The NASCAR Modifieds on the Daytona Road Course - 1974

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
7 years ago
9,137 posts

The commentary posted with the video is NOT mine.

BUT, these ARE my thoughts:

For some reason I have been thinking about the 2018 October Charlotte road course race for the Cuppers, wishing it was this year, 2017, as originally announced. Do you remember when Daytona Speedway ran the NASCAR Modifieds on its road course? The mods had gotten simply way too fast and un-aerodynamic for the pure tri-oval, so in 1974, 1975 and 1976 NASCAR tried them on the Daytona road course for the Permatex 200.

There is Bud Lindeman / Car & Track film of that initial 1974 race for the NASCAR Modifieds on the Daytona road course/oval course and it might be a preview of things to come in 2018 at Charlotte.One big difference is that 98% of the 1974 Daytona Modified road course field were weekly competitors used to 1/4-mile, 1/3-mile, 1/2-mile, 3/8-mile and 4/10-mile dirt and asphalt ovals.

There were a couple of 1974 ringers, just like our current Truck and Xfinity series. Perhaps the most interesting was Hollywood actor, Paul Newman , a big winner in SCCA road course racing, who'd make his first, last and only NASCAR start. He quickly found that he was no match for NASCAR's gritty Modified contingent.Starting on the front row that long past Daytona day 43 years ago were Spencerport, New York's Maynard Troyer and Richmond, Virginia's Ray Hendrick . They'd battle stars like Richie Evans, Paul Radford in his Gremlin, former NASCAR Grand American drivers Charlie Blanton and Ernie Shaw , as well as chassis builder-to-be, Dick Tobias (Troyer also became a noted chassis builder), Bugsie Stevens , Jerry Cook and even Wilson County Speedway dirt outlaw track regular, Carl Horton and his big cigar. To show how the years have passed, the late Dale Earnhardt driver Steve Parks' father, Bob Parks was also in the field that day.

When the checkers finally fell, it was two well funded Cup regulars who took home the two top positions. That has a familiar ring doesn't it.

daytonamods1974.PNG




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

updated by @dave-fulton: 08/19/17 04:02:36PM
Dennis  Garrett
@dennis-garrett
7 years ago
560 posts

#30 Jack Duffie 36 Chevy (4) photos from video.

Click on small photo to see them.


updated by @dennis-garrett: 01/18/20 05:20:38AM