Modified racing
A vintage modified
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| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | Yes |
| Type | Outdoor |
Modified stock car racing, also known as modified racing and modified, is a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other on oval tracks. First established in the United States after World War II, this type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification of passenger cars in pursuit of higher speeds, hence the name.
There are many sanctioning bodies for modifieds, each specifying different body styles and engine sizes.
Modified racing began as race drivers modified their cars to gain a competitive advantage over their fellow competitors. What started out as minor modifications to the cars has now grown to the point that some modified classes are no longer based on any current production vehicles. NASCAR was instrumental in modified racing's beginnings. Some of NASCAR's pioneers were veteran modified racers long before NASCAR's inception in 1949. As time progressed, modifieds grew away from "" or "", and became akin to both stock cars, and open-wheel cars. Today's supermodifieds have more in common with Indy cars than they do stock cars.
These modifieds are found mostly in the eastern half of the US. Both of the sanctioning bodies (NASCAR and ASA) listed here use the same rules, but do not race on the same tracks. The cars are easy to identify. These modifieds sit on large slick tires that are exposed on all four corners of the car. The roofs of these cars are more rounded than the other types of modifieds, their bodies look somewhat squashed, and have large, 8-inch-high (200 mm), Lexan spoilers on the rear of the cars. The driver sits on the left side of the car, and most of the time will have some type of small plastic windshield in front of him or her. All of these cars sport small NASCAR or ASA stickers on the doors.
The largest builder of modifieds in the US is former driver Maynard Troyer, who (after retiring in 1982) set up shop and in the 1980s was turning out 100 asphalt modifieds annually.
The NSTA Top Speed Modified Tour is located in Carmel, Indiana, and has been around for approximately 30 years (www.TopSpeedMods.com). These asphalt race cars got their start at Mount Lawn Speedway near Indianapolis. It was once called the USA Modified Series. This traveling series races at local short tracks in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. In 2013 they raced for the first time on a road course, near South Haven, Michigan, at Gingerman Raceway. The series changed hands for 2017, from ICAR to NSTA, after being purchased by John Robbins (nephew of the former ASA pioneers) from Dave Muzillo.
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