Frank Peter Kurtis (bornKuretich;[1] January 25, 1908 – February 17, 1987) was an American racing car designer. He designed and builtmidget cars, quarter-midgets, sports cars,sprint cars,Indy cars, andFormula One cars. He was the founder ofKurtis Kraft.
Kurtis was born inCrested Butte, Colorado. He began working with fabrication when he was hired byWillet Brown and Tom Lee to rework Don Lee Racing Team's midget car bodies.
Kurtis started Kurtis Kraft when he built his ownmidget car chassis in the late 1930s. In 1941, Kurtis designed a car named The Californian forJoel Thorne. Glenn Gordon "Gary" Davis (d. 1973) saw this car, and used the design for hisDavis D-2 Divan, a 3-wheeled design of which only 13 were produced.[2]
He built some very low glass-fibre bodied two-seaters sports cars under his own name inGlendale,California between 1949 and 1955.Ford (US) running gear was used. About 17Kurtis Sport Cars had been made when the licence was sold toMadman Muntz who built theMuntz Jet. In 1954 and 1955, road versions of his Indianapolis racers were offered.
Kurtis Kraft created over 550 ready-to-runmidget cars, and 600 kits.[3] The Kurtis Kraft chassis midget car featured a smaller version of theOffenhauser motor. TheNational Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame describes the combination as "virtually unbeatable for over twenty years."[3] Kurtis Kraft created 120 Indianapolis 500 cars, including five winners.[3]
Kurtis sold his midget car business toJohnny Pawl in the late 1950s, and his quarter midget business toRalph Potter in 1962. Kurtis died in February 1987.
His father Frank (Franjo) Andrew Kuretić was born inRazdrto,Croatia. Franjo worked as a blacksmith in the nearbyBrod Moravice. He followed his brother Mijo (Mihovil) to the United States in 1902, where he married Apolonija Mary (Apolonija) Kuretić, originally also from Razdrto,Croatia on April 22, 1907 inUtah.[4]
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