Most people dont really realize or just forget what really happened in modified. It really was just was split in two. We had just finished our 69 TA in 1982. Marty Barrett said the split would be better as we had a break out class. It would give us a place to cut out teeth until we were ever fast enough to run with the big boys in Modified. We spent tons of 1982 dollars for the best stuff from the Pontiac camp and trying to learn.
What destroyed Modified for many was the alum SBC head being legalized at the same time. No one had anything for that! We had a 3450 lb 440 inch cast iron head 69 TA which was right on the mph record. We were learning how to hook that puppy! We used to call it, "Stacy turning on the spin cycle" (being the washer salesman
)
However, Harold Stout's new 82 firebird with the 392 (I think) cu in SBC and alum heads at a much lighter weight bombed the record from 9.41 or so to about 8.92 in the flash of the pan. (Mike McKinney driving) It was a killer combo no large cubic inch engine could compete!
We were told that the alum heads was so much........a disadvantage
yawn, but if we couldnt run with it.........
build one! Our combo with cast iron heads and 440 inches was dead! It rusted in the cornfield for 20 years. Oh well rules change so we found something else to play, but not really quite as fun.
That is where we learned that racing has a big stroke of the pen and hard work with tons of money is sometimes marginal. So, we started working on some of those pen strokes for ourselves! I am so glad that many other brands have gotten into the picture like the Fords and Chryslers with those killer small blocks, but it did take awhile.
Lynn McCarty