Larry Dunham, golden era goldmine

[Mitch G.]

Wow!! webby got an email from a 83 year old racer having some trouble navigating the site. He was interested in the post I did on the Agajanian #98 car that was built by Eddie "Kazoom" Kuzma, and driven to the Indianapolis 500 victory in 1952 by Troy Ruttman. Larry Dunham is his name, webby asked me to contact him and help him post, I emailed him and found a gold mine!! He's a very nice man, and sent me 2 packets of photo copied stuff from his collection, most of which he lost in Hurricane Katrina, he lives in Gulfport, MS. This guy is amazing! he raced midgets in the golden era, late 40's through the 60's he raced stock cars for Pontiac, and was supported by Ray Nichols of Pontiac racing fame.
He was cleared for his rookie test at the Indy 500 was supposed to test in the ex-Agajanian Kuzma then owned by Greenman and Casale and #41. But his pal Billy Garrett got the test and made the 500. Just look at some of those race results, he was the only Ford V8-60 midget in the 1957 Turkey Nite Grandprix, against a field of Offies, and finished 8th!! He tried to keep midget racing alive on the west coast by publishing the "West Coast Midget Racing Annual", and he made the cover of his own publication with that famous flip photo. He was mentioned in Jack C. Fox's 1977 book, "The Mighty Midgets" where he was trying to bring back the URA midget circuit. I've got more to post but check this stuff out, what a past this man has had, he wrights a racing column for a small publication in MS., "Gulf Port Motorsports Magazine". It would take many pages to chronicle this guys career, just one of those overlooked gems from auto racing's past.

[Quick Time]

Great stuff Mitch,

You really get the hard to find and lost gems.

Thanks for your dedicated efforts on this site.

Chuck

[Mitch G.]

Chuck, it's my pleasure, this is the kind of history that can't be lost, too important. This guy has a Colorado connection, one of the top drivers of the 50's that vouched for his Indy rookie test was Johnnie Tolan the Colorado native that was the 1946, 47 RMMRA midget champ and AAA national midget title holder in 1952. Larry was also close to Don Edmunds, Johnny Mantz and one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, Jimmy Bryan. Soon as I get a chance, I'll post more of the stuff he sent me.

[Mitch G.]

Here's the ex-Agajanian Kuzma, one of my personal favorite race cars of all time. Owned by Lyle Greenman and Ernie Casale with the #41, was to be Larry Dunham's rookie test car, but Billy Garrett got the honor instead. Denver's Johnny Tolan would drive in the Indy 500 for these car owners a couple years later in a Kuzma roadster.
http://www.autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=292&pictureid=2740

[Larry Dunham]

This is Larry Dunham

Mitch G is way too complimentary, but he is a later model midget driver so
it's ok. To clarify, I,m 83 didn.t wear glasses till I was 79 (had to to get my drivers license renewed),still got my hair, dye it every two weeks and as I
tell all who ask," everything works". I still have #55wc (west coast) usac
midget in my storage in Arizona. This was the first lay down midget built.
We picked up the idea while at Indy. Sam Hanks won with a lay down Offy.
I used a Sesco on the advice of Bob Higman. The builder was Larry Alleman
who is in Atascadero Calif. if he is still alive. Bob Higman called me and said
I've got the v6 engine that Ken Schrader won Phoenix Copper Classic with.
Bob modified the chassis and dropped her in.
LARRY

[Olen McGuire]

I for one, would like to thank Larry Dunham for trusting Mitch with this great memorabilia find. Mr. Dunham, your are what Auto Racing Memories are all about. Thanks again for sharing your past with us.

Mitch, you're doing a fantastic job with Mr. Dunham's memorabilia, and I am looking forward to what you and he can post for us. ~Olen

[Quick Time]

Welcome Larry,

What a great addition you make to this site, hope you are able to share more stories. Mitch is gives us so much and now your connection is just one more valuable link to the past.

Thanks Mitch and again welcome Larry.

Chuck

[webby]

Wow, this is a marvelous thread. This is the stuff that makes this site so valuable, the input of guys like Larry who lived through it. Super big thanks goes out to Larry for sharing, and to Mitch for compiling it. I can't wait to see more of it!

[indybigjohn]

I agree completely. This is the kind of stuff which MUST be preserved.

[lakeside #29]

Welcome Mr. Dunham, You're among friends on this site. I am really looking forward to learning your history, it's going to be fun.
Thanks for joining us.

[bobjeffreson]

Mr Dunham,
Wonderful stories, even for a guy on the other side of the world.

"This guy has a Colorado connection, one of the top drivers of the 50's that vouched for his Indy rookie test was Johnnie Tolan the Colorado native"........

There is a small Australian connection here also....Johnnie Tolan toured Australian in the summer of 1963/4, with Bob Tattersall and Jimmy Davies. I seem to recall reading that he suffered significant injuries racing a midget at the Sydney Showground, during that visit. I did not get the pleasure of seeing him run, as I first attended the Showground in November 1964.

[Jerry Lee]

This is Larry Dunham

To clarify, I,m 83 didn.t wear glasses till I was 79 (had to to get my drivers license renewed),still got my hair, dye it every two weeks and as I
tell all who ask," everything works".
LARRY

Man, I hope I'm that cool if I reach 83! Welcome to this site Larry and thanks for sharing your story. So much racing history has been lost over the years and it's wonderful that you still have a lot of this stuff to share. Can't wait to hear/see more about it. Thanks Mitch for helping out. Looking forward to more.

[Mitch G.]

I'm re-posting the page from Jack C. Fox's book "The Mighty Midgets", so it's easier to read. Larry is mentioned as trying to help the URA midget group get up and running again in the late 1970's.
http://www.autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=320&pictureid=2748
And from Bill Montgomery's book "Kurits-Kraft Midget A Genealogy of Speed", here's Larry in a Offy powered midget!
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=320&pictureid=2747