Pat Cunningham (Pioneer Little Pat Cunningham was one of the biggest racing stars from the Heartland in the pioneering days of racing in the 1920’s, 1930’s, and 1940’s, while ushering in the Track Roadster era after WWII. The diminutive driver from Saint Joseph, Mo. was known for his fiery red hair, personality, and driving style. In the 1920’s Missouri native Pat Cunningham known affectionately as “Little Pat” started his racing career. Cunningham drove first for the Lawhons of Saint Joe, (later owners of Big cars driven by CARB HOF Inductee Hershel Wagner among others) and then in the powerful Frontenac of Saint Joes C.O. Bennett and Eddie Burbac. Early on Pat was known for his driving style which featured him hanging his head out of the left side of the cockpit. Cunningham became a legend at Belleville, Kansas, among other tracks where he held a 4 year long winning streak from 1926-1929. Pat also became a midget star soon after, first driving for Kansan Leonard Kerbs in his K1 Midget winning races throughout the country, and then later when the car was sold to Jack Keys. According to Bill Hill in his book “One Tough Circuit” Pat Cunningham was one of the original competitors at (Olympic Field) in 1935. Later Cunningham would go on his own streak at the now Olympic Stadium when he won three straight for (Topeka Slim) Tony Gulotta, in 1939, while also winning twice at Riverside Park that season. Criss crossing across America Little Pat became a midget star in California as well in the 1930’s and became famous nationwide in 1936 when he took his midget to race against the Big Cars (sprints) in ARA action winning a 100 lap feature at Oakland Speedway in California after being invited up from Southern California to bolster the car count. After WW II Pat returned to the KC area to race in Bud Wilson’s Pony Express Roadster club running at Tracks including Heart of America and Olympic in KC, and Fairgrounds ovals including Savannah, Bethany, and the Mid America Fairgrounds. During this later stage of his career he would battle young racing stars including Junior Hower, Hershel Wagner, Johnny Tatlock, Scotty Scovill, and Bill Winstead of KC’s favorite Burger Joints. As a youngster Ray Boyles’s attended many of these races as both a spectator and later a stooge for Hershel Wagner, and his Uncle Junior Hower, and related one of his favorite stories from the Track Roadster era which involved Pat Cunningham being planted up in the grandstand as a drunk fan who would challenge drivers including Wagner to a match race. Of course, the whole thing was planned by promoter Wilson to add excitement to these programs which sometimes had as few as 7-10 cars. The ruse would involve the announcer asking the crowd if anyone wanted to challenge one of the top drivers of the series and led to Cunningham stating that he would in a slurred voice. This followed with the diminutive driver stumbling, bumbling, and fumbling, his way to the track, getting in the challenge car backwards, and so on, much to the delight of the crowd. Of course, once the race started Cunningham drove the wheels off the car going “wheel to wheel” and “hub to hub” to the checkered flag entertaining the crowd to no end in a near photo finish. After Pat retired from racing he settled for good In Southern California passing away in 1972, he was survived by his wife Dorothy. Pat Cunningham, a significant driver in open wheel racing during its pioneering days was inducted into the High Banks Hall of Fame in 2000, and now the CARB HOF for 2024. )

2024 Inductee