On the engine side, the cubic inches are limited to 360 for Fords, 368 for Chevrolets, and 370 for Chryslers. The fields are mostly Chevrolet with the occasional Blue Oval or Mopar. Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and V-6 engines are not allowed. The winning cars are generating between 300 and 325 hp and getting the job done with ease. It's another case in which too much horsepower is no advantage.
The series also tested cars with traction control and found no difference when it was on the car as compared to when it was off. "With the low horsepower and the tire we have, it's no advantage," adds Gould. "I will experiment with things, test them, and if I see they will give someone a big advantage because they can buy and the other guy can't, I'll kill it."
Every type of racing has rules and rules change throughout time. Gould says the series organizers are dedicated to keeping rule changes to a minimum for a number of reasons. "Tech is the key to this class," reveals Gould. "If you don't do the tech, the class gets out of hand. At one of our races recently, the Top 8 cars were torn down. It was a complete teardown-the pans, the heads, and the torque converters. We don't do a complete teardown every week, just the bigger shows, but you never know."
SIMS Modifieds run on a weekly basis at nearly two dozen tracks, and Gould can't be everywhere. In order to get consistent tech, the series will have a tech school before the year. "We want them to know what to look for and help the new officials understand what we want," he says. If that's not enough, Gould has been known to take off on the weekend and appear at a track unannounced. "They don't know when I'm coming," he says. "I don't tell the promoters and I sure don't tell the racers.
"Good tech will bring you cars," continues Gould. "If a guy is cheating and winning all the time, the other guys don't want to run against him because they think they don't have a chance. They'll stay home, and we want to grow the class."
Weekly races pay between $300 and $500. Regional events can pay higher purses, and there are national contests that could pay $2,500 to win. The money is nice, but generally not enough to entice creative spending. The idea is to create a form of racing in which money doesn't win the races.
Like most affordable forms of racing, there will be a mixture of talent and experience. Some drivers are moving up from pure entry-level classes while others are dabbling in the class for fun. This class has also targeted the former racer who stepped away because of cost. If the cost is more within reason, the competitor can again enjoy the sport.
Midwest Modifieds The WISSOTA Promoters Association is another sanction that has seen a need for more affordable Modified racing. The sanction has created Mod-4 (using four-cylinder engines) and Midwest Modifieds for its array of racing classes. The Midwest Modifieds have received immediate acceptance, especially in Minne- sota. Nearly all tracks in Minnesota that have WISSOTA involvement offer the Midwest Modifieds, most with the WISSOTA Modifieds also on the card. Some tracks that feature the WISSOTA Midwest Modified class have their Modifieds sanctioned by others such as IMCA or USRA. The Midwest Modifieds have made headway in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming in a short time.
The Midwest Modified uses many of the same ideas as the standard Modified, which was incorporated into WISSOTA in 1985. The rollcage, chassis, body, and suspension rules are exactly the same. The tire rules are slightly different, with the Modified allowed to run the WISSOTA E-Mod tire on the rear. The Midwest Modified can run this tire on the front or rear.
There are several differences in drivetrain rules. The Midwest Modified can use an OEM automatic transmission only while the Modifieds have a transmission with a working clutch. The torque converter for a Midwest Modified must be a stock eight-cylinder converter with a minimum diameter of 11 inches.