Book excerpt: Midget cars might be small and light, but they’re fast, traveling at speeds up to 150 miles (241 km) per hour! Originally called “doodlebugs,” midget cars got their start back in 1919 in Los Angeles, California. Today, midget car fans from the United States to Australia and New Zealand love to watch these speedy little cars race. Midget cars were so popular in the 1950s that several movies were made about them. Inside, dazzling photographs of midget cars tearing up the track are sure to interest readers of all ages.