Could Super Modified been different if?

[FED 387]

The "original intent" of Super Mod was to provide an entry level set of classes to compete in Modified Eliminator without the cost of Tunnel rams/multiple trick carbs or ported heads-extensive engine/body modifications etc

These were the basic rules as I remember them

There were 3 classes of V8 engines

A--big blocks only
B-canted valve head engines-basically small block Ford
C-inline valve head engines-all other V8 engines

Following were the basic rules

All had carb restrictions

tire size restrictions

limited to a fiberglass hood no other liteweight body parts unless originally OEM factory equipped

Full interior/exterior in all cars

Tires(rear) basically had to fit in the wheelwells 10.0 or 10.5 if I remember

Engines had to fit in the engine compartment without extensive massaging of sheetmetal-Factory engine had to match body used (ford/ford) etc

Stock valve jobs NO porting/polishing of heads

Minimum weight per class restrictions

No Vegas/Pintos little cars basically ChevyII/Nova--Firebird--Camaro--Mustang---Maverick--Aspen--Volare --cudas/darts etc. type cars


That was it!!!!

Worked great until Rickie Smith, MikeEdwards and Arlen Fadely showed up with the Mavericks next thing ya know they allowed port matching then milled air horns 5 speeds etc. and ya know the rest of the story there was no more ECONO in super Modified.

[blkjack]

Originally Posted by FED 387

Worked great until Rickie Smith, MikeEdwards and Arlen Fadely showed up with the Mavericks next thing ya know they allowed port matching then milled air horns 5 speeds etc. and ya know the rest of the story there was no more ECONO in super Modified.

No, milled air horns are not accepted. The 4+1 Doug Nash trannys were 4 speeds .........but essentially you are right. The econo intent lasted 1 season.

[randy wilson]

Sounds like, if they had left it alone, it would have survived.

[Ed Wright]

Some of the rules listed are wrong.
A, B & C were lbs/cubic inch.
Seems like a was 8.5 lbs, B was 9.5 lbs and C was 10.5 lbs.

A/SM did not have to be a big block. I took a shot at it with a 400" sbc.

B/SM did not have to be canted valve engines, still lbs/cubic inch. Lots of 331" sbc there.

C/SM was allowed canted valves one year. Fadley won C/SM at Indy that year but was bounced due to a displacement error. His crank was not what he ordered and he failed to measure it. Something like one cubic inch big at tear down. Voglen should have won. Fadley took him out early. I was dead late in the class semis, and an eleven second car ended up winner when Fadley was tossed. Rick Voglin was robbed. Next year C/SM was inline valves only. Seemed like C/SM had like 30 or so cars at Indy that year?

IHRA had Super Mod as a heads up eliminator at 10 lbs. Looser head rules, 11.5" tires and 850 carbs instead of NHRA's 750 cfm, 10.5" tire rules. Any GM head castings allowed. Rickey Smith pretty much ruled there.

NHRA allowed certain number 750 cfm carbs, pretty much same as SS rules there, but the choke butterfly & shaft could be removed.

Cylinder heads had to be assembly line available castings, no "Bowtie", "Turbo", etc. Porting allowed was chambers, and 1" below the bottom of the valve seats in the bowls, and 1/2" back from the intake flange for port matching. Any valve size.
There was a difference in heads. I had four sets from big name shops doing Modified heads. Won't name them all, but Lee Shepherd's were nearly a tenth quicker than anybody else's. They showed much better on my flow bench too. Shows how criticle the valve job & seat/bowl area is.

Btw, the Fadley & Mike Edwards car is one and the same.

[randy wilson]

Seems to me that it could be done today, with, say, the Brodix spec head, cars 75 and earlier, to give the old cars a showplace. Not much oversight, have a Brodix rep there to say yea, or nay. Check cubes, tire size, and fuel. Also, make the drivers have to clutch between gears, could be checked with rollbar mounted camera. I know Knoxville Ia. does it in 360 sprints, and is 20,000 cheaper, and a bigger turn out then 410. No one would have a head advantage. Is it possible? What you think Ed? At the divisional level.

