Need to jog some memories...

IB4Racing

IB4Racing

Rookie
I have a question about the Superspeedway modifieds they ran back in the late 70's. Obviously this series was doomed from the start as they were WAY faster than the Winston Cup cars back then and that can't be allowed. While termed "modified", they has differences like full bodies, front and rear windows, 5 x 5 hubs, etc.

However, I was wondering:
1. Were the chassis offset, like they are today or "straight-up" (no offset?)
2.) Who made they bodies for the cars? I know some were home-made variations of regular modified bodies, but I'm wondering about the full bodied fiberglass Camaros, etc.
(could one of those bodies be hung on a modern day chassis)

The reason I'm asking as I'm thinking about "changing the look" of my car I run at "The Glen" for "aero" reasons and have been doing some research, but haven't had much luck in getting details about the construction of one of these wonders..

Anyway, if anyone can shed some light, please share it with me..

Thanks in advance

John & JoAnn Hellmers
SCCA SPO Mod #4
jjmod4@hotmail.com
 
K

kt

Champion
1.......The chassis were not offset. They were not even to the era of the modern fabricated chassis. The first offset chassis to my knowledge, did not happen until 1978. The Superspeedway mods started in 1974 I believe, without looking it up.

2......Most all of the bodies were home-made. The Camaro that Richie and others like his were professionally built by Banjo Matthews/Tom Pistone. There were still others that came from the midwest with Camaros with bodies that were probably also hung at home in the garage. I don't believe any of the bodies were fiberglass other than maybe the nose.

John, I have seen pics of your car and thought it was AWESOME looking. Not sure why you would want to change. The fact that you have something different makes it all the better in my opinion........Maybe you are just bored with it and looking for something to do........lol.......Anyways I appreciate your efforts and good luck..................kt
 
K

kt

Champion
Sorry, I just reread your post and you said you were doing it for "aero" reasons. So I guess you are trying to decide whether to modify your existing car or go to the full bodied Camaro type.....Good luck with your decision, I hope the answers I gave helps..........
 
dirttrackrocker

dirttrackrocker

Champion
They ran the modifieds at Daytona starting in 74, it wasn't until 77 that NASCAR officially started the Super Speedway Modified division with its own set of rules. Harry Gant won the Daytona race.
 
Dollar Bill

Dollar Bill

Veteran
I thought the speedway modifieds were never NASCAR sanctioned.  Wasn't that one of the downfalls?  Thats why I didn't think we would ever see one in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  The 61 is at the Talledega Hall of Fame do you think they would loan it to the NASCAR Hall.  Who owns the 61 camaro?
 
justmark

justmark

Champion
Check out the Jerry Cook #38 Modified picture after the article link. It has NYS registration stickers on the front windshield.
Some of the superspeedway Modifieds ran the 1977-1979 Race of Champions at Pocono on the 2.5 mile big track (Richie's 1979 victory didn't come with his Camaro though), and you also had some innovative bodies for aero help.

One of the wilder and weirder creations IMO was the George Kent #26 Pinto Modified at the 1977 Pocono Race of Champions that had rear "fins" from what looked like a 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air and the rounded out front end: Mike Calinoff Photo

 

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moselli

moselli

Rookie
The 1974 race at Daytona was called the Permatex 200 Modified Road Race for Stock Cars.  To slow the cars down, the Modifieds drove part of the Daytona track and part of the infield road course.

KT is correct that this was prior to the offset change that Modifieds went through and most of the cars had a stock production frame, most with the engine and drive train centered, but a few with engine and drive train offset four inches to the left side.

The aero packages for the most part were home built trial-and-error changes the teams made at Daytona when they copied or got advice from some of the then Winston Cup people.  I spoke with some of the drivers that I knew after practice and they said they had to slow down on the big track because the cars were starting to lift from the high speeds.

