Youngsters Race Midget Midgets
DRIV DRIVIN ING G MEC MECHA HANI NIC C. Elev El even en-y -year ear -old -o ld Mike Mik e OliOli vero makes makes with a wrench on the front-end front-end assembly of his car. Dad takes over on tough jobs.
WOMEN OMEN DRIVERS ar e in the th e ru nnin nn in g too. to o. Do nna nn a Richa rds, seven, awaits flag as her father lifts lifts the rea r of her car for drop startin g.
Dads build the the cars, but America's erica's youngest drivers drivers take take the wheel in this this new racing racing fad that's that's fun fun for the the whole fam family. ily. By Hi Sibley Sibley and Andrew Andrew R. Boone
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IRT-TRACK racing is child's sport now—and the kids love it. So do the fathers who convert wheels, one-lung engines and junked auto parts into tiny hot rods. It's hard to tell who has more fun. Few grownups could shoehorn themselves into these midgets. They're tailormade for youngsters four to 12 years old. Some of these drivers can't read yet—but
KIDS TAKE SKIDS as a matter of course around tight turns. Although races are in grim earnest, low center of gravity, crash guards and bumpers keep them safe. Color photo by Walt Frisbie.
they run real races on miniature dirt tracks, pitting their homemade cars and driving skills against each other like Indianapolis veterans. Jams on the turns are frequent as drivers battle for the rail. On the straightaways, throttles are floorboarded for speeds up to 25 m.p.h.—plenty fast when you're sitting only 2-1/2" above the track. The small fry quickly learn to steer out of skids, nurse the wheel around turns, and make a fast getaway on the break. Born in California. Officially designated as one-quarter midgets, the little crates were first raced at Hemet, Calif. They are now running at Upland, Anaheim and Norwalk, too, with plans under APRIL 1955 |67
Johnnie Motte, nine, in the winning car his dad built. To date he has has taken 15 trophies. trophies . WITH ENGINE OUT, OUT, rear en d of Johnn ie' s c ar shows single drive sprocket and simple V-belt brake . The comparativ ely heavy 1" axle runs in
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pil low block s bol ted bel ow the frame sides . Th e motor base is a light steel pla te tur ned up at the rear an d welded to the frame crosspieces. crosspieces.
ALL-METAL FRAME, required by One-Quarter Midget Racing Association rules, can be made of two sizes of electrical conduit. This can be shaped with an electrician's or plumber's bending tool. Use low current to arc-weld it, as it
burns easily. On the right side, the U clip is omitted and rear piece of angle set forward for bolting on the guard rail. Put the steering shaft through its bearings bearings to align them when when these are being welded on.
way to organize clubs at Riverside and San Bernardi Bernardino. no. Chances are that the sport sport wi wi l l jump jump state state lines soon. Cars are clutchless. clutchless. The cars are just just about as simple as they can get. There is no clut clutch ch or transm transmission; ission; the the engines are start started ed by by pushing, pushing, or by getting getting them to the compression stroke, raisi raising ng the rear end, and droppi dropping ng the wheels heels to the ground. ground. Cars are stopped stopped by cutt cutting the ignition and applying a hand brake. The usual drive drive is by V belt to a jackshaft shaft (if the engine ngine hasn't a built built-in -i n reducti duction gear) and by sprock sprockets and a drive drive chain from the jacksha jackshaft to to the rear rear axle. axle. The probl problem em of a different differential ial is neatly neatly solved solved by not having having any. Only the right-hand wheel is driven. When a dri driver ver steps on the gas, the the car acce accelerates. When he thrott throttles les back, engine compression acts throu through gh the fair fai rly high high gear rati ratio (at lea least 8 to 1 by association ti on rules) to haul the ca car up sharp sharply. ly. Steering is direct direct and hair-t hair-tri rigger gger
sharp, from from a lever on the steering shaft shaft to the wheel wheel knuckle ((watc watch h that curve, ki d!) d! ). Maximum Maximum wheelbase uinder as association rules is 50", minimum tread 28", and greatest ground ground clearance 2-1/2". 2-1/2". This adds up to putt putting the driver (and center center of gravi gravity ty)) so low low that that none of the li l ittle ca cars has ever ever turned turned over. over. Front Front and rear rear bumpers plus knerf knerfm mg bars ars (guar (guard d rail rai ls) at the side ides prevent prevent wheels from locking. Only four-cycle four-cycle engines are are permitted. permitted. Although Although displacem displacement is li limited mited to 7.5 cu. in. in.,, which woul would d indicate indicate an output of about about 2 hp., builders are allowe allowed d to remove the governors. This This lets engine revs cl climb to about 6,000 r.p.m r.p.m. The little mills ills then then deve develop lop up up to four hp., a right right spry amount of powe powerr for for a car not much much bigger than than a roll roller er skate and and weighing weighing 15 150 to 300 lb. full ul ly loaded. loaded. Plans for a winner. One of the the champs is nine-yearnine-year-old old Johnnie Motte Motte of Nuevo, Cali alif., f., who has taken 15 trophies trophies APRIL 1955 169
