NASCAR'S oldest sanctioned series

history of the modified

The modified is a class of car that traces back to the moonshining days of the 30s and 40s where rum runners would hop up their cheap old cars to out run the police. Junior Johnson famously said, "lose on the track, you go home, lose with a load of whiskey, and you go to jail." Moonshiners took pride in having the fastest cars in the south, and somewhere along the way they started racing.

Most cars had a formula, older model cars that were cheap as dirt with enough engine bay space to pop in larger engines. After WW2 many different series came about, some were honorable some not but modified racing sold, and it was exciting. Modified racing often had very relaxed rules and so innovative designs started to crop up. Eventually the main doctorine was created, high horse power, rwd, skewed bodied rocket ships that carved local tracks all over the country.
Link to a very good video on the modified by slapshoes

history of the modified division in NASCAR

The modified division of NASCAR is the oldest sanctioned series they ran with their first race a few weeks before NASCAR officially formed in 1948. The famous daytona beach race created hard racing, legendary names, and the most important to the investors, a good return on their investment. Red byron would win that race on the beach, then go on to win the championship that year. For 1949 he would move to the higher funded strictly stock division (eventually coined the grand national and then cup series) and he would win that championship too becoming to first two series champion.

The famous quote " Common men doing uncommon things" is never more apparent than in the early modified division. Many are backyard mechanics scraping together whatever they can to try out for a race. It wouldn't be uncommon to see 70-80 cars trying to qualify for events like the daytona beach race.
With looser rules many innovations that are now common were first tested is the modified division. Things like purpose built chassis's, anti roll bars and more were all figured out in the modified division. Eventually the doctrine went to open wheel cars, and things known as nerf bars would be common to see to help keep from having wheel to wheel contact. By the 1980s the modifieds modern eras started and the cars would become more regulated and they would form into what is shown here.

controls

Pitch- throttle
Yaw- steer
No special ag groups

Builders note: To be honest this has been my favorite project as of late. The modified is a really interesting part of the lesser known short track scene and deserves to be shown some light. It helps to serve as a proving ground for up and coming talent in NASCAR and is very important for its history. This one has been in the works for the better part of a month or two and had honestly helped me with new building techniques and im very happy for that. Hopefully you enjoy playing around with this little car as much as i did Making it!

thanks to Tingly for the beautiful screenshots, and to my boys muskarosis and LiutenentSOT for testing and feedback. Thanks bros!

Keep looking to the stars