Your Guide to Modified Racing at Wall Stadium
If you have never seen a Modified race car in person, you are in for something. These are not street cars with roll cages bolted in. Modifieds are purpose-built, open-wheel racing machines running naturally aspirated engines up to 358 cubic inches. They weigh a minimum of 2,700 pounds with the driver, ride on Hoosier spec tires, and hit speeds that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about short-track racing.
At Wall Stadium, Modifieds are the top division. The crown jewel. Saturday night’s main event.
What Makes a Modified
A Modified is built from the ground up on a tubular steel chassis. Full aluminum body with an approved nose piece. Nerf bars mandatory on both sides. The engine sits in front, the driver sits behind a full roll cage meeting SFI 45.1 spec, strapped in with a five-point harness and a HANS device.
These cars are loud, fast, and violent on the brakes. The 30-degree banking at Wall Stadium means they carry serious speed through the corners. When two Modifieds are running side by side through turns one and two, three feet from the wall, you feel it in your chest.
The Rules
Wall Stadium’s Modified division runs rules similar to Stafford Motor Speedway’s SK Modified class. Key specs:
- Maximum 358 cubic inches, naturally aspirated
- Cast iron block required, no aluminum blocks
- One four-barrel carburetor, no fuel injection
- Spec muffler required per Wall Stadium noise policy
- Sealed crate engine option available
- Minimum car weight with driver: 2,700 lbs
A sealed crate engine option keeps costs somewhat manageable for teams that do not want to build a full race motor. Contact the tech director for details.
The History
Wall Stadium’s Modified division has produced champions who went on to the highest levels of NASCAR. Martin Truex Jr. raced here before becoming a Cup Series champion. Ray Evernham cut his teeth on this oval before becoming one of the most legendary crew chiefs in NASCAR history. Jimmy Spencer won the Garden State Classic before racing in the Cup Series.
Gil Hearne holds the all-time record with eight track championships. Tony Siscone won six. Jimmy Blewett won four. These are names that carry weight in any short-track conversation on the East Coast.
What to Watch For
When you are in the grandstands watching Modifieds, pay attention to restarts. That is where the racing gets wild. The field stacks up, the leader picks the lane, and everybody behind them is looking for an opening. On a 1/3-mile oval with 30-degree banking, there is nowhere to hide.
Late in a feature race, tire management becomes everything. The guys who went hard early start fading. The guys who saved their tires start moving forward. Strategy matters as much as raw speed.
When to See Them
Modifieds race most Saturday nights during the regular season (April through September). The two biggest Modified events are the 66th Garden State Classic on June 13 and the 53rd Annual Turkey Derby on November 27, which features a 150-lap Modified feature race.
General admission starts at $20. Pit passes are $35 and include grandstand access. If you want to see these cars up close before the green flag, the pit pass is worth every dollar.