OK, going back in time, again.  The good old '50's.  What will follow might not be in chronological order.  Just going to put down various things that happened to me.  As for specific dates, well, only a few.  So, sit back, relax for a little while.  I will try to make it interesting!

There were a few "long distance" midget races held at the Trenton Speedway in the late '50's.  One race I went to was scheduled for August 23rd, 1959.  Went with a friend of mine, a guy named Ron Colombo.  No, not from THAT family!  We made the trip to Trenton in his Corvette.  We bought our tickets for the "bleachers" that were along the main straightaway, between turn four and the main grandstand.  Well, it rained on August 23rd.  The race was scheduled for - you might not believe this - 250 miles!  Yes, no "typo" error.  250 miles.  That would be 250 laps around that paved one mile oval.  Rained out.  The rain date would be the following Sunday.  Back then, things were really different on Sundays.  I worked in a grocery store.  The stores back then were CLOSED on Sundays!  Times have changed since then!  Now, Sunday is one of the better days for the food industry -shopping wise.  So, there was no problem in going back to Trenton the following week.  Hey, we already had our tickets.

Between August 23rd and the rain date of August 30th, I asked a young lady if she would like to go with me to the race on the rain date.  Her name was Joan Rose.  She was a "meat wrapper" in the store where we worked.  Tiny little thing.  Topped the scales at around 90 pounds.  Well, she accepted my invitation.  So, now I had to get in touch with Ron to make sure there would be no problem - me taking a girl to the race.  As you know, the Corvette was a two-seater.  So was my car - an MG-A.  So, it would be necessary to take two vehicles from Pearl River, NY to Trenton, NJ.  Well, there was no problem, since Ron knew someone else that also wanted to go to the race.

On August 30, 1959,  Joan and I head "south" to Trenton.  In the MG.  Top down!  We pull in behind the "bleachers".  Naturally I had to "rev" up the engine!  Ron and his friend were already up in the stands.  Ron had gotten in with his raincheck.  His friend had to pay, naturally.  Well, Ron sends his friend down to meet us.  With Ron's raincheck!  Yep, got Joan into the race for nothing!  There were 39 cars that started the race.  30 Offies, 8 Fords and one Triumph powered midget.  By the end of the marathon, there were 17 cars left.  During the event, the clouds started to roll in.  And, they had moisture in them.  At around the ninety mile mark, the moisture decided to make it's way to good old mother earth.  Pretty hard, too.  We, Joan and I, actually climbed through the "riggings" of the bleachers, down to the car, to beat the crowd out.  Still we got soaked.  Had to hurry and put the top up on the old MG.  Thank goodness, it was an easy thing to do.  While we were in the car, waiting out the cloudburst, they asked the crowd if they wanted to wait it out, or - yeah, come back - next week?  Those of us that were in the bleachers were asked to reply by the sound of our horns.  Needless to say, the majority of the fans elected to wait it out.  A decision was made regarding the cars.  They could re-fuel and change tires and do other maintenance while the race was stopped.  This caused some "hard feelings" with some of the teams that had already made a pit stop.  Somehow, things got "ironed" out and the race continued.

Fred "Jiggs" Peters was in the Ken Brenn # 24.  He had a lap lead when he pitted around the 195th lap.  You think pit stops are quick - today?  How about almost FORTY-FIVE SECONDS!!  Peters went on to win the race.  And, he was really "charged" with making one pit stop, during actual competition!  Hard to believe, isn't it?  Following Peters, in order, were:  Bert Brooks in the Darrell-Villa offy, Gig Stephens in the Duino # 55, Johnny Coy in the Gerisi offy, Tony Romit in the Homeyer offy, Tony Bonadies driving the Frankenfield offy, Red Reigel in the Barclay car, Bill Randall who was driving the Virag offy, Russ Klar in the Caruso midget and Jimmie Davies who was driving for the legendary Johnny Pawl.  Oh yes, Johnny Pawl passed away recently.  I must say that of the results mentioned, well,  I was fortunate to see them in the "Crocky" Wright  "History of Midget Racing - Volume 3".  Sometimes seeing things in books or on Videos helps with our memories.  As for Joan?  Must have been the "fumes".  She was hooked!  Or, was it my MG?  Whatever it was, we are still together.  I proposed.  She accepted.  Got married.  September 11th, 1960.  My, how the time flies!  Yes we were married on 9/11.  Some way to celebrate our 41st anniversary -  9/11/01!  I just know you all remember that date.

