Dirt Modified History

  • 1948

    1948
    Dirt Modified racing was born out of post World War II stock car racing, and has been the centerpiece of uninterrupted activity at Orange County Fair Speedway ever since 1948.
  • 1950 and 1960

    1950 and 1960
    The cars of the 1950s and 1960s were bulky, and most had humpback lids. Some drivers cut off the humps and flattened the roof, perhaps in the first attempts to use aerodynamics.
  • 1970

    1970
    The first major revolution in dirt modifieds took place in the mid-1960s when Toby Tobias developed a tubular chassis design that was offered to the public in kits by the early 1970s.
  • 1980

    1980
    It was 1980 when Gary Balough set the modified world on its ear by winning Syracuse's Super DIRT Week with the famed "Batmobile"
  • 1990

    1990
    By the late 1980s, front fenders were gone and the current modified design began to take shape. Even though there were three major car manufacturers by the mid 1990s TEO, Troyer and Bicknell, the modified cars morphed into a similar design. There have been few changes since 1996.
  • 2000

    2000
    In 2000, the United States Modified Touring Series was created and is now the biggest Modified series around.
  • 2016

    2016
    In 2016, the cars continue to get faster and more aerodynamically advanced. Modified racing is still one of the most competitive and beloved types of racing.