Midget auto racing swept the country in the 1930s and continued even more enthusiastically after World War II. Compared to expensive, full-sized Champ cars and sprinters, midgets were much more affordable and very exciting to watch. Although most midget racing took place at outdoor tracks and even stadiums, some events were held indoors at converted ice rinks and arenas, allowing racing to continue in the winter in northern cities. A typical midget racer packed an ethanol-fueled, twin-cam Offenhauser 4-cylinder, a modified Ford V-8/60 or a twin-cylinder, 2-stroke, Elto outboard motor converted for track use. However, there were dozens of other combinations tried, including Harley-Davidson and Indian twins, Henderson 4s, Frontenac Fords and many others. Noted Offenhauser historian Gordon Eliot White wrote, “… the midgets were gleaming little cars that raced on tracks small enough (so) that they were almost in the laps of spectators. They snarled and roared in a wheel-to-wheel brand of racing not usually seen anywhere else, even at Indianapolis.” Midgets were a great training ground for up-and-coming drivers. Frank Kurtis of Glendale, California, was one of the top midget race-car constructors. His design, which resembled a miniature sprint car, was perfectly proportioned and proved to be very popular. To speed up production, meet the demand and standardize his shop’s output, Kurtis built molds to press aluminum panels and built a small assembly line in his shop so his cars could be built in quantity. According to White, Kurtis-Kraft midget frames were constructed from 4130 chrome molybdenum aircraft-quality tubing, welded with mild steel rod. Hoops of mild steel tubing acted as a framework for the alloy body panels, which were then attached with quick- release Dzus fasteners. The Kurtis chassis was lightweight and very stiff, and Kurtis designed his own torsion-bar suspension that could be adjusted for track variances. Quality suppliers—Bennett for rear-axle assemblies, Norden for the steering box, Conze for the hubs and Halibrand for lightweight magnesium wheels—meant that although these cars were small in size, they were little jewels. They were finished to a high standard with chromed and polished suspensions, sharp paint schemes, pinstriping, leather seats and gleaming knock-off wheels, and depending upon customer preference, the basic Kurtis design could accept a range of popular midget powerplants. When this car was built in the late 1940s, safety equipment, even roll bars, was not prevalent. The close track competition meant that injuries and even fatalities were frequent occurrences, adding, for some fans, to the thrill and excitement. Vic Edelbrock Sr. and his legendary tuner, Bobby Meeks, ran a mix of nitromethane fuel in their V-8/60 “Shaker” midgets at famous tracks, like Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, where they were able to beat the more powerful Offys. They’d decided to try the volatile fuel mixture after watching the success of the Dooling Brothers’ “Spindizzies,” motorized miniature tether cars that could hit speeds of 100 MPH or more. Midget racers were experimental in their endless search for power and speed. Munz has a 1947 Kurtis-Kraft Midget with a Ford V-8/60 engine. “This one’s special,” he said. “It has a crossfire crankshaft, with a 180-degree firing order, so two cylinders fire at the same time. It develops a lot of low-end torque, and most of its horsepower comes below 6,000 RPM, as opposed to some modified V-8/60 Midget engines with conventional cranks that, with the right hot camshafts, usually from Iskenderian, will rev to more than 7,000 RPM.” V-8/60 authority Richard Willum notes, “these engines sound more like a two-cycle outboard than a four-cycle V-8.” This car was campaigned by Lew Carver, from Crown Point, Indiana. Munz’s interest in these tiny terrors evolved over the years. He grew up watching the Midget cars race. “We have a track in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where the National Midget Hall of Fame has been for years. I went out there from the time when I was a kid, watching the Midgets run the dirt track, in Sun Prairie, 8 miles east of Madison on Highway 151. “My friend Roger Gregg was a year ahead of me in high school; he went to West, I went to East High. I met him when I was working at a DX Station on the west side to get work credit during high school. I’d get off a little early to go to work. Later, I’d close up the station. Roger was a friend of the owner. He was a pretty sharp V-8 guy. He did a lot of my work, and he built that 110 Offy. He also did some Ardun work for me. And he ran Midgets back in the day at Sun Prairie.” Although he likes the Midgets, Munz admitted he is too tall to even get in one. “They weren’t very big guys,” he quipped. “These cars are not built for anybody who’s over 6-feet tall.”