I do not know whether many of you out there ever got involved with "Road Racing".  I have gone to a few in my time.  Lime Rock, Connecticut.  Westhampton, Long Island.  On the airport runways at Montgomery, NY.  Sebring, Florida.  Thompson, Connecticut.  Sorry to say, I never made it to Watkins Glen.  And, I believe it was at Floyd Bennett Field where I saw my first "Road Race".  Had to be in the summer of '52.  There was a car in competition that day made by Frank Kurtis, of Indy fame.  I remember it so well because it had a grill very similar to that of the Howard Keck Indy car driven by Bill Vukovich.  No, the memory does not let me remember who was driving it., or who won the race that day.

The "Road Course" at the Montgomery, NY airport, was basically just three airstrips in the shape of a triangle.  On the second straight, they had a "chicane" made with hay bales, to slow the cars down a little.  D-Jag's.  Ferrari's.  Porsches - up the kazoo.  Scarabs.  Maserati's.  "Old Yeller".  Aston Martins.  Then you would have the smaller, not so fast sports cars.  I can recall, one time, when Carroll Shelby was driving a 4.5 litre Maserati.  Back then, that was THE CAR.  We were usually "camped out" along the third, or last straight away of the course.  Oh yes, back then, on the road courses they always used a "standing start".  And as usual, the bigger, faster cars started in the first rows.  On this particular day, after hearing the roar of the engines at the start, and waiting for the cars to get to us on the first lap, we just knew that Shelby was going to be leading the pack past us.  WRONG!  The whole field went by.  No Shelby.  Then, we saw it.  A red Maserati.  Working it's way through the chicane.  He here comes!  WRONG!  It was a smaller 1 1/2 liter Maserati.  God, did that little 90 cubic engine get punished in that race.  I mean, punished.  I do not think it finished.  Shelby?  Well, we spoke to him after the race.  He told us, in his Texas drawl,  that he revved her up, let out the clutch, and proceeded to watch the tranny split wide open!  Fortunately, he was not injured.  But you must keep in mind, that he was driving the 4.5 litre car.  And he was starting on the front row.  And it was a "standing start".  And, his car did not move!  Hairy!  We watched him loading the car on a trailer the day before the race.  Just the slightest gas given when the clutch was let out, and that car would just spin the rear wheels.  Another event that I remember quite well, concerned the car that was called "Old Yeller".  It really, to me was more like a "hot rod".  Big US V-8 under the hood.  Went like gangbusters.  On this particular day, "Old Yeller" was running in one of the top positions.  I forget what it was chasing, probably a D-Jag.  Any how, lap after lap, the distance between the two cars kept getting closer and closer.  For those of you that are not familiar with road racing, there are usually signs up, like "300", "200", and "100" before fairly sharp turns that are at the end of a straightaway.  These signs are there to aid the drivers in their down-shifting and braking, for the up-coming turn.  And, in road racing, you had brake lights that worked.  As "Old Yeller" gained ground on the leader, we could observe the leader braking at the same spot every lap, as he was going into the turn at the end of the third straight.  He did it the same, lap after lap.  And, the driver of "Old Yeller" could see this, and he drove accordingly.  Finally, it happened.  The lead car changed his braking spot on one lap.  Went maybe about 50' further down the straight.  Now, as I said, "Old Yeller" could go like gangbusters.  Braking - well,  that was a different story.  "Old Yeller" also went the additional 50 or so feet.  It was just enough distance - closer to the turn, that did "Old Yeller" in.  The turn could not be made.  Spin time!  "Old Yeller" spun, and just could not make up the distance lost.  I, personally learned something from what I had observed that day.  I always enjoyed the racing at Montgomery.  It was a shame that they did not last longer than the few years they raced there.

