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Post by bobjeffreson on Nov 6, 2009 8:08:38 GMT 10
Our newest Forum member sonnyb, has some very strong ties to a very famous midget racer of the past....Barry Butterworth.
This is for you Sonny....
justmidgets.homestead.com/MartinBlayney.html
BTW Sonny,
Barry was known as Buttercrunch in his heydays in Sydney, referring back to the PM I sent you.
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Post by sonnyb on Nov 6, 2009 10:53:43 GMT 10
Thanks Bob. Those are some great old photos. Amazing to me that any racer survived before the days of a full roll cage.
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Post by sprintmen on Nov 6, 2009 18:40:01 GMT 10
Still remember big Joe Tatnell chasing Barry around the infield after a clash between Butterworth and George.And the time Barry was blackflagged,refused to move and the crowd came over the fence making the officials change their minds.Interesting little fact, modern day veteran Sprintcar driver Dennis Farr used to crew for Butterworth.Now there's a guy who enjoyed a blue.Handy on your crew back then haha.
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Post by bobjeffreson on Nov 6, 2009 20:21:52 GMT 10
Hey Sonny,
I told you Barry was a character....sprintmen has just confirmed it. He was there, along with me.....I was a lot younger ...hey G... 
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Post by bobjeffreson on Nov 7, 2009 14:10:42 GMT 10
Sonny,
How about this! 6 degrees of separation.....
After talking with you about Butterworth, I started talking, on American site, with a guy that lives in Brisbane, Australia. He restores old midgets. He then tells me that he has 2 at this stage and one is an ex-Butterworth car.
Totally bizzare!
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Post by sonnyb on Nov 7, 2009 14:30:40 GMT 10
Such a small world these days. LOL
I need to get a scanner for my cpu. I’ve got some great photos of the cars he ran over here.
You might also be familiar with another Midget driver my dad sponsored, Stan Fox. He was a US driver but I know he raced down under several times.
I’m expecting a my new ¼ scale toy soon, a RACO Indy Car that I was lucky enough to find. My plan is to replicate one of the cars that Stan raced at Indy.
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Post by bobjeffreson on Nov 7, 2009 14:48:15 GMT 10
Hey bubby ...get that scanner!!!
Love to see the photos.
Yeah, I remember Stan Fox.
Look forward to seeing the photos of the RACO Indy car as well.
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Post by PeterR on Nov 7, 2009 16:29:08 GMT 10
Didnt Stan Fox die in road crash in New Zealand.
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Post by bobjeffreson on Nov 7, 2009 22:39:58 GMT 10
Sure did Pete.......
Stan Fox....... July 7, 1952 in Janesville, Wisconsin – December 18, 2000, near Waiouru, New Zealand.
18 December 2000 on the Desert Road some 200 miles (320 km) south of Auckland, New Zealand, Fox's van collided head on with a car. He was 48 years old.
One of the amazing images from Fox's Indy crash. He was treated for serious head injuries, yet sustained little damage to his legs....go figure. 
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Post by bobjeffreson on Nov 9, 2009 8:41:37 GMT 10
Sonny,
More coincidences...LQSS racer and 2008 Track Champion David Reay and I were talking yesterday, when he mentioned he'd been reading this thread. He then told me that his father worked on the Butterworth cars as a mechanic when Barry raced in Sydney...this 6 degrees stuff is really about 2!!!!
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Post by sonnyb on Nov 9, 2009 11:41:05 GMT 10
Wow that's pretty cool.
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Post by sprintmen on Nov 9, 2009 19:14:47 GMT 10
Life is starnge.Walk away with your life from that and die cruising along a NZ country road.That #91-#27 Chevy 2 that Barry drove was brought to Australia by American racer Bus Brochene (excuse spelling-long time ago) powered by a v8 Buick.That got everyones attention as I remember it being illegal but what a sweet sound.Funny with midgets now can't remember Saturday night.A great division gooooooonnnnne!
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