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Post by Devilracer on Aug 5, 2008 16:03:13 GMT 12
Just wondering what season the first modified appered. What track, whos was it and where did the idea come from? When did wings come in and what made someone think of a piece of ali in an H shape would make a car go faster?
I guess sprintcars came first, or did they?
Any pics, Maybe pallmall can help me with this little history project im doing.
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Post by Rob (on the job) Ross on Aug 5, 2008 16:42:24 GMT 12
Hi the frist Modified as we know them with the wings was the Game brothers where ever they raced they were protested.
in the later years when phillip "wild man" game raced and I did the handicaping at the park I used to put him a lap down and he still won the race.
It's sad to see that we never got to see the 1NZ on his car but thats racing
When sprintcars came to NZ they were called super modifieds and when modifieds started they were called super stocks
well thats is far as I know and that came out of the late john webstars book weekend warriors
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Post by pallmall on Aug 5, 2008 17:48:24 GMT 12
Hi the frist Modified as we know them with the wings was the Game brothers where ever they raced they were protested. in the later years when phillip "wild man" game raced and I did the handicaping at the park I used to put him a lap down and he still won the race. It's sad to see that we never got to see the 1NZ on his car but thats racing When sprintcars came to NZ they were called super modifieds and when modifieds started they were called super stocks well thats is far as I know and that came out of the late john webstars book weekend warriors John's book is sadly inaccurate in quite a few areas, with brilliant research in others. The Super Modifieds started out in Christchurch in the late sixties and came to Auckland in the seventies, by the time the Super Stocks started the Super Modifieds had started the evolution into Sprintcars. The idea for what we know now as Modifieds came out of Rotorua and were called Super Stocks, they originally were supposed to be more like the USA East Coast modifieds, the coupes and sedans as driven by Ritchie Evans etc. The Super Modifieds had come out of the USA West Coast mainly the Sacramento area via Australia. I believe the first Super Stock/Modified was built by Ross Baker, there have been photos on MIA (check the old modifieds threads). I will go and dig out some of my research and post more, along with some pics in the next few days. As far as wings go, I think they were trying to copy the Super Mods that were running at Western Springs and Ruapuna, but the original ideaology for the Super Stocks was no wings. But, the drivers make the rules...................................! The Americans had been playing with wings on various dirt cars from the early sixties. |
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Post by HITMAN94 on Aug 5, 2008 19:29:18 GMT 12
I remember as a young lad watching my father cutting the side rails and front and rear bars off a perfectly good stockcar to turn it into a modified
cheers Hitman94
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Post by nzf2stocks. on Aug 5, 2008 20:20:22 GMT 12
Didn't they evolve from the 'chassis racers', basically the old style stockcars with the bodies taken off? Or was that saloons.
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Post by pallmall on Aug 5, 2008 21:15:43 GMT 12
Apparently the idea to introduce the modifieds in Rotorua was first raised in late 1974 and some basic rules were formulated to get the go ahead from the Speedway Control Board. In July 1975 the first meeting for interested competitors was held at the Rotorua clubrooms to get the class underway for the 1975/76 season.   Among the first cars were these two of Phil Andricksen and Ross Baker. Ross used the 6 cylinder out of his Cortina sedan with a fibreglass cut down Anglia body. The rules stated that the body must resemble a recognisible road car.  A notice for another meeting at the end of the second season.  In the first season most of the racing was at Paradise Valley, but the cars had also raced at Forest Lake a few times. |
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Post by pallmall on Aug 5, 2008 21:24:48 GMT 12
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Post by pallmall on Aug 5, 2008 21:53:15 GMT 12
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Post by YankeeClipper10H on Aug 6, 2008 8:29:07 GMT 12
Great info pallmall. Good to see that someone else also has the American Suer Stocks clipping in their collesction from Rotorua's Daily Post newspaper. Nice history.
To answer the question as to who had the first modified it was the late John Agnew. The car was a reddy orange colour numbered 999.
Hopefully over the weekend I will look through my collection and post the date of when the car made its debut.
Has any one a photo of this car??.
Thanks.
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Post by pallmall on Aug 6, 2008 18:27:04 GMT 12
I have just found a programme listing from the early part of the first season of 'Super Stocks' at Rotorua.
1H. Glen Free 350 Chev
2R. Glen Jones 400 Chev (Wonder if this is the same Glen Jones that raced at Gloucester Park, and also raced a Coupe with the good old boys at Pukekohe etc, and was involved in hot rodding?)
107R. John Parry 289 Ford
999R. John Agnew 265 Hemi
100R. Neil C or C.Neil
Will keep digging for some more early photos.
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Post by Devilracer on Aug 6, 2008 19:00:09 GMT 12
This is awesome guys, i am in the middle of writing a book on the histroy of modified racing in NZ. I seem to have most info from 1990 to now but not a lot before then so i thought the begining was a good start.
Have an intrest from a publisher and if i can get enough info it should go ahead.
Pallmall, any chance of getting a copy of all these pics sent to me? and any newspaper clippings.
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Post by Devilracer on Sept 17, 2008 21:01:35 GMT 12
Still looking for pics, clippings if any drivers past and presant can send me anything.
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Post by mat14h on Sept 18, 2008 22:09:34 GMT 12
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Post by Devilracer on Sept 19, 2008 13:13:08 GMT 12
Hey Mat14h, any chance of a copy of that programme?
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Post by madgame on Oct 26, 2008 19:09:02 GMT 12
hay can any body help me to find john webstars book called the weekend warriors coz my Dads name is Ross Game and we would like to get a hold of it
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Post by madgame on Oct 26, 2008 19:09:47 GMT 12
our number is 033881210
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Post by stockcar12 on May 7, 2020 19:00:47 GMT 12
Any info on modified owned by John Agnew running valiant 6. Late 70s early 80. Think he ran 999R
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Post by stockcar12 on May 7, 2020 19:01:05 GMT 12
Any info on modified owned by John Agnew running valiant 6. Late 70s early 80. Think he ran 999R
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