Your first mod race

[Mod Squad]

Morning Everyone, I figured I'd throw this out there to see if I could add a little discussion for the start of the long "off-season" ahead, maybe a different topic every week. This one was probably done already but maybe there are new members who would like to share their stories.

How did you become a fan of the Modifieds or Modified racing in general?

What/where was your first race with Modifieds (if you can remember)?

Myself, I watched my first race (and many more) at The Cement Palace Seekonk Speedway. It was my home track as we only lived 10 minutes away. We used to go every Saturday Night to watch the weekly Modified shows when they still ran them in the late 70's right up to the early 80’s when they ran the SK's for one year.

I clearly remember watching Bugsy, Leo Cleary, Ronnie Bouchard, Eddie St Angelo and countless other drivers running hard every Saturday Night. I was only 8 the first time I remember it but I got bit by the bug. I was 12 when Eddie and John St Angelo won just about everything and Eddie took the championship in the only time the SK's ran at the track. My Dad worked on Eddie's cars for several years and I remember a lot of Saturday’s and week nights spent in the garage prepping cars.

Once Seekonk stopped running Modifieds, we took more trips to Thompson, Stafford, and Waterford. I even got to see a Race of Champions event at the infield/front stretch track at Pocono. Mods far as the eye could see.

I have followed Modifieds religiously since ever since. I will admit some years I couldn't devote the time due to being on active duty but whenever I got home one or two races were squeezed in to the schedule. Thankfully through the internet I can still stay connected to my Northeastern Mod roots.

So how about it, when did you become a fan?

[Magicshoes12]

My first Modified Race was at Thompson Speedway in October of 1986, I was 6 months old. My Dad couldn't find a baby sitter for that day so he was either staying home or taking me, so he took me! I have been hooked ever since. So much so that back in 2007 when my Son was only 4 months old he went to his first Modified Race! Now at almost 5 years old my son has gone to 32 Tour Modified Races at the Following tracks, Thompson, Stafford, Riverhead, Bristol, Loudon and Monadnock. He has also gone to a couple MRS Races at Twinstate, Canaan, Thunder Road, and the Thompson and Stafford and Monadnock Shows for them. Maybe one day we'll see him in a tour car!

[Steve in NC]

Well, I can't remember the exact date but it was probably '69 or '70 because my dad got back from Vietnam and discharged in Nov of '68. They moved back to PA and Shangri-La Speedway in Owego, NY was where I saw my first modified race. Back then the veterans were Hoag, Boila, Seamons, etc etc with some new guys making waves by the name of Evans and Cook.
My dad worked for Cal Smales for awhile who lived in a small town near us. Cal turned out to be my bus driver for many years afterward. Dad worked with Cal on his old #41 coupe so going to Cal's garage and seeing a modified close up was pretty cool.
One other note is that Cal use to have his drivers ride along on the Thursday and/or Friday afternoon school bus runs. I got to meet and talk with George Kent and Greg Sacks on the school bus because we were close to being the last stop to get off the bus.
I know I was pretty young when I saw my first race because sitting at the race track is how my parents finally figured out I was dyslexic (sp??). I would say, "hey, #27 spun out it would be #72." So I've been at this awhile.
Eventually my dad got hooked up with a friend who owned a modified and Dad built the cars and motors and basically did the weekend warrior crew chief duties up until '82? when they quit racing due to the cost. They race both dirt and asphault.

Now I've seen mods race on the 1/5mi Dorney Park track, 1 1/2 mi Trenton, all the way up to the 2 1/2 Pocono and from Upstate NY to SC and most places in between.