to date and recently set a new lap record for the local track. His winning car, built by his father, John Motte, is shown in the photos and drawings on these pages. The Th e frame f rame is made of 5/8" 5/8 " and and 7/8" electrical conduit, all joints being welded. Shaping can be done with a standard bending tool. If you haven't welding equipment, it will pay you to take the cut and shaped parts to a welding shop rather than to bolt or rivet the frame. Two pieces of light angle stock that brace the cowl structure forward also serve as welding points for the body skin . POWER PLANT in Johnnie's Jet is a Continental engine with built-in reduction gear. An approximately 3:1 chain drive brings the over-all ratio to the required 8:1 minimum. Removing governor increases engine revs, almost doubling power. Gas tank is mounted in a special cradle welded to back of fire wall. FRAME IS WE WELL BRACED in front and an d ba ck of the cockpit, virtually one piece because all joints a re wel ded. Brake han dle , which is
mo un te d after aft er body bo dy is on, goes th ro ug h for war d hole in guard rail. The rear bump er is welded on, front front one pinn ed in its sockets.
The foremo foremost cross member is 1/2 pipe, pipe, and has two two steel steel plates welded welded to it for the frontfront-axle axle pivot pivot.. Short hort pieces of 3/4 angle are welded elded midway of the frame frame for attaching attaching the radius rods rods and guard guard rail rails. On the lef leftt side, a U-shaped ped bea bearring supports the brake lever. Autos supply fitti fitting ngs. The back of the frame frame is stepped upward upward about about an inch, and the motor base dropped from from it about the same amount. Welded elded to to the forwar orward d and dash cross members are 9/16 9/ 16" " needle bearings salvage salvaged d from from automobil automobile e universal universal joint joints. s. The upper upper one has its cap cut off, off, so that that the the steering sha shaft ft (also from from a junked car) can run through it. Other steering steering parts such such as as the ti tie rod, ball-and-socke ball-and-sockett joint joints, s, and clevises can also be taken fr from om old old cars. Steering
knuckles knuckles are bui built up by welding weldi ng pieces of 1/4"-by-1/4"steel bar together. Spindles are made of 3/4 shafting. Shoulder each one down sli slightl ghtly 5/16 5/16" " from from one end end.. Drive Drive it into into a close-fit close-fitti ting ng hole in the knuckle, knuckle, peen peen over, and weld weld from both sides. Front axle is is dropped. Bend the 1" 1"pipe axle axle so that a straight line line would would pass thr through ough the the pivot pivot hole and the center of each kingp kingpiin socke socket, as shown in the dr drawing. awing. Ham Hammer the the ends of the axle flat flat before weldi welding ng the sockets on. These should have have a 12° rearwar rearward d slant to provide provide frontfront-wheel wheel cas caster. Pillow Pillow blocks blocks are bolted bolted to 1/4" steel steel plates welded welded under the the frame frame members. They can be ball bal l bearing bearing or or plai plain; n; some builders builders prefer prefer babbit babbit bearings because they are less easily damaged by track track
BODY IS IN FOUR PARTS, the largest a single sheet bent up to form the sides. Nose was made from an old fender end by cutting, rewelding
and adding pieces. Asbestos behind fire wall shields driver from engine. Edges are notched for bending over along curves.
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grit. gri t. Make the axle of 1" shafting—lighter lighter axles have been known known to bend fr from roundi rounding ng curves at high high speed. The keyway is needed needed on the ri rightghthand end of the axle only. The other wheel wheel may may be bushe bushed d or provided provi ded wit wi th ball ball or roller roller bearings bearings to turn turn on the axle. axle.
STEERING WHEEL of John Johnni nie' e's s ear ear was made made by welding conduit to a steel plate. plate. This can he tapped to to screw screw onto the steering steering shaft, shaft, and locked with ith a nut on each side. Crescent Crescent shape is practic practical al because the the wheel is is moved only a fraction of a turn. turn. Note padding on the cockpit edges, ignition switch on the dash.
