They [Offy Midgets] are definitly not british, but they can turn
right if provoked.
One keeps winning the vintage races at Lime Rock, seems like every year.
then Aran Guy said:
I've seen the ESPN shows which has this car racing in it. (Speedweek?)
This car is a midget which has been modified back into what is almost
a normal racing car, i.e. equal sized racing tires, differential,
properly set up front end. I believe this started out as a joke entry
sometime back in the fifties in the Formula Libre class (Anything Goes...)
and actually placed fairly well in the hands of the very competent
driver.
i saw this car in the Formula Libre recreation that was run at the
BMW vintage races last fall at LRP; apparently the 1959 Formula
Libre race in question was one of the first appearances of this
particular midget. evidently, the driver decided that an Offy
Midget could be modified to run well at LRP, and got a sponsor
to support him. the 1959 race included, among other things,
Stirling Moss driving a Maserati (well, the driver was British,
anyway), a Jaguar D-type (at least that's a British car), Denise
McCluggage driving a Porshe RSK, and the original (prototye)
Corvette Stingray. they got all of these cars, or cars nearly
identical to them, to show up for the recreation. it was all
pretty neat. they also got Moss and McCluggage to show up and
drive.
most of the british interest at these races, though, is in the
form of mini-Coopers and various and sundry Lotus vehicles
(sevens, elevens, etc.) racing on the track, and the amazing
collections of british car stuff for sale in the swap meet
area.
richard
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