And after all of these years of working on these cars and being around them, I got hooked up with the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club down here in NC. Have worked on a crew for a friend who lives close by. His name is Rodney. Rodney recently had shulder surgery and needed a driver to finish out the season and he tapped me on the shoulder and said have fun. I didn't ask twice.
Going from never ever being on a race track at any speed to jumping into a modern day modified with a 600+ hp 406ci SB that weighs 2600# with a '39 Ford Coupe body on it was one heck of a ride to say the least. Have been on the track now 6 times at speed and now floorboarding this beast. Going fast enough now to loop it going into turn 3 at ACE Speedway a couple weeks ago.
So at 44yrs old I finally got to drive a modified at speed. Next year we are talking a full season of driving. You can't wipe the smile off from my face! But I can say that watching modifieds race and telling the driver what to do from the stands is a whole lot easier that being strapped into it at speed. The sensations, speed, vibrations, and safety gear and limited vision out of a old coupe give it a whole different perspective. Easier said then done is so true.

To the men who live "By the grace of God and 600hp!"

When modifieds ruled and Evans was the king!

Steve

[Acadia]

My first mod race was probably Freeport. But we went to Islip more often.

There's nothing like a Modified. The external headers sound awesome. They are a tough car, low, wide, huge tires, light, lots of torque. What else can you ask for?

Then I frequented Shangri-La and Pocono.

Now based in New England, I make just about every race, except the Delaware and Bristol events.

I don't pay much attention to any other form of motorsports.

[Mod Squad]

Thanks for the replies so far. It's great to hear where everyone got bit by the bug. I've been to the majority of the tracks the Modifieds run on with the exception of Canada. Being stationed in Southeast Virginia, I've been to quite a few tracks in the NC, VA area. Nothing beats Thompson, Stafford, Seekonk and NHMS for me though. It's a different vibe to me than Caraway, Martinsville or Concord.

[JWfor8x]

My first mod race...hmnnn...In the late 1950's and early 60's, I went to the old Freeport Stadium with my family. The Non-Fords were the headline division and I rooted for guys like Jim Lacy and Les Ley. Every once in a while, we went to Islip and they were headlined by the mods then, when I saw them, I was hooked. I loved Al DeAngelo. The fans booed him and he played up to that. He had 2 skull and crossbone flags on his car, but was a great racer. It was then that I started rooting for the Brunnhoelzl's, George and Eddie. Later, it was George Jr. Eddie Jr. and Charley. I still root for both Eddie lll and George lll. Since then, I have been to Stafford, Thompson, NHIS and the track that was there before the Bahres bought it, Oswego, Shangrila, Jennerstown, Clearfield, Pocono, Richmond,
Martinsville, Langhorne, New Egypt when it was 1/4 mile asphalt, Wall Stadium, Orange County Fairgrounds in Middletown, NY, Flemington and of course, Riverhead. I have done a little drag racing at both New York National speedway and Tri State Dragway in Kahoka Missouri. When I was a kid, we would also go to the old Bridgehampton race track when a major sports car event was there and I have gone to Oklahoma to see my brother race in an SCCA sports car race at Hallot. I doubt if I would pay much attention at all to racing if there were no modifieds as nothing else compares.

[RGeeProductions]

I would like to say 1964-65 at Riverhead Raceway. My father took me. At that time figure 8 races rocked but it was the modifieds that captured me. After that first time, I had my father or my grandmother take me as often as possible. I was hooked on modifieds ever since. And very happy it got me to where I am at now (thechromehorn and working on a WMT modified team)!!!!

[limodmaniac]

I'm guessing late 1960s, Riverhead Raceway. Went with relatives. One family was a big CJ fan. And I loved cheering for Bunny, but my favorite was my neighbor Junior Ambrose.

I didn't really become a fan until 1980. Went to Islip for the final race of the year, and remember calling Islip on Monday to find out when the next race was and they told me next year!

I remember asking them, Are you sure??? Any chance you might change that?? Silly me.

I was first in line at the spectator gate in April of 81.

First Turkey Derby 1981
First Sizzler and Pocono ROC 1982

Sponsored my first modified, the 8x of Ed Brunnhoelzl in 85.

