More Midget Car Talk

Matthew Williams kingofduckburg at apptechnc.net
Sun Feb 22 20:15:25 CET 2004


On Friday, February 20, Don Rosa wrote.

>Someone seems to be mixing jalopy racing with midget racecar racing as
affordable ways for the "common man" to get into >car racing. Jalopy and
stock cars are that. Midget racecars were quite professional -- they were
simply reduced scale >versions of the full scale "Formula One" race
cars...they needed to be built from scratch just like the big versions.
There >apparently was just some sort of thrill in seeing these tiny
(dangerous)cars zipping around a track. Perhaps it was also a way >to fit a
racetrack inside a big city where more tickets could be sold? Anyway, it
died out (or was banned for all I know) >sometime in the 40's or 50's.

Mr. Rosa,

I bow to your knowledge and experience in most matters, but I assure you
that I at least know what midget cars look like (I read the Barks story
too!).  As I said in my first posting, I do not claim to know much about the
midget car racing scene.  Still, I am quite sure that I attended a midget
car race in North Carolina during the early eighties.  It was not a jalopy,
stockcar, go-kart, or a "funny" car race; while I am not a racing fan, I
feel I know the difference.  The racer I knew delivered Coca-Cola to grocery
stores for a living, so I know at least in the early eighties in North
Carolina, middle class racing fans could participate in midget car races.

Furthermore, from some minor internet research, I have learned that midget
car racing is still an activity enjoyed by some Americans.  Most current
midget car tracks seem to be located in Indiana.  The websites I looked at
spoke of a "resurgence in popularity" (wishful thinking?).  Appearance wise,
midget cars have evolved considerably from the racers depicted in Barks'
story; pictures are widely available through internet searches.

Matt



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