Ever wonder where Grade Points started?

Tony Curcio · 12-23-2011, 07:47 PM

I remember it the way Lyn Smith does. We showed up at the 1976 Summernationals at Englishtown with George Lazar's B/SM entry. Neither George nor I had ever watched a national or divisional event, let alone participated.

In fact, he didn't get through tech on the first try. The tracks at Atco & Cecil County let us run in a similar class called XS with only a lap belt. George rode back to Phila to get a 5-point harness at Ben Pilla Speed Shop while I stayed with the car.

We did get through tech the second time, and ended up making it down to three cars (from 10) in the semi-final. Joe Lepone took George out, Dempsey Hardy singled, then Hardy won the class final and the right to race on Sunday.

I remember this vividly, as it was such a big deal to us to even get in, let alone win some rounds in a class that had some big names in it. In fact those two finalists went on to race in Pro Stock for a while.

I know it was 1976 because I was still in high school in 1975 and married with child by 1977, and I was never involved another NHRA race until I bought my own car in 2001. Perhaps the WCS entry requirement started in '77. Come think of it, 1976 was the first year the Super Modified classes existed in NHRA.

12-23-2011, 07:47 PM	#13
Tony Curcio Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 271 Likes: 1 Liked 4 Times in 1 Post	Re: Ever wonder where Grade Points started? I remember it the way Lyn Smith does. We showed up at the 1976 Summernationals at Englishtown with George Lazar's B/SM entry. Neither George nor I had ever watched a national or divisional event, let alone participated. In fact, he didn't get through tech on the first try. The tracks at Atco & Cecil County let us run in a similar class called XS with only a lap belt. George rode back to Phila to get a 5-point harness at Ben Pilla Speed Shop while I stayed with the car. We did get through tech the second time, and ended up making it down to three cars (from 10) in the semi-final. Joe Lepone took George out, Dempsey Hardy singled, then Hardy won the class final and the right to race on Sunday. I remember this vividly, as it was such a big deal to us to even get in, let alone win some rounds in a class that had some big names in it. In fact those two finalists went on to race in Pro Stock for a while. I know it was 1976 because I was still in high school in 1975 and married with child by 1977, and I was never involved another NHRA race until I bought my own car in 2001. Perhaps the WCS entry requirement started in '77. Come think of it, 1976 was the first year the Super Modified classes existed in NHRA. __________________ Tony Curcio 1860 STK