[Teds Race Tours]

There is a picture of me at Riverhead Raceway as a 3 year old...1969 that would have been. Hooked. Mom liked Racing, so she took me as often as possible to Riverhead, and Islip or Westhampton. 1st Race off of Long Island was with the Charlie Jarzombek Fan Club for the 1982 Race of Champions. I was off the Charts Excited the Night at Islip that Mom paid Linda Ruland for the trip. Given that I had about an 11 year head start on LIMM, I wonder what year he passed me on the Modified Race List.

[limodmaniac]

I think I was on that same bus trip to the ROC

[bud]

Claremont speedway now known as Twinstate. Didn't know how good we had it back then... Caron, Whipple, Jarvis, Kirby, Donnie Ayers, Donnie Miller, Second track was monadnock, third stafford then the park. I was lucky I made it to westboro before it closed too. Saw sacks win in the allard 66nh.been to every mod track in n.e. Lotsa miles and memories!

[csammy]

my first race was 1970 pops took my brother and me to riverside park speedway dont remember who won but became a billy grecco fan that nite and have been hooked on the mods ever since to the point we had season passes to the park miss those satday nites
but pops and i still hit stafford thompson louden and mononock excuse th spelling

[ModTourMan]

Old Bridge Stadium, 1968. I was 8 years old and my grandfather used to come visit and we would take the trip to the track. It was a quick trip because I lived in the housing development across the road where the speedway was located! He was a Midget and Modified fan and I can clearly remember walking up to the tire fence on the front stretch before the features to meet the drivers of the day from those divisions. I wish I could remember the races more clearly but I was so young. We later settled in at Wall Stadium on a weekly basis. My grandparents would drive down from Bloomfield, NJ to Old Bridge to pick me up before heading to Wall to enjoy the "auto racing at the Jersey shore". The sights, smells and sounds of the place were overwhelming...especially the sound the big block Modifieds - 22 strong- made when they hit the backstretch at full song on lap 1 of the feature event! That sound STILL remains embedded in my brain...forever!

[burtmyers1]

My first night at Bowman Gray was in 1990. I wasn't quite 4 years old yet and I don't remember it but I've got the pictures. My first memory I have is from 1992 or 1993. Gary Myers was driving black and pink car and there was just something about the paint scheme that I loved. I didn't really even know who the driver was, just that I was a big fan of the #4.

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/2154/unledggr.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/812/unledggr.png/)

The first Modified race away from the Stadium was in 1996 at Wilkesboro. I was 10 years old and seeing Modifieds on the high banks(compared to the flat 1/4 mile) and high speeds was all it took. Ever since, I've followed them North Carolina and the neighboring states around becoming a huge Myers fan. In 2003, I met Burt Myers for first time at the first Shootout at Concord. In 2007, I had the opportunity to become a crew member for Burt and since then I am now a full time crew member for Burt and privileged to work with a great bunch of guys every weekend!

[Axel]

I grew up on dirt. First race was Flemington speedway in 1974 probably. I was about 6 years old and used to watch Indy races on TV, so my dad took me to Flemington to see live racing. I have to admit, at first I was disappointed. Where were the Indy cars? Why did they race on dirt? Why did the cars have cages or nets where their windshield should have been? It didn’t take me long to get hooked tho – probably one race when I heard how loud those cars were and smelled the gasoline! We went about 15 times a year to Flemington until 1976 when we moved to Califon NJ. Then we’d only go 4 or 5 times a year.

In those days it was sportsman and modified cars. Sometimes you’d see midgets, sprints and even late models, but it was primarily modified. In those days it was Stan Ploski (my favorite), Howie Cronce, Glenn Fitzcharles, Sammy Beavers and Ray Liss (He drove Sportsman). Frankie Schneider still drove then too. Most of the cars were still coupes, but there was a smattering of vegas, gremlins, pintos an occasional mustang, falcon and old coach. They were great times and there were always TONS of cars and heat races.

They had really cool Christmas lights over the track – green ones for go, yellow ones for caution etc. I just have really cool, nostalgic memories of warm summer evenings watching the cars, collecting dust and dirt on my face and clothes. Miss that place.

