Picture of Eddie Krechak in his midget

[dmckim]

Eddie Krechak another old photo out of the westerhaus collection.

[webby]

Eddie Krechak another old photo out of the westerhaus collection.Great pic, thanks!

If possible please title your threads with a bit more detail so that we don't have a lot of threads floating around the forums that are vague. I edited this thread for you to give you an idea of what I mean. That way this website will be more informative and easier to find the info you are looking for. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

[dmckim]

hey webby new to all this stuff so from here on out i'm just looking and my pics will stay in the albums:mad:

[Jim Taggart]

The photo is of Eddie Kr . . . Krejicek, Krayjack, some others, and ultimately Kracek. My uncle watched him race in Sioux City, Iowa, and pronounced his name “kray-jack” although I think it was probably closer to “kray-check.” However you pronounce his name, Eddie Kracek of Omaha, Neb., was a very good midget driver.

He was born March 4, 1911, in Omaha, and began his racing career in 1930 driving stock cars and eventually moved to big cars with average success. He started racing midgets in Omaha in 1935 and became a popular regular at Riverview Park Speedway in Sioux City when racing commenced there in 1936. He raced around the upper Midwest in the summers and in Texas and as far away as Mexico City during the winter season.

He eventually drove an Offy owned by Otto Ramer of Omaha, a successful hard-nosed owner, who always fielded fast cars. They raced together in Sioux City and by 1941 were regulars at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., which was a very competitive venue. As at other places he raced, Eddie became very popular because of his sportsmanship and happy demeanor.

On July 7, 1942, as racing was nearing it’s shutdown for World War II, Eddie was badly injured at Olympic while driving Al Bapp’s Offy. He was hospitalized, paralyzed from the waist down, until August when he died of complications.

In the photo, which is from late summer 1938, Eddie’s driving the yellow #2 Les King Miller. The track is Riverview Park Speedway which was a high-banked fifth-mile asphalt track. The guardrail posts were set in concrete that extended down the banking for about three feet or so (light color in the photo). The fast way around required getting the right rear up on that concrete which not everyone could do (or wanted to). Bravery was a big part of fast at Riverview.

The King brothers, Les and Fred, probably bought this car in California early in 1938 and raced it there before bringing it back to Omaha in the summer with Tommy Elliott of Los Angeles as their driver. In California and for awhile in the Midwest the car was blue #49. It was repainted and renumbered and was driven by Kracek on the dirt at Sioux Falls, S.D.; the big Loup County Fair in Ord, Neb.; and Riverview Park.

[parrot]

Hey Jim, that's nice history on Krechak. Like learning that stuff, hope to see more down the road. Thanks.