Team "Check Mate"

[Michael Beard]

Mike - enjoyed reading all your stories. I was happy to get to know you during the formation of Top Stock. Forgive me, as it was before my time, but what was the race format for Modified? I got to see a number of really cool Modified pics at Adger Smith's. It amazing that something so cool ever went away.

[Mike Keener]

Michael,

Thanks, I also enjoyed working with you and IHRA getting Top Stock off the ground. Your PR work was second to none and a huge boost to the success of the class.

In the beginning Modified Eliminator was run off the respective National Record for each class until 1975 when the system was switched over to the index system still in use today, but with tremendous differences. Prior to the "Index System" cars were run off the National Record with "no break out" EXCEPT IN THE FINAL ROUND. To keep it exciting you could run under the record in the final as far as you needed to go to win but the penalty was that if you did run under (even if you didn't win) it established a new National Record effective immediately! Also in those days there were points awarded for establishing a new National Record at points meet but of coarse that was a double edged sword because although you received the additional points, you also had to run off the newly established record and needless to say that could be painful... depending.....

After the National Record system was abolished for 1975 along came the Index System. The major difference between then and now was that the indexes were quite realistic and very difficult to run under. However, the good news was there was NO BREAKOUT during any round of competition making performance and the R&D within your program top priority. For example at the 1976 Fall Nationals Tony Christian and I were the two quickest cars in a 32 car field at a whopping .22 seconds under our respective indexes! Also in those days there were no reaction times, 60ft times, etc., etc. All you got was an ET and MPH time slip and that was it! Imagine that today..LOL!

MK

[John Warehime]

Great photos! I remember those cars. It looks like Mr. Mercure has been fast a long time.

[Michael Beard]

So it was pretty much like Comp without a CIC?

Adger told me some stories about having Modified shows at local tracks. I think there's a market for that kind of thing. I've talked to Beaver Bob and Herb McCandless on different occassions about doing a booked-in show using Top Stockers, Junior Stock, or whatever small group of class cars a given track had in its region to put on some heads-up shows. In Piedmont's case, we've got a bunch of H/I/J crate motor cars that all run pretty close. Herb's even run some 7.90 heads-up Junior Dragster stuff, and the fans get into it. Doesn't matter what it is as long as its 1) heads-up, 2) does big wheelies, or 3) preferably both!

Are there some Modified type cars still floating around in the Northeast? They'd make a great addition to Beaver Springs Dragway's summer Nostalgia shows (York US30 Nostalgia Nationals and Flashback Friday).

[Ven302]

I read this thread and am convinced that there is a place for the modified cars of yesteryear perhaps with a little updating. I can only imagine the heart palpitations and knee shakes after crossing the finish line ahead of someone in a heads up run. I believe that this is half the hook with "PINKS" , it looks like real racing. I remember daydreaming about having a small inch 10000 rpm engine in high school, always thought that the four speed was the only way to fly, then I rembered something about ear / hand / foot
co-ordination. I now have a pretty high revving small block but alas with an automatic, but still savour the thought of being able to really run modified. I think that one might be surprised at some of the cars that would re-appear, or re-incarnate. A simple logical set of rules and the ability to say NO to the guy with the 16x 33 slick and 642" bbc(bb-anything) in something that looks like it might have been a Camaro, would be the cornerstone. Boy what a marketing gimic, the first one there wins!
I would also like to note of how nice and down to earth the Check Mate guys are, Paul has answered so many questions( usually stupid) of mine yet he never runs away when he sees me coming. It always makes me proud to know that where I play my hobby ( not hockey eh!) I get to play with the "gretzky's" the "babe ruth's" the roger staubach's" of our sport. All of the small block door slammer guys have no idea of how much they have influenced so many, it would be so cool to revisit those days.

[Dave Goob Cook]

All of the small block door slammer guys have no idea of how much they have influenced so many, it would be so cool to revisit those days.

AMEN!!

The elimination of Modified Production killed my interest in NHRA event racing, more than anything else, before I was ever old or affluent enough to compete.

I still want one of those old M/P solid axle Corvettes, or maybe an Opel GT, or heck, just anything with a stick and a small block.

My very first trip to IRP back in '66 or so was with my oldest brother, and his 396 Big-Block '57 Chubby.....complete with the Saginaw 3-speed and a welded up 3rd member.
He got dumped into B/G because there was no exhaust system hung on the car.
Short day after 1st round.

My car is too far gone to be a stocker, not far enough to be a S/S or Comp ride, thank God for bracket racing, it's all I can afford.

Thanks for posting those pics up, now that I have DSL, I can actually take a few minutes and stroll down memory lane.

I need to get out my stacks of old SS/DI and other magazines from the late 60's/early 70's, and rummage through a pile of photos from the '67 or '68 Nationals at Indy.

[BRIAN SEATE]

These pictures and stories are really great. I grew up on the I.H.R.A. side of things so I appreciate the opportunity to see these awesome MODIFIED cars of yore. My dad stood with me as a kid at Rockingham on top end during qualifying. I will never forget the sounds that came from those stick Corvettes,Novas,and Camaros. My uncles ran S/S stick Camaros back then. One year we pitted beside Coleman and Johns on the pavement. They were running a black gas class Camaro back then. These guys had a stuffed rattlesnake in the trunk area. We sat and watched people jump back in complete panic,those guys thought it was a riot.The old days at Rockingham on the pavement were great(before motor homes).Everything ends but there is a place for everyone. The stick clubs are great and local combo races are wonderful. I miss the S.C.R.A. these were great races as well. This was a group of class racers that came about when Billy Meyer bought the I.H.R.A. They raced throughout N.C. and V.A. Modified ran together until one was standing,then they were mixed with the stockers and super stockers. I watched my heroes dump the clutches as they manually shifted their rides. This was before the soft clutch set ups,there was a great deal of skill involved. Do you remember Bill Bethea,Strawberry Dixon, Gene Fryer,Dane Pearson and Kenny Melton. My uncle said he actually saw Dane Pearson throw a rod on the starting line at Roxboro. These guys were awesome plain and simple. Outside of my family, these are my greatest memories. I also remember Rusty Davenport running a Corvette coupe, he drove the car very well. r.p.m+stick=cool

[Bob Rice]

Brian,
There a few pictures of some of the IHRA Modified cars in this photo album.
Bob Rice
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/Albu...&a=31054070&f=