Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Years ago there were these freaky late models with huge side boards and such, thankfully they never caught on.  But what if you crossed a sprint car with a swing-arm late model?  Add a 410 motor, remove the sheet metal roof and put a sprint car wing on a late model, probably remove the rear spoiler.  I saw a video of a modified with a 360 sprint car motor in it, 8 stacks sticking up, it was loud but uncontrolable

Back in the 60s early 70s the mods that ran at the Reading Pa fairgrounds had fuel injected big blocks  drag rubber and real bodies. They were some wild looking machines.

I wonder how bib block Sprint Cars would do?  To much power? To much weight?

They used to run Big Blocks in the sprints cars, I believe he last hold out was Pennsylvania. They did this in the seventies and early eighties. The Big Blocks where a great advantage at the bigger tracks. Eventually everybody limited the engines to 410, I believe WOO was a big proponente of that.

Not sure how much of an advantage big blocks would be now without a lot of developement, the 410 small block has been improved soo mmuch throughout the years.

Those Late Models that where crazy looking where called Wedge cars, a lot of old time late model's fans relish that time frame but from what I heard the racing was normally failry boring so they did away with them with some new rules. In this time frame there was even at least one mid engine car I believe by Charlie Schwartz that was pretty much unbeatable if it did not break.

Some people believe the newer late model body styles are starting to get too crazy now, I would not be suprised is more body rules are coming soon. If you really look at some of them like Devon Morans they look almost crooked,

Late models even today pretty much have an open engine rule the bigger team will have different motors for different tracks. I have heard of teams using big blocks in the past but not too often and I am not sure if anybody does today. Small blocks still rule the roost.

The mid engine car won 2 races.

thinking thats why ted johnson went to the 410 cubic inch limit  his boys kept getting spanked by the big blocks in PA  

Maybe, but I doubt that there's statistics to prove that. The PA cars won a share of WoO races back then, but I don't think it was an overwhelming number. 

I'd say it was 50/50 ish. There were some definite Posse guys like Paxton and Kaufman, but you also had Bobby Davis Jr which do you consider him Posse, Outlaw, or an independent in 1983. I'm not sure how much he raced with the WOO in 83 but it was a bit. 

They used to run them back in 1980.  They were over  500 cubes and mostly all steel engines.  Some did time trials with BB then put a SB in car to race at Knoxville Nat..  They used the BB more in Penn. tjhan in midwest.  Remember they did not have aluminum small blocks in 1970-1980s.  The WOO banned big blocks in late 1980 s I think.

I'd love to see someone run something bigger than 410 in a winged sprint car, but I recall some guy....

"God and Moses together in a sidecar can't drive a sprint car with 1000 horsepower", Karl Kinser. 

They still have a weekend of "outlaw late models" around here each fall when the points races are over.  For the most part, just add a big side board and (some of them) sprint car rear tires. They are way faster than sprint cars.   

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Back in the 80s Bridgeport NJ used to run "run what ya brung" races for mods with guys adding wings sideboards and other stuff but one time Jimmy Horton tried to run a sprinter with his mods body panels on it kind of a wolf in sheep's clothing. I don't remember for sure but I don't think they let him run it.

Out of curiosity, I checked old WoO race winners. 410's we're mandated for the 1985 season.

In 1984, Bobby Davis won at Lincoln. Keith Kauffman won at Middleto NY.

In 1983, Davis won twice at Williams Grove, one at Lernerville. Kauffman won at Hagerstown.

In 1982, Bobby Allan won twice at Williams Grove, once at Lebanon NY, and once at Eldridge NY.

Were these drivers running big blocks? I believe Allan was running full time with the WoO then, so I'm guessing he ran a 410.

Your comment about dirt late models is spot on.  On tracks bigger than 1/3 mile, late models have become a follow the leader snooze fest.  Eldora has been really boring for a few years.  Ironic cause years ago late model guys said winged sprints were a parade. Roles completely reversed.

Lifelong late model fan but also a fan of sprints, midgets, etc.  Never been less interested in the dirt late model game.