[FED 387]

Well I had it kinda right hell it was about 30-35 years ago-we pitted next to Vogelin at the Winters first big race for that car---it was basically a car straight from a used car lot with motor/trans/wheels added-only ran Ihra part of one season-we ran M/P anyway and tore down Fadely every chance we got ,more of a harassment kinda thing than actually looking for anything--hell we new he was legal just snooping--we made him take off door upholstery panels /pull a head on one side to check for porting and check the stroke on the other side---

[blkjack]

Maybe it was the demise of Modified Eliminator itself that made the "wheels come off" the class. Those who chose to run Comp needed upgrades ($$$) to keep up with others running Comp.
If you think the original concept of this class would work today you ARE dreaming.

[BlueOval Ralph]

I was with Fadely at 99 % of those races, some peoples memory seem be off as they get older! The only place the door panel ever came off the car was at Edgewater WCS meet in June of 1977 and only ! (ONE) head was ever pulled at ony teardown period and that was at Dave Danish requist, he was filling in for Marty Barrett who was sick at that race. Marty was still Div III tech director. NO ONE EVER PUT UP $$$ FOR ANY TEAR DOWN ON THAT CAR FROM 1975 TO THE END OF 1978 WHEN EDWARDS BOUGHT THE CAR! If you have any questions you should contact Fadely @ affadely@mindspring.com or I can provide his phone #. THERE IS ALOT OF BULL $S on the information bellow!
Ralph
.

Originally Posted by FED 387

Well I had it kinda right hell it was about 30-35 years ago-we pitted next to Vogelin at the Winters first big race for that car---it was basically a car straight from a used car lot with motor/trans/wheels added-only ran Ihra part of one season-we ran M/P anyway and tore down Fadely every chance we got ,more of a harassment kinda thing than actually looking for anything--hell we new he was legal just snooping--we made him take off door upholstery panels /pull a head on one side to check for porting and check the stroke on the other side---

[Dick Butler]

There is definitely room for a class such as this TODAY. COST cutter. Any S or SS or Mod chassis with a given motor. Same Wt Heads up Tech winner and R/U.
A single engine builder , single cubic inch. One head casting, One carb,
I would think this would be a cheaper way for S and SS to survive than the High Buck open rules as they have progressed.

[BlueOval Ralph]

an eleven second car ended up winner when Fadely was tossed
Mike Urley of Urley Brothers fame who passed away a couple years ago down in Flordia he was from Seymour Ind and a very goog friend of Glidden's

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Some of the rules listed are wrong.
A, B & C were lbs/cubic inch.
Seems like a was 8.5 lbs, B was 9.5 lbs and C was 10.5 lbs.

A/SM did not have to be a big block. I took a shot at it with a 400" sbc.

B/SM did not have to be canted valve engines, still lbs/cubic inch. Lots of 331" sbc there.

C/SM was allowed canted valves one year. Fadley won C/SM at Indy that year but was bounced due to a displacement error. His crank was not what he ordered and he failed to measure it. Something like one cubic inch big at tear down. Voglen should have won. Fadley took him out early. I was dead late in the class semis, and an eleven second car ended up winner when Fadley was tossed. Rick Voglin was robbed. Next year C/SM was inline valves only. Seemed like C/SM had like 30 or so cars at Indy that year?

IHRA had Super Mod as a heads up eliminator at 10 lbs. Looser head rules, 11.5" tires and 850 carbs instead of NHRA's 750 cfm, 10.5" tire rules. Any GM head castings allowed. Rickey Smith pretty much ruled there.

NHRA allowed certain number 750 cfm carbs, pretty much same as SS rules there, but the choke butterfly & shaft could be removed.

Cylinder heads had to be assembly line available castings, no "Bowtie", "Turbo", etc. Porting allowed was chambers, and 1" below the bottom of the valve seats in the bowls, and 1/2" back from the intake flange for port matching. Any valve size.
There was a difference in heads. I had four sets from big name shops doing Modified heads. Won't name them all, but Lee Shepherd's were nearly a tenth quicker than anybody else's. They showed much better on my flow bench too. Shows how criticle the valve job & seat/bowl area is.

Btw, the Fadley & Mike Edwards car is one and the same.