Imagine a race car named for its excessively noisy fuel pump

"I've always been crazy about sports cars," said Dan Lanier a sports car owner and enthusiast extraordinaire.

"I attended the Daytona 24 Hour event 30 or so times as a corner worker, spectator or crew member and I attended the 12 Hours of Sebring 49 times in a row doing the same thing."

"I raced with SCCA  in different classes from the early 1970s," said Lanier, who spends part of  his time in County Kerry, Ireland and the rest near Fort Lauderdale, FL.

And then life took a classic turn.

"I got interested in racing pre-war cars in the late 1980s when attending a July event at Road America. From there, my life-long MG enthusiasm evolved into a desire to race my dream car, a cycle-winged, supercharged MG J2."

His desire reached fruition and now he owns a J2 affectionately known as Thumper. "He got his name from his loud as hell S.U. fuel pump, believe it or not.," Lanier explained.

In its day, the J-Type Midget was a special sports car for many, many people. It was introduced in 1932 and was an immediate hit with MG enthusiasts, not to mention other British car enthusiasts.

In comparison to earlier models, this MG provided major innovations to the engine and the body.

"Although the engine was was still the familiar high-revving overhead-cam 847cc four, its peak power had been pushed up to 36 bph, which was almost on par with the output of the much larger six-cylinder Magnas and Magnettes," according to MG historian Graham Robson.

The power plant also benefited from an eight-port crossflow cylinder head that was developed for the competition MG C-Type and featured a pair of tiny SU carburetors on the right side.

"The body style, an obvious advance on that of the C-Type Montlherty and the larger Magna, featured a double-humped scuttle/cowl profile, and cutaway doors," Robson continued.

Since acquring Thumper, Lanier and the J2 have been racing with the Historic Sportscar Racing organization, Sportscar Vintage Racing Association and Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association.

Thumper was restored by Bob Phillip of Webster NY. and passed through a handful of owners before it ended up with Bill Putnam of Madison, WI, from whom Lanier purchased it.

 "Bob did a great job restoring the chassis and tub, and refined the drive train by building a wonderful race-spec engine."

Years before buying the J2, Lanier had a special arrangement with Bill Putnam who agreed to "loan" him the car to race at Road America and Blackhawk.

"Bill finally decided that I had to buy it from him... before I did damage to it on the track." Lanier said he was thankful for the chance to acquire the special MG.

The following summer, the two of them fitted a prewar Marshall IZ75 supercharger to the little J2 Midget. "It now runs even better," said Lanier.

"I attend and try to participate in as many vintage racing events as possible on both sides of the Atlantic every year."

But he also has had the extraordinary pleasure to campaign in other classics, like Curt Liposcak's 1932 MG C-Type Montlhery Midget. It's the same car that raced at LeMans in 1931 and 1932.

"I rallied with Curtis Liposcak at the Ennstal-Classic, a time-speed distance rally in Grobming, Steiermark, Austria in 2018 and 2021."

Lanier also participated six times in the the Great American Race with an SS Jaguar 100 owned by the late Bill Martin of Pasadena, CA.

And he attended the Goodwood Revival Meeting 22 out of 24 years and is one of only seven Americans who are members of The Goodwood Supporters Association.

For Lanier, owning and and racing classic MGs is truly a dream come true.

Along with Thumper, his supercharged 1933 MG J2 Midget, Lanier owns two prewar Austin Sevens, a Morris Minor and an unrestored 1933 MG J2.