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Larry was a member of these Auto Racing groups:
-Central States Racing Association
-American Automobile Association
-ARDC – American Racing Drivers Club
-Atlantic Stock Car Racing Club
-NASCAR – National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing
-United Stock Car Racing Club
-Early Wheels
-Living Legends of Auto Racing
-Eastern Auto Racing Old Timers Club
-NESCOT – North East Stock Car Old Timers

Larry became a 2013 Inductee of the Hudson Valley Racing Hall of Fame by the Sports Museum of Dutchess County Racing Committee

Books containing racing info about Larry:
-The Roar of the Mighty Midgets, 1948 by Nat Kleinfield
-The Hard Clay In Orange County, 1971 by Raymond C. Martin
-Midget Auto Racing History, Volume Two 1980 by Crocky Wright
-Living Legends of Auto Racing 1997 Yearbook
-The Daytona 500 The Great American Race, 2002 by Duane Falk

Compiled by their daughter Raecine Shurter, from her mother Mavis’ racing records, newspaper articles, memorabilia and much appreciated shared stories. See About Website and Acknowledgements

Mavis (Avery) Miller Shurter August 14, 1918 – December 27, 1976.

Larry Laurence (Traver) Virgil Shurter September 27, 1917 – May 20, 2005.

Larry Jr. March 5, 1956 – December 19, 1970

Larry Shurter began his competitive racing career with midgets in 1938. He drove the small open cockpit racing machines on oval tracks with the best drivers of the northeast, spanning the last of the 1930 decade of the birth of midget racing, through its “Golden Age”, to its decline, driving both midgets and stocks in 1949. Stock car racing had become more popular than midgets which meant that the purses – money earned was greater. Racing clubs and memberships were implementing more exclusive rules, making it difficult, if not impossible, to chauffeur both midgets and stocks. Larry’s love would always be the open cockpit machines, but his true desire was racing: going fast. It was a time of midgets falling out of popularity and stocks becoming the way you could race with an average income and be viable. By the start of the 1950 season, Larry was racing stocks. He joined NASCAR, in part to race the Daytona Beach Course, which would become the Daytona 500. His love of open cockpits drew him to Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he spent numerous springs working with pit crews and running test laps to improve mechanics and handling. He hoped to “get a ride” in the Indy 500. He stopped racing in 1959 to help plan and build Onteora Speedway in Olivebridge NY, where he was the Vice President and Racing Director. Throughout Larry’s career, his wife Mavis kept extensive event records and programs, scored and handicapped, collected photos of drivers, stored away racing papers and articles and saved racing memorabilia with a keen eye on history. This website has been compiled from a small part of her archives.

KINGSBRIDGE ARMORY, BRONX NY Life Magazine, December 1947,

The article reported that midget racing had 30 million fans, making it the fifth most popular sport in America.

It also stated that

41 midget drivers had been killed that year.

Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx NY, November 1st, opening night of the 1947 auto midget racing season. Larry Shurter won his heat race and semi-final race driving Bob Muir’s #50. In the main event, Bob Disbrow’s #1 threw a bolt through the radiator spraying water across the concrete surface of the 1/5th mile oval track. That caused eight midgets to spin out and a restart of the race. The winner was #31 Tony Bonadias in an Offenhauser, followed by #5 Ted Tappett (Offy), #41 Al Keller (Offy), #9 Bill Baker (Ford V-8 60), Johnny Ringger (Offy), with Larry in the Muir Ford V-8 60 sandwiched in between #3 Johnny Ritter (Offy) and #1 Len Duncan in a Ford. Behind them were #43 Mike Joseph (Cycle), #33 Joe Barzda (Ford), #18 Larry Bloomer (Ford), #53 Don Morris (Offy), and #11 Johnny Carpenter (Offy).There was no time on the race because of the restart, but Larry’s previous 2 wins – the 10 lap heat race time was 2:21:27 with the 12 lap semi finishing in 2:45:57. Imagine watching those talented drivers in their small racing machines leaning their body into the turns, steering with their right hand while their left hand gripped the breaking stick on the outside of the midget. Each driver being keenly focused on maneuvering to get around the car in front of them, knowing the car in back of them was watching their every move, waiting for the right moment to get in front of them: if they were in a machine with enough power…all in just over 2 minutes! What adrenalin fueled excitement! What fun to watch!

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Larry saw the Checkered flag twirling for him at least 150 times.

Career wins 150*
Main Event Wins 25*

*As best as I can figure – keep in mind that there are few racing records from the years 1940, ‘41 and ‘42 (before the WWII racing ban; what appears to be some lost records from ‘50, ‘51, ‘52, and ‘53; and incomplete records of ’54, ’55, ’56, 57’, ’58, and ’59. Match/novelty races were not included in any stats because, according to Larry, some of the match races were staged for entertainment – the competing drivers quickly talking through the speed dance they would perform for the spectators. Mostly the outcome was based on the track owners and /or promoters’ recommendation /requirement for who would win. The favorite driver was sometimes determined by the track announcer asking for the spectators to clap/make noise as each driver’s name was announced. Promoters knew people like to see their favorite driver win. Some tracks paid equal purses just to perform in match races. Other tracks paid the favorite more money, win or lose.

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Jumping ahead, but not to the finish line