VW Engine in Midgets

[Oddy]

For awhile in the 70's IIRC, VW power was the way to go in midgets. Anyone here knowledgable on the subject?

[Esslinger31]

I had the privilege of racing a 1980 Edmunds midget with a VW on pavement in the late nineties-early 2000’s. Fantastic handling car, great torque off of the corners, but I’d get out powered by the inline engined cars on some of the tracks with longer straightaways.

[happyscrappy-t]

An early 80's VW midget is something I'd love to have to do vintage laps. I could probably find one locally if I looked...so I don't look too hard. The Bev Griffis car IMS Museum sold on bring a trailer last year caught my attention, but no history in my home state, so it seemed wrong to move it here. I think it went far too cheap.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-edmunds-midget/

[The JP]

I wasn't able to find anything definitive about who was the first to use a VW in a midget in the early '70's but the names Mel Kenyon, Rich Vogler, and Sleepy Tripp were mentioned as VW drivers. It would not surprise me if it was Kenyon or Tripp that first tried the VW.

[happyscrappy-t]

Cool poster on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284235405684
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[Belanger99]

As I recall the first VW's started popping up in USAC in the early 70's. Red Caruthers had an Edmunds built for 1973 with a VW for Bobby Olivero, who challenged Larry Rice for the national title and won several features in the car. As I recall the car raced for several years after including having Lonnie Caruthers at the wheel.

By 1975 over half the field at a USAC Midget race would have the VW. Howard Linne had them in his machines, so did Doug Caruthers, Bob Wente, Sleepy Tripp and Schneider racing. The rise of the VW helped push the Offy 110 out of midget racing.

[Oddy]

Thanks guys, interesting stuff.

[richie]

The first ever feature win by a Volkswagen powered midget in a USAC National event was Bobby Olivero, driving for L.T. Caruthers, on June 16, 1973 at Kentucky’s Lost Creek Speedway.

Interestingly, this race was also the return of Merle Bettenhausen after his injuries the year before at Michigan. Merle even won a heat race on this night!

[Michael Ferner]

I also connect the name Caruthers with the first Volkswagen Midget. Looking through my data base, it seems the car ran first in California that winter, fourth at Roseville February 18 with Olivero driving, two places ahead of the Bob Lockard Mazda wankel, which had debuted a few months before, and with the best Offy in between. Top three were all Sesco powered, and along with the Chevy II those were the engines to have. You didn't win with an Offy in USAC any longer in the seventies, it was already on its last legs - I count one win each in 1971 & '72, then two in '73 as a last hurrah.

[Hardscrabble]

I had the privilege of racing a 1980 Edmunds midget with a VW on pavement in the late nineties-early 2000’s. Fantastic handling car, great torque off of the corners, but I’d get out powered by the inline engined cars on some of the tracks with longer straightaways.

I'm guessing that's part of the reason they did well at indoor events?

[richie]

I'm guessing that's part of the reason they did well at indoor events?

In time, during the early part of the 1990s after the Pontiacs and Gaertes began to dominate, USAC allowed Volkswagens to increase the cubic inch limits from 151 to 166.

However, it wasn't enough to bring VW's back to the forefront at horsepower tracks like IRP, Winchester, Eldora etc., etc.

Instead, they were mostly relegated to use with the USAC Regional series where VWs continued to run up front and win, mainly at places like the Indianapolis Speedrome.