[MJProcko]

I just missed my first race by a few days as my Mom tells me she started having contractions on opening night at Riverside Park in 1966. However my first race I can recall I'm not sure if it was at Plainville or Riverside as we frequented both in my early days. My Mom had kept score for Riverside so I'll assume it was there. although later, between the ages of 5-10 we stayed closer to home, 5 short minutes away to Plainville. After my Dad moved away and my Mom stopped going around when I was 10 yo, I would catch a ride with the neighborhood kids going skating and sneak off to the track as soon as their parents left..... oh the memories.

There is noting more magic than being a kid and cheering on your heroes,

At Riverside it was cheering for the Waterbury gang like the Danny Galullo's 888, 12 of Joe Wilcox, 24 of Charlie Centanaro, the 32 of Charlie Glazier and the 10 pins of Buddy Krebs. although it seemed like the one who stole the show was the 20 of Bobby Stefanik and 43 & 500 of Billy Greco. But every kid's favorite car was the STP covered 348 driven by Doc Luke Scanlon in the figure 8's.

At Plainvile it was "Uncle Butch" Dan Gaudioisi in the 44, Richie Galullo in the % & cent sign, Rocco in the 13 & Don Moon's #9. There was also this Reggie kid who drove for Moon for a season also but I really liked his 222. I still have a piece of the asphalt from the track which I took after a late late drive around the track in the mid 80s shhhhh. :)

This is my favorite photo from the Mod hey days of the 70's, it's Dan Gaudioisi after a Plainville win. Not only was it my favorite driver winnng but I can see my blonde head getting crushed at the fence celebrating. It captures a big part of my childhood.

http://www.vintagemodifieds.com/danny_gaudiosi/44_b.jpg

You know, this picture tells us alot. look at most of those old time modified victory lane photos, there are people all along the fence celebrating wins of their heroes. Look at most of the victory photos today, there is almost no one along the fence celebrating, rushing to get out of the parking lot I imagine. sad.

[MOD JUNKIE]

Danbury Racearena in 1967 and saw the guy in my av win that night then became hooked on it all. Chick was top dog there when the cars were thrown together and hauled to the track. I still miss that track that brought in 8000 to 11000 each saturday night to route for their favorite.

[rpd]

Ah the first bus trip. Bugsy's fan club Left Stafford after sat. night races and drove thru
night. I can still see huge grandstand at Pocono.1972 flight 216 race with a million cars
First time ever saw RICHIE EVANS. Hooked for life Boy are those great memories

[Juice99]

Martinsville some time in the 70's is the first one I remember, Richie Evans, Bugsy, Ray Hendricks. Dogwood 500! Although my folks have a photo of me standing by one of those fat tires in the late 60's. Been hooked ever since. My pops worked on Sonny Hutchins Grand National car, but loved seeing the mods.

[Sluggo44]

I would like to say either Plainville or Danbury before they closed. I was problay about 3 when I went. The track that I spent most of my childhood and early teenage years at was Riverside Park

[MOD NUT]

Riverhead about 1961 - was hooked right away. Saw a black coup get on and run half the back strech fence. The sound & smell was great.

[RaceVoice]

Back in the mid 70's, don't remember going to Seekonk much, but on Sundays, my father and I would go to Thomspon. Loved watching the cars fly down the front stretch. Remember The Duke in his yellow Burger King Pinto coming down and picking up wins over Bugsy, Bouchard, Evans, Bodine and more.

[Goldy]

1978 Spring Sizzler.. the crafty aero package on the MSG 10 wasn’t put to the full test as it met the turn 1 wall hard due to a stuck throttle early.. the rest of the ’78 season was spent watching Goof Bodine win everywhere, and man did that grow old.. I still think there was something up with that car.. I recall a teardown or two (although that might be my imagination)..

