John Ritter (racing driver)

John Ritter (August 27, 1910 – October 12, 1948) was an Austrian outboard midget racing driver in the 1930s.[1]

Standing just 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) tall and weighing 135 lb (61 kg),[1] Ritter was "one of the best" board track drivers of his time,[1] racking up an unequalled winning record.[1] He scored five wins in a row at the velodrome in Nutley, New Jersey[1] and four straight at the Coney Island Velodrome.[1]

At Castle Hill Speedway in the Bronx in 1940, Ritter won the 150-lap race from last place,[1] an "unprecedented" performance for an outboard midget.[1] He claimed the national flat track racing title that year, also, and the Heiserman championship in 1940 and 1941.[1]

Ritter often won against opponents in larger and more powerful cars.[1]

He was killed in October 1948 while changing a tire at trackside, when he was hit by another competitor.[2]

Inductions

Notes
  1. Circle Track Magazine, 9/84, p.77.
  2. "Johnny Ritter". Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
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