Barry Butterworth: A Kiwi sensation

[bobjeffreson]

Butterworth's 1st win in America.

For the record, Barry Butterworth became the first Kiwi, and non American, to win a USAC Feature race when he won at Haubstadt August 24, 1979.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/f9fc00ed9fd140f70aa5468a9619060d.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/barryb60sx174x282.jpg


Butterworth’s win at Haubstadt was remarkable - In the 40 lap event he qualified to start from grid one. Taking the lead from the green, by lap 29 when the only caution of the race was displayed, Butterworth lead 2nd place runner Sleepy Tripp by ½ a lap on the clay ¼ mile track and had lapped all but 5 of the other runners including eventual 1979 USAC Champion Steve Lotshaw, who finished 6th. When the chequered was thrown Butterworth finished ¼ lap ahead of Tripp (2nd), Rich Vogler (3rd), Bob Wente (4th) and Mel Kenyon (5th), these 4 drivers having previous won 9 USAC Midget Championships. In true modest Butterworth fashion, Barry, who won the majority of his NZ races starting from the rear grid, first words after the event were, “anyone can win from the front”!

[bobjeffreson]

One of the hottest midget pilots in New Zealand, Australia and also a winner in America through the mid 1960s to the early 1980s, was charismatic Kiwi, Barry Butterworth. He notched up Feature wins in whatever country he raced.
Pictured here at the Sydney Showground.... circa 1967.... in one of the best cars of its day.. The Don Mackay Offenhauser.
Now that is one pretty midget....Mackay was Sydney's premier midget owner, always buying the pick of the American cars that landed in Australia.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/SCAN_0082.jpg
Ian Smith image

[webby]

No doubt.... that is indeed a pretty midget.

[bobjeffreson]

Barry Butterworth always created publicity wherever he raced. Here is a clipping from a local Sydney paper and a photo of his most famous event at the Sydney Showground, when fans invaded the the track when he was disqualified from a Feature Race. The man was a character!

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http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/SCAN_0099-1.jpg

[bobjeffreson]

Butterworth just exuded charisma and the spectators couldn't get enough of it...as seen in this photo in the Mackay Offy on the Sydney showround infield!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/SCAN_0100-1.jpg

[indybigjohn]

The kind of guy we could use in today's racing - all series, all sanctions.

[bobjeffreson]

Hey bigjohn,
You're not wrong buddy...way too much political correctness these days. I'm sure it's the same there, as it is down here. The real characters of racing are gone...constrained by the Corporate DOLLAR Sponsorship......
Back in the day, guys like Butterworth, Gary Patterson and racers of that ilk, couldn't give a stuff about PC and as far as I can tell, the world was in no way harmed but it was a whole lot of fun!