Hometown Heroes

Ask any race fan and he or she will tell you where to find some of the best racing around: under the lights at a local short track.

Sure, these are places to watch the stars of tomorrow. After all, this is why Rusty Wallace knows his way around a bullring. And do you think Dale Earnhardt never ran dirt? Think again.

But for the most part, teams that compete each week do so for the simple love of racing and the desire to go faster than the next guy. They have no desire to try to take their skills to the next level.

To help those of you who may be visiting a local short track for the first time, we’ve put together a little primer to help you understand some of the main divisions that race on dirt and paved tracks across America.

Each track makes its own rules. Some follow the rules of a sanctioning body; but when it really comes down to it, the types of cars making up local racing throughout the United States fall into only a few distinct groups.

Street Stocks

Starting out on the bottom of the racing chain are Street Stock and Enduro cars. These are cars that have managed to escape the junkyard for the time being and have been converted into race cars.

Street items such as headlights and taillights are removed along with most of the interior and outside trim. Doors are welded shut, and any unnecessary equipment such as air conditioning, radios, cruise control, and mufflers are removed.

The rules allow only minimal racing changes—mostly for safety. Other than the number on the door, items such as rollbars, fire extinguishers, window nets, and four- and five-point racing seatbelts and harnesses are the few racing products used. Some tracks allow stronger right-front spindles and hubs, while others keep their Stockers totally stock.

These cars are the entry level into racing with the lowest costs. And that’s a good thing, as someone who’s learning the finer points of keeping a car between the walls may not be able to afford more expensive equipment. They often race for trophies and no prize money under colorful names such as Street Stocks, Detroit Iron, Bombers, Road Hogs, Pure Stocks, Spectator Stock, Thunder Cars, Factory Stock, and more.

Nick Giurukis, event director for Lorain County Speedway in South Amherst, Ohio, talks about the Street Stocks that run there.

“Spectator Stock is a pure entry-level class. It’s for the greenhorns that are just getting into racing,” Giurukis says. “They use a front-wheel-drive car, 3L max on the engine size, an automatic transmission, and run for trophies. Generally, there’s no more than $500 in a car. We average more than 40 cars a night, so we usually end up with two features.

“The goal of this division is to bring in people that are interested in racing and could ultimately become Late Model drivers in three to five years. Those are usually the last features to run, and nobody leaves early. They stick around to see these guys race. After only one year, we’ve already had three drivers move up to the next level, which is our Grand National division; about a $4,000 car.”

Street Stocks can be front-wheel-drive cars but usually aren’t. It’s a matter of economics, as the supply of rear-wheel-drive cars on the road has begun to dry up. Enduro cars differ in only their actual racing, as this class fills the track with these cars and allows them to race for an unusually long time—100-plus laps.

Limited Stocks

Limited Stocks are what the name implies. The teams are allowed to make more modifications than the Street Stocks. Changes are allowed in the suspension such as racing spindles, springs, and shocks.

Drivers may be allowed to use slightly bigger engines and racing components such as heads, cams, carburetors, and higher-compression pistons. The cars can run with headers, four-speed transmissions, and often change the stock rearend to a bigger unit that can handle harsh racing loads and make changing gears quicker.

The bodies of these cars often look similar, as they are allowed some aftermarket parts such as fiberglass front- and rear-end body pieces. They generally sit lower than the Street Stocks but still run a Department of Transportation tire, although that too will be bigger.

Tires in this class are a cross between street and race, but they have a softer compound along with a lower and wider stance. Costs vary due to rules, but teams will usually have up to $10,000 invested in a car, and they race for money instead of trophies. They run under the names of Limiteds, Sportsmans, Grand Nationals, Action Stocks, and others.

As a comparison, Limited Stocks are what NASCAR ran up until the mid-’60s before building dedicated race cars from metal instead of rebuilding factory cars.

IMCA Modifieds

Without a doubt, the IMCA Modified, or Mod, is the most popular franchise car racing in the United States today. Some tracks align themselves with the International Motor Contest Association, the creator of the IMCA Mod, and strictly follow its rules. Others have adopted the basic rules, allowed some changes, and renamed them as E Mods or Economy Mods.

They all run on dirt and pavement with incredible competition. The key to that competition is a cohesive rules package that allows the cars to run economically but competitively. The cars are part street car and part race car. They start with the front 75 percent of a stock frames, such as a Chevy Chevelle or Ford Thunderbird, and add a tubular rear section of frame made for racing. On top of the frame is an extensive rollcage. Safety items are fuel cells and onboard fire-suppression systems.

The bodies are made for racing, too—often crafted from sheets of painted sheet aluminum. Engines are also part street and part racer, with aftermarket pieces such as aluminum heads, headers, and wet oil pans, but the key is often the tires used.

By running a smaller, DOT-approved tire, costs and speeds are kept down, but competition grows. While Mods have the look of an open wheel car, they are generally known as stock cars because of their stock frame sections and stock-style suspension.

Late Models

Late Models are pure race cars with tubular, perimeter frames, racing components such as alloy quick-change rear ends, front suspensions, and engines built solely for racing. The frames and suspensions stem from the group of race car builders that supply such cars across the United States and are built individually for racing.

The frames are made from square and rectangular tubing, and round tubing is used for the rollcage. Components of the suspension are made to be lighter and more durable. Tires are hard-core racing tires; this often separates Late Models from other classes. They are noticeably bigger but are constructed of extremely thin rubber and wear quickly, as they are softer for better grip.

Late Models often run on fuels blended for racing, such as methanol or alcohol. Dirt or pavement alike, they have a sleek, low appearance.

A Promoter’s Dream

Why do so many classes of stock cars exist? One reason is the need for promoters to keep cars at their track instead of others—therefore, rules change. Another is the evolution of race cars. When cars get too fast—and expensive—car counts dwindle, and racing suffers. Often, a new division is created to fill a void.

Take Toledo Speedway in Ohio, for example. Toledo has two paved tracks. The larger track is a half-mile with a good degree of banking. Sharing the front straight is a smaller, quarter-mile track with a figure-eight insert. Traveling series such as ARCA and ASA use the larger tracks, where speeds easily exceed 100 mph.

At one point, only the track’s Super Late Models were using the big track; Street Stocks would not be safe at those speeds. A bridge class was needed so drivers could gain experience at faster speeds but without the higher cost. The track invented a Sportsman class that resemble Late Models but run different tires, perimeter frames (sometimes with a Camaro factory front clip), floater rearends instead of quick-changes, no spoiler, bigger, factory-sized springs/shocks, and an over-slung rear clip.

“It’s an economical way to go quick enough to learn on the half-mile and jump to the next class,” says Toledo General Manager Greg Riddle. “It’s just a natural stepping stone to our Super Late Model class.

“You can get a Sportsman car for about $15,000 to $20,000. The Super Late Models that run up front, they’re spending $30,00 to $50,000. It’s a nice stepping stone to them.”