1947 Kurtis Kraft Midget Roadster

This 1947 Kurtis Kraft Midget Racer, known as '99jr,' was built by dry lakes racer, engine builder, and speed shop owner Eddie Meyer for race team owner Murrell Belanger. Mr. Meyer had acquired a kit from Frank Kurtis and added his own inventive tweaks, like running the front torsion bars on the outside of the body.

Among the accolades earned by this Midget Racer was a victory at the 1949 Pacific Coast Championship, driven by Johnnie Parsons. Well-known drivers who piloted this racer include Sam Hanks, Manny Ayulo, Joe Carson, and Tony Bettenhausen.

Around 1986, Donald L. Weber acquired the Kurtis in disassembled and incomplete form and hired restorer John Ryals to resurrect it. Power is from a 110 cubic-inch Offenhauser DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder engine with Hilborn Fuel Injection and delivering an estimated 145 horsepower. There is an Offenhauser DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder engine, an Offenhauser In-Out gearbox, four-wheel drum brakes, a front tubular axle with torsion bars and radius rods, and a rear Halibrand Quick Change Axle with torsion bars and radius rods.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2021