The Flying Scot
Charlie Taggart in the Otto Ramer Offy at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri c1946
Jimmy Samms photo from the Charlie Taggart collection
Charlie Taggart started driving the Ramer Offy regularly in the war-shortened 1942 racing season -- mostly at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City and Riverview Park Speedway in Sioux City, Iowa. Taggart drove this car to a feature victory at the Alta, Iowa fairgrounds half-mile in what was probably the first post-war midget race in Iowa on September 1 & 2, 1945. Taggart also finished high in the points in the short 1945 season at Olympic Stadium.
The 1946 season found Charlie in the Ramer Offy competing as far away as Tulsa, Oklahoma and at:
Cejay Stadium
Wichita, Kansas
June 4, 1946
Time Trials One Lap of the 1/5 Mile Racetrack Fastest Time: 17.22 seconds
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Engine |
|
1 |
Charlie Taggart |
Sioux City, Iowa |
Offy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Heat Race 8 Laps Time: 2:24.57 |
|||
|
1 |
Mac McHenry |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
2 |
George Smith |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
3 |
Charles Taggart |
Sioux City, Iowa |
Offy |
|
|
|
|
|
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Second Heat Race 8 Laps Time: 2:29.45 |
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|
1 |
Don Brown |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
2 |
Vito Calia |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
3 |
George Binnie |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Offy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Third Heat Race 8 Laps Time: 2:25.84 |
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|
1 |
Tiny Wainright |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
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2 |
Bud Camden |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
3 |
Ben Harleman |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
|
|
|
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Fourth Heat Race 8 Laps Time: 2:29.78 |
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1 |
Cotton Musick |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
2 |
Frank Bailey |
|
Ford V8-60 |
|
3 |
Bill Rudolph |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Ford V8-60 |
|
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|
|
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|
Consolation Race 8 Laps Time: 2:30.21 |
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|
1 |
Red Taylor |
Salina, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
2 |
Angelo Howerton |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Willys |
|
3 |
Carl Oliver |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Ford V8-60 |
|
|
|
|
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|
Class B Feature Race 20 Laps Time: 6:09.93 |
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|
1 |
Cotton Musick |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
2 |
Tiny Wainright |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
3 |
Bill Rudolph |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Ford V8-60 |
|
4 |
Red Taylor |
Salina, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
5 |
Frank Bailey |
|
Ford V8-60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Feature Race 25 Laps Time: 7:38.42 |
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|
1 |
Charlie Taggart |
Sioux City, Iowa |
Offy |
|
2 |
Jay King |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
3 |
Mac McHenry |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
|
4 |
Vito Calia |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
5 |
George Smith |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford V8-60 |
|
6 |
Bud Camden |
Wichita, Kansas |
Ford V8-60 |
Taggart won a couple of features at Olympic Stadium before a bad crash during qualifying on August 4, 1946 ended his season (and almost his career). His left arm was mangled and there was talk of amputation but his arm was saved because Otto Ramer's wife was a nurse for an Omaha surgeon. She got him to see Charlie and he was able to reconstruct the damaged arm (with tendons held together by silver wire).
Taggart did not drive again until 1947 when he bought a rail frame Offy out of Kansas City. He won numerous features in Sioux City in the black No. 38 Terry Lee Offy until he sold it to Fred King of Omaha in late 1947. Taggart drove on and off from 1948 to 1950 with his usual ride being the Max Holdcroft KK Offy No. 1 out of Sioux City. When the midgets died an abrupt death in Sioux City in 1950 his driving career ended as well.
Taggart was a starter for stock car races in the area for a few years and did maintenance at the Riverview Amusement Park. His family had been in the florist business for many years. He was involved in that business during his racing career and up until death in the early 1960s.
Thank you to Jim Taggart