Red marquis at 04:41, 14 February 2007

2007-02-14T04:41:25Z

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'''Frank Kurtis''' (?-February 1987) was an American racing car designer. He designed and built [[Midget car racing|midget cars]], quartermidgets, sports cars, [[sprint car racing|sprint cars]], [[IndyCar|Indy cars (champ cars)]], and [[Formula 1]] cars. He was the founder of [[Kurtis-Kraft]].

Kurtis began working with fabrication when he was hired by Willet Brown and Tommy Lee to rework Don Lee Racing Team's midget car bodies.

Kurtis started Kurtis-Kraft when he built his own [[midget car racing|midget car]] chassis in the late 1930s.

He built some very low glass-fibre bodied two-seaters sports cars under his own name in Glendale, California between 1949 and 1955. [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] (US) running gear was used. About 36 cars had been made when the licence was sold to [[Madman Muntz]] who built the Muntz Jet. In 1954 and 1955, road versions of his Indianapolis racers were offered.

Kurtis-Kraft created over 550 ready-to-run [[midget car racing|midget cars]], and 600 kits. <ref name=NMARHoF>[http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Frank_Kurtis.htm Biography] at the [[National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]]</ref> The Kurtis-Kraft chassis midget car featured a smaller version of the [[Offenhauser]] motor. The [[National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]] describes the combination as "virtually unbeatable for over twenty years." <ref name=NMARHoF /> Kurtis-Kraft created 120 Indianapolis 500 cars, including five winners. <ref name=NMARHoF />

Kurtis sold his midget car business to [[Johnny Pawl]] in the late 1950s, and his quarter midget business to [[Ralph Potter]] in 1962. Kurtis died in February 1987.

==Awards==
*He was inducted in the [[National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum|National Sprint Car Hall of Fame]] in 1994.
*He was inducted in the [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]] in 1999.
*He was the first non-driver to be inducted in the [[National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]] at his 1986 induction. <ref name=NMARHoF />

==References==
<references />
*[http://www.mshf.com/index.htm?/hof/kurtis_frank.htm Frank Kurtis at the Motorsports Hall of Fame]
*[http://www.americansportscars.com/kurtis.html Frank Kurtis - An American Icon]

[[Category:Automotive company founders|Kurtis, Frank]]
[[Category:car designers|Kurtis, Frank]]
[[Category:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame|Kurtis, Frank]]

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Frank Kurtis - Revision history

Red marquis at 04:41, 14 February 2007