Johnny Ritter
His racing and life with
photos and printed material
By
Tom Avenengo
Part Five
Due to the size of this
article, I’ve had to break it down into five parts.
Part five consists of some of
his history, his racing feature wins, His induction into the Michigan Motor
Sports Hall of Fame, and his induction into the National Midget Auto Racing
Hall of Fame and some articles about his fatal accident.
Johnny Ritter was born on August 27, 1910 in Austria,
and moved to the U.S. in
1920, and settled in Saginaw,
Michigan. He started racing big cars in 1934 at Davison, Michigan.
Ritter was killed in October 1948 in a pit accident (hit by an out of control
midget driven by Carl Faulkenham of Leicester,
MA) at the Medford Bowl, in MA,
which resulted in a broken neck, which was listed as the cause of death. Helping Ritter change the tire on that night
was Robert Van Blarcon 26, of Ridgewood who
received leg injuries. Also injured was George Hatfield owner of the
track. During his midget career he drove
the following cars: His outboards #3 and
#163, the Jerry Willets “Sugar Blues” #31 Offy, the Gordon #2, Holzbaugh #3
outboard and the Allen #18 Outboard, along with his own Offy #3. He also drove the Cheeseman #8 at the
100-mile midget race at Goshen, NY, and at Nutley,
cars numbered 2, 23 & 28. He was
married to Nadine, and they had two children, a daughter, Sharyn and a son,
John, Jr. He was 38 years old at the
time of his death.
Note: The above paragraph, with a few additions by
me, was included in his race winning records when they were sent to me.
Johnny Ritter feature wins
1937
September 6 Escanaba, MI Upper Peninsula State
Fairgrounds
November 21 Chicago, IL Armory Elto 30 laps
Johnny drove the Holzbaugh #3 outboard during at least part of the
season.
1938
May 1 Detroit, MI Zeiter’s Midget Speedway 20 laps
May 5 Detroit, MI Zeiter’s Midget Speedway 20 laps
May 12 Detroit, MI Zeiter’s Midget Speedway 20 laps
Postponed feature from Sunday 5/8.
May 12 Detroit, MI Zeiter’s Midget Speedway 20 laps
May 22 Detroit, MI Zeiter’s Midget Speedway 20 laps
September 5 Bronx, NY Castle
Hill Speedway 20 laps
October 30 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
Zeiter’s became Motor City Speedway in latter years.
1939
March 19 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome #23 Ritter Elto
April 2 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
May 26 New
York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 35 laps
June 18 New
York, NY Coney Island Velodrome 35 laps
June 25 New
York, NY Coney Island Velodrome 35 laps
June 27 New
York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 35 laps
July 2 New York, NY Coney Island
Velodrome 35 laps
July 4 New York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 35
laps
July 9 New York, NY Coney Island
Velodrome 35 laps
July 23 New
York, NY Coney Island Velodrome 35 laps
August 9 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
August 12 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
August 16 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
August 23 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
August 26 Nutley,
NJ Nutley Velodrome
September 5 New York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 35
laps
1939 Notes
During the 1939 season, Ritter won the track championships at the
following speedways: Nutley Velodrome,
Coney Island Velodrome and the Castle Hill Speedway in New York.
At the Castle Hill Speedway he ran 29 of the 33 races held, placing in
the first five, in feature events, 24 times.
1940
May 21 New
York, NY Castle Hill Speedway
June 2 Union, NJ Tri-City Stadium accident 19
laps
July 2 New York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 30
laps
July 9 New York, NY Castle Hill Speedway
July 16? New
York, NY Castle Hill Speedway
September 15 Union, NY Tri-City
Stadium 25 laps
October 18 New
York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 150 laps Time 41:35.0
November 3 New York, NY New
York Coliseum 30
laps
Drove his own yellow Elto during the season.