UNDER-THE-HOOD VIEW sh show ows the bottom of the steering steering shaft in its needle bearing. bearing. This is welded directly directly above the semicircular icircular plates plates in which the axle pivots. The steering steeri ng lever screws into into a nut welde welded d to the the shaft. The throttle throttle (at lower right) right) is hinged hinged directly directly to the sheet-metal floo floor of the body. 172 POPULAR SCIENCE
Both wheels should be retai retained ned by colcollars pinned pinned to the the axle, not by setscrews. The sprocket sprocket and the V pull pulley used as a brake drum must must be posit positivel ively y locked on the axle. They can can be bought wit with special hubs as shown. Loosened, these make ake it easy to ali align the parts. parts. Brake band is a V belt. elt. A piece of V belt, looped and riveted around a frame crossp crosspiece, iece, is simil similarl arly y fastened fastened to a lever that pivots pivots on a bolt bolt welded below the engine engine mounti ounting plate. plate. The other other end of the lever lever is connected connected by a clevis and rod to to the brake handle. handle. Mott Motte used an ingenious ingenious dodge to assemble this wit without welding, welding, for for it had had to be install installed ed after the body was on. on. The short leg leg of the lever lever was ground flat, flat, and and the dri drilled clevis lever hea heated ted red hot and hammered over it it to to for form ma half half-moon hole. hole. A short stop stop arm keeps the brake handle from falling forward. Shaping the body. Motte Mott e used a singl single e sheet of 22-gauge sheet steel steel shaped ped to a U section section for the the main ain part of the the body, the the lower bends being being
RIGHT FRONT END shows shows st sturdy urdy st steer eering act actiion. on. The front axle is free to tilt on its center pin. The radius rods, atta attached ched through auto clevises to the two two ends of uprights welded to the axle, axle, pivot on a single bolt at their their rear rear ends. Tie rod and link have ball-and-socket joints joints from junked cars.
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ROLLER-SKATE INDIANAPOLIS. A pilot car leads the pack for a lap, then pulls off to let the midgets fight it out. Being unlicensed, the
racers are hauled to the track on trailers. With Hi Sibley Sibley (driving (drivi ng big car) is James James Ishmael, president of the association.
rounded. rounded. The strai straight top top edges are must be attached after the body is fitted. fi tted. turned into the angle struts and welded. Both are made by weldi welding pieces of plat plate e The hood cover is is another piece shaped to steel rods. Thread Thread the radius rods rods for to a shallow shallow curve, wit wi th the upswept auto clevises so that that they they can be adcowl made made separately and wel welded ded on. It justed to maintain kingpin caster. can be attached attached with wit h aircraft aircraft cowl rereThe throttle is a plate welded to a large tainers (Zues screw screws) or wit with ordinary ordinary hinge, which is bolted to the bottom bolts. skin. From it a woven-wire oven-wire cable cable runs runs Toughest shaping job job is the nose. over over two small small pulleys to to the carburetor. Motte Motte made ade it from rom part of a 1935 Ford Ford A spring shut shuts s the throt throttl tle e when foot front front fender. fender. Radial Radial cuts in the front pressure is is released released. were rewelded to to form form the sharp radius If the the engine engine to be instal installled does not there. You might find a large headlight have a builtbuil t-iin redu reduction ction unit, you you wil wi l l shell or other part that can be adapted. adapted. need a jackshaft to bring the over-all enThe radius rods and the guard rails rails gine-to-axle gine-to-axle rati ratio o to at least 8 to 1. END
Offi ficial Specifi ficatio ions for Build lding One-Quarter Midget Racers WHEELBASE: 50" ma maximum ximum,, center to center TREAD: 28" minimum, 30" maximum, center to center GROUND CLEARANCE: 2-1/2 2-1/2 maximum to bottom of body HEIGHT: 26" maximum WHEEL WHEEL DIAMETER: 12" maximum maximum,, 8" minimum DRIVE RATIO: Minimum Minimum 8 to 1 over-all STEERING: Direct FRAME: All-metal construction FIRE WALL: All-metal, between driver and motor ENGINE: ENGI NE: Four-cycle Four-cycle only, only, 7.5 cu. in. ma maxiximum mu m displacemen displacementt (not to be increased) "
SWITCH: SWITCH: Off-on ff-on ignition igniti on switch BRAKE: BRAKE: One-wheel brake DRIVE GUARDS: GUARDS: Covers on all chains and sprockets exposed to drivers or handlers CRASH CRASH GUARDS, GUARDS, BUMPERS: Guard rails rails at rear wheels; bumpers front and rear. Rear bumper strong enough to permit use of push car, with top bar 8-1/2"minimum from from ground, gr ound, bottom bott om bar maximum maximum2-1/2" 2-1/2"from from ground ground DRIVER'S DRIVER'S EQUIPMENT: EQUI PMENT: Driver must must wear a safety belt, an approved helmet, and unbreakable goggles with no metal frames For additional information, write Racing Chairman, One-Quarter Midget Racing Association, Hemet, Calif.
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