thinking it was Chubby Chapman in the 24 Wahlborg Midget in turn 2 If this is the one you are talking about at the Gulfgate track. Again there were sevearal flips at the track but can't say I can recall the exact one you are referring to here unless it was Chubby. Was the flip at Gulfgate? At the Nationals at Gulfgate track in 1959 there were two racers from Lubbuck or Tulsa that actually received upside down trophies after flipping. One of the drivers went too wide on the backstretch, got into the dirt, clipped the fence and did two end over enders in a Kurtis Kraft Double AA fueler. The driver broke one arm and fractured the other as his arms were thrown out if the cockpit as the midget filpped end over end. I remember the track team removing him from the cockpit and carrying him to the ambulance. The roll bar was a slide in bar on the Kurtis and after the first flip actually came out of the slots and after the second flip the car landed back on his wheels against the fence. Were you there that day? The other driver did a barrel roll in turn 4 after climbing wheels and landed on his head after two roll overs. He was shaken but OK. Both were awarded "Hard Luck" trophies from the track promoters as the cars on the trophies were mounted upside down.. That was a two day event for Saturday and Sunday. The one driver received his award with his arms in arm cast on Sunday and received a standing ovation from the crowd. The little midgets were serious when you hammered down!

Bruce, Yes, it did have a gas cap at one time before impact. The reason the spout tube was sticking so high in the air as you say was due to the tank bracket being bent upward after impact. It actually shoved the neck and entire tank upward through the opening in the cowling. The cap was found near the fence and was made of brass and had a small secure chain attached to it. When the cap was sheared, the small security chain actually pulled the entire tank assembly upward from the impact before snapping. Bizarr as it sounds, things have unexplainable answers under stress situations. I'm just glad no one dropped a cigarette around us or Richard Prior would have nothing to brag about.. In normal conditions when the cap was screwed down all you could see was the top of the cap above the cowling. After the impact the roll bar was added to the midget. Prior to the wreck it didn't have one. Maybe if had, the cap wouldn't have been sheared off The frame of the car had alignment problems and never was the same after that. The car was pieced back together and sold. Glenda Parker drove it after that for one season and then I never saw it again nor in the winner's circle I think it was scrapped..

Yeah..Right Bruce.. Wasn't the brake at all..it was the loose screw behind the wheel that thought he was on a European track making right hand turns instead of lefts!! I still think you did that deliberately.. You couldn't stand the thought that I was gonna pass you. Instead you got your undies soaked in gasoline just like me. What really pi..ed me off was when it was all over, you were grinning ear to ear like you had done somethin! lol If I ever needed shoulder straps it was on this day Boy what a ride that was.. Speaking of the old Galveston track.. We could always un earth it and I would be glad to give you driving lessons on how to turn left..

Bruce, The cockpit of the midget was so low that a competitors wheel could easily end up in your lap with little effort. I actually think the AMC Pacer automobile was designed after Champ 5, due to the width of the chassis. Felt like driving a Bath Tub.. Don't see how Chubby could drive and maintain that car.. As to the brake movement, I compare it to the Moss Midget with it's spring movement. If you were sharp you would look for the tale tale signs of what the driver was doing by the midget's response to the drivers action. On the throttle..off the throttle..on the brake..off the brake. I tried to learn each drivers habits when pursueing them in a race and depending on the midgets characteristics in design you would learn a lot..

Bruce, The Gold Pacemaker number 8 was driven by Jim Sanders ( or Saunders ) His dad was owner of a Ford dealership off the Gulf Freeway. The Black and White "Champ" 5 midget was originally driven by Chubby Chapman although several other drivers escorted the old 5 car after Chubby ended his racing career. The Champ 5 was owned by Jack Boslog from Liberty Texas and was a very poor and ill handling race car! I qualified it one time and was glad to get out of it.... Felt like driving a tank.. Correct me if I am wrong, but I remember the Kurtis Kraft Midgets having a "Foot Brake" as an option to the Hand Brake that could be used either way. Foot or Hand.. When you pressed on the Foot Brake, you would see the Hand Brake Move..

Some things left better un said...Nick However, Bruce is right about one thing. Wrecking the cars was bad enough but to be stripped down to our briefs on the track was even more humiliating as I managed to duck inside the show room where new quarter midgets were being displayed. All I can say,, if Bruce hadn't been such a light foot in the curves then I wouldn't have to pass him in the outside. I got the idea he just didn't wanna be passed at all.. inside or out ..or was I lapping him! It all happened so fast all I can really remember after locking wheels was heading up the banking with my wheels turned left and his turned right?? We were headed straight to the pit exit opening where people were standing and I remember seeing people scramble for cover as we were both wide open on the throttles and drifting into the pit opening. The right rear wheel on my midget caught the fence post and the midgets being locked together came to an abrubt stop. The gas spout behind me was about a half inch in height and the cap was sheared off and the fuel came sloshing out after the jolt! If the rear axle had missed the fence post then we might have ended up on I-45 South bound still wide open and headed toward Galveston where I could have escorted Bruce back home.. I decided the next time I was behind Bruce while either passing or lapping him, I would just shove a bumper up that Kurtis Kraft and move em myself.. All in laughing fun as we look back.. LOL One thing we can both agree on. Young or old, kid or grown up, racing has the same adrenaline effect no matter your age factor. It's called RACIN' Speaking of Bruce, he has sent me this photo of the old Galveston 1/4 Midget Track which was one of the last tracks we raced on. Thanks Bruce! The track still exists at the Galveston Airport. Of course it's overgrown but it's still there amazingly. Attached is a Google Earth image and the track is dead center. -Bruce

Bruce Boening Well, well.. Bruce glad to see you here and although we just got off the telephone speaking with each other we must share our experience in that crash you and I had at Gulf Freeway Race Track back in 1958. For our readers out there, Bruce and I locked wheels which drove me into the fence and soaked us both with gasoline from my fuel tank after impact. I think it was a memory we both will remember. I have my side of the story and Bruce has his. Non the less we look back at those youthful days and can remember the impact and how my second midget was pretty much toast after that impact. The story is further back on this thread from what I remember. We will let Bruce tell his side when he comes to this post. Anyway Bruce, welcome to the forum along with everyone else who has since joined us.

Vintage Quarter Midget from long ago..Looking for a new life Jim found this car on an auction and forwarded it to us to view. I copied and hopefully will give our readers another view of the classic midgets some 50 years ago.. The photos refect a recent pint size stormer that sits quietly.

1959 GulfGate Race Track-Midget 85 Here's a shot of Little Joey Jordon ( The Track Mascot ) getting his picture made with myself after taking a win.