'Kurtis Kraft' was a designer and builder of race cars. The company was founded by
Frank Kurtis.
Kurtis Kraft designed and built
midget cars, quartermidgets, sports cars,
sprint cars,
Champ Cars, and
Formula 1 cars.
Kurtis Kraft was started when Kurtis built his own
midget car chassis in the late 1930s.
[Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]
Kurtis built some very low glass-fibre bodied two-seaters sports cars under his own name in
Glendale,
California between 1949 and 1955.
Ford (US) running gear was used. About 36 cars had been made when the licence was sold to
Madman Muntz who built the Muntz Jet. In 1954 and 1955, road versions of their Indianapolis racers were offered.
Kurtis-Kraft created over 550 ready-to-run
midget cars, and 600 kits.
The Kurtis-Kraft chassis midget car featured a smaller version of the
Offenhauser motor. The
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame describes the combination as "virtually unbeatable for over twenty years."
Kurtis-Kraft created 120 Indianapolis 500 cars, including five winners.
Kurtis sold the midget car portion of the business to
Johnny Pawl in the late 1950s, and the quarter midget business to
Ralph Potter in 1962.
Frank Kurtis was the first non-driver inducted in the
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (U.S.).
World Championship results
From 1950 to 1960, the
Indianapolis 500 was part of the
FIA World Championship.
(Note: Race 'winners' in 'bold'.)
References
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