American Midget Speedway Racer
Year:
1937
Manufacturer:
Built by Roy Richter, California USA.
Number Produced:
One-off
Specifications:
2230 cc Ford V8 flathead (side-valve) engine
Approx. 60 hp in standard trim
Direct drive (no conventional gearbox)
Description:
This American-built midget speedway car was constructed by Roy Richter and brought to New Zealand as part of an American team competing at Western Springs during the 1938/39 season. Following that tour, the car was sold locally and went on to enjoy a long racing career in New Zealand.
Roy Richter was a well-known figure in American motorsport, later becoming associated with Bell Auto Parts, a company linked to products such as Cragar wheels and Bell helmets.
Over the years, the car passed through several owners and underwent a number of engine changes before being retired from competition at the end of the 1960/61 season.
In the mid-1980s, former owner and driver Dave Lichtenstein reacquired the car in pieces. In 1988, he partnered with Aucklander Wally Price to undertake a full restoration, returning the #33 car to its original configuration. The project was completed in 1991 after several years of dedicated work.
More than five decades after stepping away from racing, Dave Lichtenstein once again took to the track, proudly driving car #33 as the pace car at Western Springs Speedway during the opening of the new millennium season.
Kindly Donated by Wally Price and the Lichtenstein family
