.

Fantastic article!  Keep these vintage machines where they belong - on the TRACK!

Very interesting article, but I believe he’s referring to a Maytag Racer, when he writes on page 3 that Huffaker “...was a Soap Box Derby enthusiast— except that his had been kicked along by an electric washing machine motor.”

Looking similar to the Soapbox Derby cars of the day, Maytag Racers ran the gasoline engines which powered the early Maytag washing machines before rural electrification.

Interesting…

“Maytag Racers” did indeed use the 1-1/2 hp Maytag washing machine gasoline engine in a boxy wooden soapbox-derby-ish car. They were fairly popular especially in Southern California in the ‘30s. This eventually led to the formation in 1950 of Quarter Midgets of America, still racing all over the country, an orginization that has brought us drivers like Terry and Bobby LaBonte, Jeff Gordon, Sarah Fisher, Jimmy Vasser, Ryan Newman, Reed Sorenson, Stephen Leicht, Joey Logano and many more.
Check it out at quartermidgets.com or quartermidgets.org.