[csg]

Westborough speedway late 70's early 80's. I dont remember much about it but a car numbered T-5 black and silver wagon modified was my favorite. They had wood fences and anytime a car got into the wall they had to repair the wall. I got to go in the pits afterward and all the drivers signed a checkered flag for me. My parents took me there regularly until they closed and put up a shopping mall. I did a report on webo speedway which my mother still has and showed me a few years back. What makes you happy? Races at westborough speedway. What makes you sad? When it rains and they cancel the races.....which ironcally still applies today.

[whelenguy]

It was the summer of 1954 at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. I was 5 years old and fell in love with the smell, sight and sound of modified race cars. I can still remember Red Foote, Rusty Foote, Ted Stack, Charlie Webster, Don Collins and Johnny Sandburg just to mention a few. My favorite was Wild Bill Slater in the Connecticut Valley Rocket V8.

Years later I discovered that my father-in-law, "Little Joe" Robbins, was the chassis builder and welder for the famous red checkerboard # 716.

Every since that summer of 1954 I have been a modified fan.

[Goldy]

I did a report on webo speedway which my mother still has and showed me a few years back. What makes you happy? Races at westborough speedway. What makes you sad? When it rains and they cancel the races.....which ironcally still applies today.

This angry young fan wrote a letter to Ed Yerrington in '78 voicing my displeasure in Geoff Bodine's blatent walling of Dick Casso's yellow #55 (the Ted Marsh Monza)... anyway I said something to the effect that if he was going to let Bodine crash fellow competitors like that - well,.... that I'd be taking my .99 cents elsewhere..

The T-5 was a great modified, like the Marsh Monza #55... different - something that's really missing on the tour today..

[Axel]

I know I am bad at derailing threads, but to Goldy's point, the diverstiy of body styles is just gone. Back when i first went, it was Vegas, Gremlins, Pintos, but also coupes and coaches too mixed in for good measure. My dad would also point out the few other types, Falcons, Mustangs, Ford Capris (for some reason one of my fave syles), Monzas, Mustang II (Jerry Dostie had a great looking Mustang II modified) and a few other types.

I know everyone looks back at the olden days nostalgically, but there really were cooler looking cars then.

[JMB]

It must have been Beech Ridge after they replaced running the Supers weekly with the Modifieds. One screwball item of note about that. Beech Ridge was technically dirt until the mid 80's.(oiled clay that ran more like pavement and the divisions resembled the pavement tracks of the area) For at least a few years the track had a Syracuse qualifier instead of a ROC qualifier which would have made much more sense.

[jandj]

My first "in person" race (of any kind) was at New Smyrna, 1965. Modified coupes on dirt. I can still remember the smell of cotton candy and hot rear end grease! Dad worked for Dow Chemical and we lived in Fla. for a year while he helped get a new office up and running. We moved back to Va. in late '66, in '67 we started going to the races at Langley Field Speedway in Hampton and Southside in Richmond. Regular drivers were Ray Hendrick, Sonny Hutchens, Lennie Pond, Perk Brown, Runt Harris, Gene Lovelace and the rest of the Va./NC drivers. We made regular trips to Martinsville and the 1/2 mile at the Fairgrounds in Richmond. By the mid '70's Late Model Sportsman had replaced the Mods at most weekly tracks. Even though NASCAR LMS at the time was some of the best racing anywhere, I missed the Mods, I had fallen in love with them the first time I saw them. We continued to make the Martinsville races until the Doubleheaders went away. I still watch every Mod event I can find on TV and the web and attend what Southern Tour and Shootout events I can, but after going to races in "The Glory Days" it's a pitiful reminder of what a once great series has become (no insult to current drivers, teams, or fans intended).

[scott]

1st race Plainville Stadium memorial weekend 1963 the $ of Don Spazano won I was rooting for the #28 (my birthday#). Still remember Jap Membrino flipping on back strech before turn 3. The coaches were & still are the coolest looking.