Sebring, Florida.  Every March, they have a twelve hour race there.  I was fortunate to go there in 1957, with my brother "Jim".  Made the trip down there in his MG-A.  What a kidney killer that ride was!  If you have never been in an MG, let me tell you - the suspension is VERY STIFF!  We met my brothers friend, George, at the end of the Jersey Turnpike.  He had his Ford V-8.  He also had a blown head gasket.  What fun.  When the old Ford started to get a little "hot", he would  give us the "lights", - a signal to start looking for some place to get water.  We made Florida, okay, and my brother and I visited some friends in Cocoa.  George went to see some of his friends - on the west coast.  We would meet at the Sebring "course", on Friday.  After our visit, in Cocoa, my brother and I headed south.  Then we cut across the state, just below Lake Okeechobee.  We picked up Rt 98 and headed north towards Sebring.  It was dark.  I was basically catching some "shut eye", when brother "Jim", hit the brakes,  hard.  Woke me right up!  Well, there was a little sign on the left side of the road.  Over the sign was a tiny light bulb.  The sign said "Motel 98".  We were not sure how much further it was to Sebring, but we decided to see if they had any rooms.  "Jim" went in to check.  He came out and told me that there was a room available.  They are "colored" he told me, meaning the people that owned the place.  Now, I must tell you something about my up-bringing.  When I was small, like in grammar school, I lived in a town in New Jersey called Montvale.  It is right on the border of New York.  There were no "colored" in Montvale.  There were a few families in the next town in New Jersey, Park Ridge.  My brother had some as class mates.  After my mother and father divorced, and my mother re-married, if you will recall in previous "chapters", we moved south.  To Florida.  Then to North Carolina.  Well, you know what it was like in the South - back in the early '50's.  Completely segregrated.  I never had a "colored" student in any of my schools until I was in high school in Pearl River.  And, that was only one girl.  So, my brother did not know how I would react to staying in a "room" in a house with "colored".  And to be honest, I did not know myself, how I would react.  There were some other "motel rooms"  that were separate from their house.  Maybe three or four - in one small, long building.  Well, it seems that this "colored" family had moved South from the North.  It was just a husband and wife.  And were they ever so friendly.  They even "cleared out" a room for George to stay in when he made it to Sebring, after my brother asked if they might know of a place for George to stay.  They insisted that we have some cake and coffee with them.  Being hungry, we were happy to accept.  While we were at their table, we heard a noise.  A familiar noise.  Car noise.  Racing car noise.  And, it was close by.  "Night Practice" is what the motel owner told us.  The Sebring Airport, where the race course is, was right across the street!  Then, talk about noise!  Into the motel driveway comes one of the racing Ferrari's!  Seems that a couple of the Ferrari  team mechanics were staying at Motel 98!!  The 1957 race at Sebring was the only time I went there.  My brother went to that race every year.  And, until he moved to Florida, you know that he stayed at - Motel 98!

Have you ever been to a 12 hour race?  The Sebring race starts at 10 in the morning.  It ends at 10 at night.  Really, it is not to bad IF you are a dyed-in-wool race fan.  I guess you have to appreciate being able to watch the likes of Juan Fangio. Stirling Moss.  Mike Hawthorne.  All the International stars.  I had a great time at Sebring.  I have to imagine that it is a lot different today.   I suppose that you are restricted as to where you can go, around the course, to view the action.  Back in '57, we were able to check out most of the 5.2 mile circuit.  Could not go on the straight that was behind the pit area, though.  But, I enjoyed myself.  Oh yes, while we were in Florida, at Daytona, we took a trip on the famous beach.  We also went to some type of "museum" there in Daytona.  There were some cars in it.  Some engines too.  But I do remember checking out a "mock" racing engine that was made entirely out of wood.  Really neat.  Oh, and as for George, my brothers friend?  He met us at the track.  He and my brother replaced the Fords blown head gasket.  He was happy that we had located a room for him.  George Haid, is how his name is spelled, I believe.  Think he ended up being a professor at Yale or some place like that.

Lime Rock, Connecticut.  The road course at Lime Rock is one and one half miles in distance.  There is a long straight that leads into a long sweeping "U" turn, to the right.  After the right turn, there is a left, and then you go up hill and out of sight of those that are seated on the ground along the main straight.  Yes, on the ground.  There is a natural sloped "ground" area  the length of the main straightaway, where the fans would sit on lawn chairs, blankets or what ever they found to be comfortable on.  After a series of small turns or bends on the circuit, where the cars were out of our sight,  they would come down a hill that turned to the right - onto the main straight.  I do believe that there is basically only one or two left hand "turns" on the entire course.  I mention this, the amount of left hand turns for a specific reason.  As you "open wheel" race people know, a high percentage of open wheel racing in the U.S. back in the '50's were run only on ovals.  Counter clock wise.  Turning left, into the turns.  Well, there was a certain race at Lime Rock that I was fortunate to attend.   I must mention that this was before I had met Joan, my future wife.  I had gone up with my father.  My brother, to my surprise, had a "date" with a fine girl named Henrietta.  A "date" at Lime Rock.    The race was billed as a "Formula Libra" race.  There were various classes of "sports cars", "sports racing cars", a Grand Prix car or two, and a bunch of midgets from here in the east.  Rodger Ward was there driving the Ken Brenn offy # 24.  George Constantine had his Aston Martin # 49.  Constantine, at the time, was one of the bigger names in road racing here in the U.S.  About the only type of racing cars not in the race were stock cars.  Neither "modifieds" or "Winston Cup" style cars.  And, since there were so many midgets, and midgets could not have a "standing start" type of start, it was agreed that the race would have a "rolling" start.

