Do you know this "Little Red Beastie"?

Apologies for double-posting this. It's already in the "Motorsport" section, but I thought a non-racer might be able to help...

Nick and Elaine Chamberlain are enjoying racing an Austin Healey Sprite. They found it just a couple years ago in a Buffalo, New York area barn. They're interested to learn more about the history of this particular car, and would be very thankful for any tips.

The car includes a number of later-model Midget parts, and the original logbook shows it in white (instead of red). In the past, it has worn numbers 53 and 541.

Apparently before it was set-up for road-racing, it saw years of auto-crossing. Perhaps some of you know it from that time period?

Nick Chamberlain's Austin Healey Sprite Race Car, Number 41 (33 photos)

I wish I knew where there were more "barn find" spridgets like this in the Buffalo NY area!!!

My new hobby will have to be barn crawling,it always blows my mind what people find in barns, a friend found a mint e type the same way,& paid $6000.00 for it, talk about horse shoes where ??