[JWfor8x]

I know I am bad at derailing threads, but to Goldy's point, the diverstiy of body styles is just gone. Back when i first went, it was Vegas, Gremlins, Pintos, but also coupes and coaches too mixed in for good measure. My dad would also point out the few other types, Falcons, Mustangs, Ford Capris (for some reason one of my fave syles), Monzas, Mustang II (Jerry Dostie had a great looking Mustang II modified) and a few other types.

I know everyone looks back at the olden days nostalgically, but there really were cooler looking cars then.


One of the things that I remember most about the old days, before the Pinto's etc. was that the really good looking cars, at least at Freeport, were usually the slowest. They would always start up front because of the handicapping and would always end up in the back. It was a different world back then.

[JE711618]

This angry young fan wrote a letter to Ed Yerrington in '78 voicing my displeasure in Geoff Bodine's blatent walling of Dick Casso's yellow #55 (the Ted Marsh Monza)... anyway I said something to the effect that if he was going to let Bodine crash fellow competitors like that - well,.... that I'd be taking my .99 cents elsewhere..

How about Bodine dumped Kenny on the front straight? They stopped the race to attend to Kenny and the trashed #12. Geoff gets out with helmet still on and starts checking his tires. Ronny comes out of the #7 and makes a b-line for Bodine. Only Bugsy, Leo, a couple officials and Geoff's helmet stood between Bodine and a severe beating.

What a lot of people forget is a young Tom Rosati's dominance in the sportsman's those years.

[rim runner]

My very first modified race was almost certainly at Claremont a couple years after they went to pavement, around '74 or '75. However my first steady diet of modified racing came with the old Sunday afternoon opens at Monadnock in the late 70's. That's where I first got to see some of the legends of the division, like Silva, Bodine, Ross, and Flemke.

Those shows were great because you never knew who would show up, and there wasn't a whole lot of rules for those shows either. I vividly remember the huge (even for modifieds) slicks Silva and Caron would have on their cars for those races. They must have been 16" or 17" wide at least.

Also what was cool about those races was that the Late Model class would often be running open comp on the same card. Kelly Arrison and his Cuda was a tough combo to beat, but I remember a very young Mike Stefanik with a GTO that would give him a real run for his money.

It was also at one of those open shows when a saw a Late Model in practice have his throttle stick on the front stretch, slide along the wall (the entrance to the pits were more open then) into the pit area, hit a pickup truck broadside and ending up with half the car resting in the pickup truck's bed.

Those Monadnock opens and a couple of late 70's, early 80's visit to Martinsville for the Dogwood & Cardinal races is really what got me hooked on the mod squard.

[NC Mudcat]

My step-father owned a modified in the early-70s. The car was an old coach-bodied car, #00, driven by Gerald Compton (and later Lloyd Ashby). I became a modified fan in the garage long before going to a track, but the first race I ever saw was at Franklin County Speedway in Va. What an awesome racetrack. He used to load the car on Friday afternoon and be sitting in the driveway when I got off the bus from school. I would run straight to the truck and off we would go. Many years later, and after the overall portrayal of the class in the south (sorry B-G fans), I still consider the modifieds the best class on asphalt. Too bad so many southern fans disagree.

[Analyst]

Westborough speedway late 70's early 80's. I dont remember much about it but a car numbered T-5 black and silver wagon modified was my favorite. They had wood fences and anytime a car got into the wall they had to repair the wall. I got to go in the pits afterward and all the drivers signed a checkered flag for me. My parents took me there regularly until they closed and put up a shopping mall. I did a report on webo speedway which my mother still has and showed me a few years back. What makes you happy? Races at westborough speedway. What makes you sad? When it rains and they cancel the races.....which ironcally still applies today.
Leo Cleary was most likely the driver of the S M Lorusso Sand and Gravel sponsored (owned?) T-5 Vega wagon at that time...

[bud]

Remember the night punky drove Mr Brady's car at mad dog. Stan G and punky were on the front row.......it was like an 18 car pile up on the first lap.....lol