Maynard Troyer was on the pole driving a 1974 Mustang II with a speed of 110.776 MPH.  Ray Hendrick was outside in a full bodied '69 Camaro at 110.432 MPH.  Paul Newman, the Actor, driving a Hop Harrington Pinto was in the race and this was the early stage of his career as a racer.  Jack Duffy drove his 1936 Chevrolet Coupe and qualified at 98.873 MPH.  Interestingly, he was not the slowest qualifier as Bobby Fleming drove a '72 Camaro and qualified at 86.856 MPH.  Quite a spread in speeds from fastest to slowest.

I watched the race from the infield where the cars came off the speedway and most of the field had a hard time getting slowed down coming from the high speed on the high banks of the track to the sharp turns of the road course.  Brake technology for Modifieds was not where it is today.  Some of the dirt track racers felt right at home.  Spin City would be the best way to describe how the cars turned onto the road course.

At the end of the first lap, the cars were so spread out that it was like watching traffic on an Interstate highway.  Most of the Modified fans, me included, quickly came to realize that this was not the venue for close quarter lead swapping racing that we were used to on the short tracks.  That aside, it was great to see the Northeast Modifieds get some recognition at the famous Daytona track and it may have helped some of the drivers careers.  Guy by the name of Geoff Bodine started the race in fifth behind some guy named Richie Evans?.

As I recall, attrition was high due to motors that expired, brakes that quit braking, transmissions that quit transmissioning and wrecks on the road course.  I?m not sure who won the race but it seems like Bobby Allison or Neil Bonnett had a road course car that gave them an unfair advantage in the race.  I was pulling for Jack Duffy in the Coupe and when he dropped out; I went to the garage and hung out with Paul Newman?.

Regards,

Moselli (Richie)
 
T

tq41@juno.com

Rookie
Wow, memories. I have a picture somewhere of me sitting on the concrete wall next to Paul Newman while he contemplated his day. I was 13 years old with my Speedsport news credentials. lol A 13 year old news photographer, kind of funny and certainly wouldn't happen these days. That is one of my fondest racing memories...Jim
 
IB4Racing

IB4Racing

Rookie
KT: THANKS for the compliments!  Glad you like it!!!!

We like that way it looks now too; we're just exploring ideas on how to make the car go through the air a bit "cleaner." Heck, We're not even required to run bumpers or bars or a roof for that matter in our class, but continue to do so to preserve the look but pay a penalty for the added weight. (NO minimum weight rule!)

We 'kinda would like to clean up the air around the tires and cut down on air resistance; makes a difference pushing those big "barrels" (tires)  through the wind..  lol

I also figured that the Superspeedway modifieds were not like anything running today, chassis wise I mean...

Oh well, guess we will have to keep working on ground effects under the car along with a rear air defuser...(out of sight...)

Anyway, THANKS for the comments and it seem we have stirred up some fond memories... keep 'em coming!!

John & JoAnn Hellmers
SCCA SPO Mod #4
jjmod4@hotmail.com

 
oldguy

oldguy

Champion
Mark, just a quick inquiry, please.

1.  Was it lore or truth that the backstretch chicane was built to slow the Modifieds down to speeds less that Winston Cup cars?

2.  I seem to remember P.R. Newman running a #24 team car with Will Cagle.  What year was that?

Thanks for that video and the memories of the "Car and Track" shows.
 
112SMW

112SMW

Veteran
It was 1975 when Paul Newman drove Will Cagels car at Rolling Wheels.Newman was in town when they were filming the movie''Slap Shot''
 
N

no74falcon

Champion
At around the 4:20 mark, Maynard starts passing lapped cars. The first car they show is a blue Chevelle #3 that has been renumbered #33. Is that a Lenny Boehler car?
 
N

no74falcon

Champion
And while we are jogging memories, one of my favorite is Dad going to Richie's for something and Richie picking me up and sliding me through the window and into the seat of "That Orange Camaro". I grew up at a great time.
 
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