Difference between revisions of "Midget car"

Latest revision as of 20:25, 15 December 2010

Midget cars racing at Angell Park Speedway

This article is about full-size midget race cars. For the smaller version youth racer, see Quarter-midget. For the British sports car with its own race series it's the MG Midget.

Midget cars are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratios and typically using four-cylinder engines. Despite their name, they are fully capable of being driven by average-sized drivers.

Cars

Typically, these cars have in excess of 250-300 horsepower, and weigh only 1000 pounds. The high power and small size of the cars combine to make midget racing quite dangerous; for this reason modern midget cars are fully equipped with roll cages and other safety features. They are intended to be driven for races of relatively short distances, typically 2.5 to 25 miles (4 to 40 km), often staged inside arenas, most notably the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals held in early January at the Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

History

Midget car racing was invented at the Gilmore Stadium in May 1934. It flourished at the track, and continued after the track closed in 1950. Midget car racing spread to many parts of the world. Other major tracks in the United States operating in the first half of the twentieth century include Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (near Madison), and Ascot Park near Los Angeles.

Stepping stone to high profile divisions

Many IndyCar and NASCAR drivers used midget car racing as an intermediate stepping stone on their way to more high profile divisions, including Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and others. The events are sometimes held on weeknights so that popular and famous drivers from other, higher-profiled types of motor racing will be available to compete, and so that it does not conflict with drivers' home tracks.

Notable midget car races

In 1959 Lime Rock Park held a famous Formula Libre race, where Rodger Ward shocked the expensive and exotic sports cars by beating them on the road course in an Offenhauser powered midget car, usually used on oval tracks. Ward used an advantageous power-to-weight ratio and dirt-track cornering abilities to steal the win.

Notable annual midget car racing events

Sanctioning Bodies

New Zealand

Speedway New Zealand

United States

ARDC - American Racing Drivers Club
BCRA - Bay Cities Racing Association
BMARA - Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
NEMA - NorthEastern Midget Association
American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association
UMARA - United Midget Auto Racing Association
USAC - The United States Automobile Club

External links

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-'''Midget cars''' are very small [[race cars]] with a very high power-to-weight ratio.  Despite the name, they are fully capable of being driven by average-sized drivers.  They are intended to be driven for races of relatively short distances, typically 2.5 to 25 miles (4 to 40 km), often staged inside arenas.  These sorts of events are sometimes held on weeknights so that popular and famous drivers from other, higher-profiled types of [[motor racing]] will be available to compete.  The high power and small size of the cars combine to make midget racing quite dangerous; modern midget cars are full equipped with ''roll cages'' and other safety features. Now called "[[Sprint Car]]."
+{{X}}
+[[Image:MidgetCar.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
+[[Image:MidgetCarsRacingAngellParkJune2007.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Midget cars racing at [[Angell Park Speedway]]]]
-''Midget'' cars as contemplated here are not to be confused with cars intended for use in a motor racing series for youths and designed to resemble tiny [[Champcars]]; these are sometimes referred to as ''quarter-midgets''. Also, not to be confused with the brand of autos named "[[King Midget]]".
+:''This article is about full-size midget race cars. For the smaller version youth racer, see [[Quarter-midget]]. For the British sports car with its own race series it's the MG Midget.
+'''Midget cars''' are very small [[race cars]] with a very high [[power-to-weight ratio]]s and typically using four-cylinder engines. Despite their name, they are fully capable of being driven by average-sized drivers.
+==Cars==
+Typically, these cars have in excess of 250-300 horsepower, and weigh only 1000 pounds. The high power and small size of the cars combine to make midget racing quite dangerous; for this reason modern midget cars are fully equipped with [[roll cage]]s and other safety features. They are intended to be driven for races of relatively short distances, typically 2.5 to 25 miles (4 to 40 km), often staged inside arenas, most notably the [[Chili Bowl Midget Nationals]] held in early January at the [[Expo Square Pavilion]] in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]].
+==History==
+Midget car racing was invented at the [[Gilmore Stadium]] in May 1934. It flourished at the track, and continued after the track closed in 1950. Midget car racing spread to many parts of the world. Other major tracks in the United States operating in the first half of the twentieth century include [[Angell Park Speedway]] in [[Sun Prairie, Wisconsin|Sun Prairie, Wisconsin]] (near [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]), and [[Ascot Park]] near Los Angeles.
+==Stepping stone to high profile divisions==
+Many [[IndyCar]] and [[NASCAR]] drivers used midget car racing as an intermediate stepping stone on their way to more high profile divisions, including [[Tony Stewart]], [[Jeff Gordon]], and others. The events are sometimes held on weeknights so that popular and famous drivers from other, higher-profiled types of [[motor racing]] will be available to compete, and so that it does not conflict with drivers' home tracks.
+==Notable midget car races==
+In [[1959]] [[Lime Rock Park]] held a famous [[Formula Libre]] race, where [[Rodger Ward]] shocked the expensive and exotic [[sports car]]s by beating them on the [[road racing|road course]] in an [[Offenhauser]] powered  [[midget car]], usually used on oval tracks. Ward used an advantageous power-to-weight ratio and dirt-track cornering abilities to steal the win.
+===Notable annual midget car racing events===
+*[[Astro Grand Prix]] (1969-defunct)
+*[[Chili Bowl]]
+*[[Copper Classic]]
+*[[Hut Hundred]]
+*[[Night before the 500]]
+*[[Turkey Night Grand Prix]]
+==Sanctioning Bodies ==
+===New Zealand===
+*[http://www.speedway.co.nz Speedway New Zealand]
+===United States===
+*[http://www.ardcmidgets.com/ ARDC] - [[American Racing Drivers Club]]
+*[http://www.bcraracing.com/ BCRA] - Bay Cities Racing Association
+*[http://www.bmara.com/ BMARA] - Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
+*[http://www.nemaracing.com/ NEMA] - NorthEastern Midget Association
+*[http://www.atqmra.org American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association]
+*[http://www.umara.com/ UMARA] - United Midget Auto Racing Association
+*[[United States Automobile Club|USAC]] - The United States Automobile Club
+==See also==
+*[[National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]]
+*[[American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association]]
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.highbanks-museum.org/ Highbanks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum] - Belleville, Kansas
+*[http://www.highbanks-museum.org/ Highbanks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum]
+*[http://www.worthyofhonor.com National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]
+*[http://www.chilibowl.com/ Chili Bowl Nationals]
-[[Category:Auto racing]]
+[[Category:Auto racing by type]]
 [[Category:Open wheel racing]]