1941
May 13 New
York, NY Castle Hill Speedway 30 laps
1939 and 1940 track Champ
May 20 New
York, NY Castile Hill Speedway
May 25 Union,
NJ Tri-City Stadium 25 laps
June 17 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
June 20 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
June 24 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport Stadium 25
laps
July 14 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
July 15 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport Stadium 25 laps
July 18 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
July 29 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
August 1 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
August 6 Union,
NJ Tri-City Stadium 25 laps
August 15 Freeport,
L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
September 23 Freeport, L.I., NY Freeport Stadium
1942
May 17 Allentown, PA Dorney
Park Speedway 25 laps
1946
May 9 Philadelphia, PA Yellow Jacket Speedway 25
laps
May 26 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 25 laps
June 9 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 25 laps
August 20 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 50 laps
September 3 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 25 laps
October 15 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 25 laps
October 15 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 50 laps
Two
Features run on 10/15
1947
February 19 New York City, NY Kingsbridge Armory
May 29 Philadelphia,
PA Yellow
Jacket Speedway
June 12 Philadelphia, PA Yellow Jacket Speedway 25
laps
July 15 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium Jerry Willets Offy #31
August 4 Bridgeport, CT Candlelite Stadium
September 2 Paterson, NJ Hinchliffe Stadium 25 laps
September 28 Danbury, CT Danbury Fairgrounds
October 12 Avon,
CT Cherry Park Speedway 75 laps
November 12 New York City, NY Kingsbridge Armory 25 laps
Johnny debuted his new Kurtis Offy in September of 1947. This is the same car that Rodger Ward drove
at Lime Rock, CT many years later and won the Formula Libra race against some
of the world’s best drivers and road racing cars.
1948
March 3 New York City, NY
Kingsbridge Armory 25 laps
March 27 New York City, NY Kingsbridge Armory 25 laps
August 18 Buffalo, NY Buffalo Civic Stadium
September 16 Agawam, MA Riverside
Park Speedway
From the Michigan Motor
Sports Hall of Fame:
Johnny Ritter
Inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.
The mighty mite of
midget racing was little Johnny Ritter, who just barely broke five feet tall
with a 1/2 inch to spare. Johnny was born in Austria on August 27, 1910. His
family moved to America in
1920 and settled in Saginaw,
MI. Ritter started his racing career in 1934 at Davison, MI. in the big car
ranks.
Many of Ritter’s
fans claim his best race ever occurred early in 1937, when he out drove a
stellar field of the country’s top midget drivers at the Chicago Armory indoor
title event.
Johnny put on his
greatest display of driving skill in early May of 1948. He had started the
season as an owner-driver and was maintaining two cars. Both cars carried
Johnny’s favorite yellow paint job and lucky #3, with a 4-60 Elto outboard and
an Offenhauser for power plants.
Johnny Ritter’s
career ended at Medford, Massachusetts on October 12, 1948. He was
fatally injured by an out of control racecar while fixing a tire on his own car
in the infield pit area. He was 38 years old.
From
the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame:
National Midget
Auto Racing Hall of Fame
Johnny Ritter
Inducted into
the Hall of fame in 2003
Originally from Saginaw,
Michigan, Johnny started driving
big cars in 1929.
When the midgets became popular in 1934 Ritter took a liking to
the smaller cars and switched to them for good in 1936.
His career blossomed after he headed east, becoming a mainstay in
the sport from the middle 30’s until his death at the Medford (Massachusetts)
Bowl in 1948 at age 37. (Actually he was 38, having been born in Austria
on August 27, 2010 – my note) In 1938 he placed 8th in the final standings at
both Bridgeport, Connecticut
and Castle Hill, (Bronx) NY. In 1939 he won
Championships at Castle Hill and the Nutley Velodrome. He was third in the AAA
Eastern point standings as well. During
his career Ritter won five track titles, Nutley
in 1939, Castle Hill in 1939 and 40, Freeport, New York in 1941 and Paterson, New Jersey’s
Hinchliffe Stadium in 1946. His death
came on October 12, 1948 on the 20th lap of a 200-lap event at the Medford
Bowl. Ritter was changing a tire on the track apron when a midget racer crashed
into him. Several people, including the track owner, George Hatfield, were
injured as well.
