Johnny Ritter

His racing and life with photos and printed material

By Tom Avenengo

Part Three

Due to the size of this article, I’ve had to break it down into five parts.

Now, some of the Offenhauser powered midgets he drove:

Another car he had success in was the Jerry Willetts # 31 “Sugar Blues” Offy. I once read that the first time Johnny drove the “Sugar Blues” # 31 of Jerry Willetts, he won the feature. I’d venture to say that the photo, below, is from the Illustrated Speedway News.

Johnny and Al Keller – Willetts Offies

Johnny in the Sugar Blues Offy.

Johnny Drove the Cheesman # 8 Offy, below, in the 100 mile midget race on the triangular shaped one mile dirt track in Goshen, N.Y. on September 21, 1947. He finished 9^th. This date was very close to the date when he came out with his own # 3 Offy.

Eventually, Johnny would end up with a new Offy midget, in late 1947. Johnny in his # 3 Offy, below, at Cherry Park. Some 11 or 12 years later, Rodger Ward drove this car to victory on the road course at Lime Rock, Ct. against some of the worlds best drivers and cars.

Johnny after a win at Cherry Park, below.

Not sure why, but this photo, below, looks to be elongated, doesn’t it? His cars, the Outboards # 3 & 163, and this Offy, were basically Canary Yellow, in color.

This photo, below, was taken at Danbury – notice the whitish colored track? To get onto the track, the cars had to be pushed over a bridge that went over a moat that went around the track. No, I have no idea why there’s no number on the car.

Another photo, below, of him in his Offy, taken at Danbury. Photo sent to me from Doug Post.

Another of him in his Offy.

Continued