I must tell you this:  The first time I saw a midget come down the hill onto the main straight - well I almost sh-t my pants!  Jesus!  He's gonna get killed!  Ah, no problem.  The midgets took to the road course like a duck takes to water.  And, mind you, most of the turns were to the right!  There was qualifying for the starting line-up.  Constantine, in his Aston Martin had the pole.  Believe it or not, Ward, in the Ken Brenn offy midget had second fastest time.  Some front row.  This "little" midget next to this "large" Aston Martin.  Constantine had the advantage, what with having a transmission.  The midgets only had their one speed (gear).  Ward had wanted a two-speed rear put into the Brenn midget, but for various reasons, it was not done.   On the initial start, Constantine took off and ended up winning the race.  Oh yes, the event was run in three "heats", if you want to call them heats.  The first two were of a lesser amount of laps than the last "heat".  Between the first and second race, Ward and the Brenn "crew", changed the gearing in the midget's rear.  That made a difference.  Ward was able to "out-drag" the Aston Martin on the start of race two, and he went on to the win.  And the same thing happened in the final "feature" race.  So, to the amazement of the racing world, an oval track midget beat various types of road racing machines - on a road course!  This race would have a little to do with racing here in the U.S. in the near future.  I suppose that certain racing people thought that they had a "giant killer" after seeing Ward win at Lime Rock, especially against road racing cars.  Another "Formula Libra" event was scheduled later in the year, in October, I believe, at the road course in Watkins Glen, NY.  I, unfortunately, was unable to attend.  My brother, however, could.  He told me about it, after he came back.  It was pretty cold that day.  Cold enough for some snow.  And, it was also raining a bit.  Plus, some guy came over from England, with a Cooper Climax car.  The guy?  Stirling Moss.  My brother said it was really some sight, to see Moss, passing the midgets, on the inside, on a turn, and "waving" to the midget drivers as he passed them!  He also mentioned that he was watching the midget crews checking the timing of their cars during the race.  They would watch the midget go up the hill, out of sight, then watch as Moss went by.  On many occasions, the next time past, Moss was over the hill, out of sight, then the midget would go by.  My brother, while telling me this, just shook his head.  The "mighty midgets" had met their match - on a road course.  The next time that I can recall a midget in "big" competition on a road type course was at the U.S. Grand Prix that was held at the Sebring course, I believe, the following year.  Rodger Ward drove, I think, a midget owned by the Wilke brothers.  From what I recall, Ward started at the rear of the field, but he had the "luxury" of a rolling start, while the Grand Prix cars had their normal standing start.  It is my understanding that the midget was not very competitive that day.  To the best of my memories, I believe that was the last time that a midget ran on a road course against race cars other than midgets.

I had been to more races at Lime Rock than that "Formula Libra" event.  Some strictly sports car/sports racing car events.  Races that had the "standing starts".  I would go to the end of the straight down by that sweeping first turn with my trusty 8mm camera.  You can not imagine the amount of cars that could not make that sweeping right hand turn - from a standing start!  Yep, I got quite a few shots of cars not making it.  Down the "escape" road.  Years later, when Joan and I had, I believe four children, we ended up with five - 3 girls and 2 boys, we made a trip up to Lime Rock.  A lot of racing was scheduled.  The midgets were on the schedule.  Racing by themselves.  Me, being a "know-it-all" told my wife to "watch car number so-and-so".  It was Russ Klar in the Nagy midget.  Russ won his qualifying heat.  Mr. "know-it-all" had predicted the winner!  I did the same for the feature.  Guess what?  Just past the start, some cars got together.  A big cloud of dust.  After the dust had settled, you just know what car was left.  Yep, the Nagy midget.

Gosh, how the trip back in time has really gone by fast.  It may seem like a lot of time has gone past, but we are only, race memory wise, still in the late '50's.  For those of you that are really not "road racers", your "torture" is over.  In future parts, I will take you indoors for some TQ racing.  Then  back outside for more excursions to other speedways, mainly here in the northeast.  And, again, with children at home, I was going to have to go out on my own.  The wife had elected to remain behind and care for the little ones.  You will hear from me again, soon.  I promise.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the "Open Wheel Racing" website. TVR would like to express our thanks and gratitude to John LeVan, the editor of OWR. Check out the latest open wheel racing news at www.openwheelracing.com.
-DZ

Who were your favorites? If you'd like information on how 
to contribute stories and/or photos to TVR, click here!
   

Top of Page    Back    Part I    Part II    Part III    Part IV   Part VI   Part VII