Articles about his
death:
JOHNNY RITTER FATALLY HURT AT
MEDFORD TITLE
SHOW
By Mack Macleod.
Medford, Massachusetts October 12th.
A holiday crowd of about 2500
fans attended the final program of midget races held this afternoon at the
Medford Bowl, where a 100 lap Championship race was scheduled as the season's
finale. The entire program went off
without a hitch, until the event was halted on the 42nd lap by a tragic mishap
that cost the life of popular little Johnny Ritter of Paterson, New Jersey, and
sent his pit man John Van Blarkum of Ridgewood, New Jersey and promoter Abby
Hatfield to the hospital with severe injuries.
The feature race got under
way with Ritter on the pole and Chet Conklin on the outside, followed by
eighteen other starters. Ritter
immediately took the lead and Bob Foss soon moved the McNutt number 1 Offy past
Conklin into second spot, and started to really push Ritter for the lead. On the 16th lap Herb Haynes tossed a hose
going by the starting line and he spun, with Boston Blackie sliding through the
water and into the first turn fence.
Billy Eldridge hit the slick and spun into the fence and was hit by
Haynes - Haynes' car as he bounced off the rail. The race was flagged immediately and the
track dried up, while Haynes was treated for burns to his feet and legs. On the restart, Ritter again assumed the lead
with Foss in hot pursuit. Johnny Kay
worked up in the Cascia Offy, along with Bert Brooks in the Wilson number 2 Offy, and Johnny Black and
Bob Disbrow moved up to threatening positions behind the leaders. On the 40th lap, Ritter suddenly slowed on
the backstretch and looked over at his right rear wheel, as Foss took over the
lead spot. Ritter pulled into the
infield on the homestretch, only about 6 or 8 feet from the track, and signaled
for a new wheel, which was rushed out to him.
And while in the process of changing it, the car driven by
"Dynamite" Duggan went out of control, coming full speed off the
fourth turn, and before Duggan could recover full control, the car tore along
the edge of the infield, striking Van Blarkum, Ritter and Hatfield, who was
coming out to try to get Ritter's car moved further into the infield. Ritter passed away almost instantly from a
broken neck, and Van Blarkum (Van Barkum?) received a compound fracture of the
left leg, plus other body and head injuries, while Hatfield was thrown to the
ground, with both legs badly shattered.
The races were halted and the injured men rushed to the hospital. Foss was declared the winner of the event,
followed by Disbrow, Kay, Brooks, Black and Conklin.
And:
13 Oct 1948
Saginaw Race Driver Killed
John Ritter Loses Life In Massachusetts
Medford Mass- John Ritter, 37-year-old native of Saginaw who left home
almost 20 Years ago for a career as a race car driver, was killed last night when
struck by a midget racer while changing
the tire of his own car at the Medford Bowl.
Two others, Robert Van Blarcon, 26, of Ridgewood,
N.J., Ritter's mechanic, and George
Hatfield, 40, owner of the track, were injured critically.
Ritter left Saginaw in 1929 to drive regular
race cars on Midwest and Eastern tracks.
In 1936, when the midget race craze started in the East, Ritter switched to
the small cars. He had been a veteran driver on midget tracks since
racing at the Cedarhurst, Long Island, N.Y. oval, and at Nutley,
N.J. and Castle Hill, N.Y.
At Castle Hill he won the track championship in 1939 and 1940.
During his big car career, Ritter had two serious crackups, one hospitalizing
him for eight months.
He was the second driver to be killed within three days, Ted Horn, leading big
car driver, was killed Sunday at an Illinois
track.
Ritter is survived by his widow, the former Nadine Drouillard of Detroit, and their two children, John Jr., 10, and Sharyn,
3; his mother, Mrs. Mary Ritter of Saginaw
who has been living with him in the East during recent years; a brother, Joseph
A. Ritter, and sister, Mrs. Gus Kuruda.
.
The end.