Bob, I chose midgets just because I've always liked them since a kid and now that I've grown up and have the money I've decided to try it you only live once. I'm not the driver lol to old for that I have a younger guy to drive. Difficult? I have a tendency to do the difficult stuff. I had an exwife tell me the same thing when I started my business 25 yrs ago lol. I'm really all about enjoying the racing experience. I'm up in Wisconsin Sun Prairie is where we will run it.

Home of the Badger Midgets, huh? If I were you, I'd work my way over to Englehart Center, in Madison, and see if Billy still hangs around there, he might have some tips for you, but I'd try to run what they run local, travelin really burns up the fun anymore! We used to keep the roads hot coming up that way to run Karts, tried to slip down to Hales Corner every chance we got. Good luck! Bob

Bob, Wow hales corners has been gone for awhile now like about 8 years I'd say. I grew 7 miles from the track its a Menards now. It was always a fun place to go on Saturday night.

Bob, Karts what type of karts did you run?

I was a distributor for Margay, Hutless, and Coyote Bullet, had a large kart shop here, and we traveled all over, following the WKA Champions Circuit, we usually ran B-open, and A-open, two strokes of course, then we'd throw in a few single 135's, and of course the direct drive 135's, which we were pretty good at, were offered a trip across the pond to represent the USA on year, but after talking to one of the guys from your area that had gone the year before, he said his cost was 20K plus, and WKA wouldn't pony up but just a little, I already had space in the Hutless factory over there to work out of, and they were supplying the motors and karts, and "tuners"! We decided it was too much, kinda wish we hadda now, been something to talk about, Lake Speed said it made good conversations! Bob

oh yes i understand that i run WKA in the road racing series the stuff your explaining sounds like what WKA Manufactures cup is today big bucks

I been out of it since 1991, so I know things have changed a bunch. Ken Kroeger, I think pronounced Kreeger in Wi, was the guy that went to Europe the year before we were to go, he's the one that got stuck by WKA, he didn't get reimbursed for hardly any expenses, it would have been a once in a lifetime chance tho, Lake Speed went when the International class was 100cc, and won for the USA, I've still got my USA crew shirts hanging in the closet, we looked pretty sharp in them, red white and blue. The guy that was helping me went on to work for Felix Sabatis, then was crewchief for a Busch/Nationwide team out of Owensboro, he now is still connected to Nascar thru C/R in Indy, and helps Ray Evernham when he needs a sub. Been interesting, I even did some R&D work for DEI when the restricter plates were just beginning. Bob

Bob, Thats pretty cool your talking about that. I had a cousin who's passed on now. But he ran for the USA when they I thought had the championships in the states out west probaly late 80's. My Uncle gave me all his race stuff and one thing is his old USA race uniform blue and white with USA embrodierd on it. I think he had said he raced with guys from europe then, like Raikinen and all those guys of that age that became F1 drivers. How the kart drivers move up in racing, alot of racers never now about it. Ok back to Midgets Kansas Race Products has the iron duke blocks but there price list is dated are they still in business?

The more I look into I think it was hakkenin he said during those championships those foreign names all sound alike lol. And Ken Kroeger they own a large grading company not far from me they been in karting for a long time

I knew Ken was in some kinda high payin business, but couldn't remember what. You gonna try to run with the Badgers, or venture out some, you ought to buy you a vintage car, and do that kinda racing, not nearly as expensive, and you get a lot of rest while you're telling war stories! Ha! I had an early Hillegas midget I was going to restore, but sold it a couple of years ago to a guy in lower Michigan, he's got the money to do it right, he owns a big brass machining business.