Yep, you're right. In the 80's when the Supermods "came back" the first time, it was a 100 lapper for a few years. I remember Gary Allbritain winning one when Coniam hit the fence on the frontstretch, and there was another time Mike McLaughlin won in a Supermod known as "the Potato Wagon" (I still have some blurry 1984 shots that I took of Eddie B Sr. in the 02 going around turn 1 in the car he won the Classic in the year before.)
As far as refueling goes, they'd be better able to do that now even than they did back then. Question is, what kind of purse/fee would ISMA be looking for for a race that long. I think your reason why not probably lies there.
But what the hey...looks like the rainout worked in TommySalami's favor. Glad to hear you made it down bud. Sorry I missed you.
Monday's London Free Press had good coverage of Sunday's ISMA race ...
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Sports/Motorsports/2009/08/10/pf-10411201.html
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Lightning in a bottle
AUTO RACING: Delaware fans enjoyed two days of the fastest speeds ever seen on the historic half-mile oval
By JIM CRESSMAN
Mark Sammut of London took second place in the International SuperModified Association feature event yesterday at Delaware Speedway. (SUE REEVE, Sun Media)
DELAWARE -- There may have been a few flubbed putts at the adjacent Oaks golf club yesterday when 21 of the world's fastest short-track cars took the green flag at Delaware Speedway.
There's nothing that matches the roar or smell of these 850-horsepower, methanol-burning winged racing machines.
The International SuperModified Association has captured lightning in a bottle and local fans were treated to two days of the fastest speeds ever seen on the historic half-mile oval.
The supers are a major part of the track's history, competing here weekly in the 1960s and early '70s.
Delaware promoter Jack Greedy, himself a supermodified driver, expanded the original quarter-mile to a half-mile in 1969 to allow these cars to show what they really can do.
Today, they're capable of IndyCar speeds, reaching 190 m.p.h. at Phoenix International Speedway.
"You can go as fast as the track will allow you," said Brandon Bellinger of Cornelius, N.C.
They were doing 130 m.p.h. on the straightaways yesterday when Dave Shullick Jr. of Amherst, Ohio crossed the stripe just ahead of Mark Sammut of London. Jeff Holbrook of Oswego, N.Y. was third.
ISMA was the brainchild of the late Jim Shampine and Nolan Swift, both legendary drivers at famed Oswego Speedway. They wanted to ensure the future of supermodified racing and it began with one race in 1974. The purse was $5,000 US, with $1,000 to win.
Two years later, a full series was created and today they race for purses of $30,000, with $3,200 to win.
Shampine revolutionized the way the supers run today. His home-designed and built cars obsoleted much of the competition. People say he was before his time. Unfortunately, his time ended at age 41 on Labour Day weekend 1982, doing what he loved, and on the track he loved.
But almost 27 years after his death, Shampine remains one of the most popular supermodified drivers ever. He's still the winningest driver at Oswego, with 87 victories and seven track championships.
ISMA used to make once-a-year appearances at Delaware, until the mid-80s. It wasn't until 2006 that the earth-shaking roar was heard again. Now they're a yearly fixture.
"It's great to race here," said Sammut, 36, who won his first ISMA feature in 12 years last month at Cayuga Motor Speedway.
"We travel a lot of miles every year (mostly into New England) with this thing so the people who help us out a ton -- which we wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't for them -- they finally get to see us."
Sammut made a late charge but couldn't catch the leader.
"The car ran decent. Too bad we didn't have just a little bit more for him (Shullick). I damaged the nose a bit there and that sure didn't help us, but we finished second and we probably had a third-place car."
Sammut said although Oswego is highly regarded for supers -- still running them every Saturday night -- Delaware holds his memories.
"As you know this was a hotbed for the supermodifieds right up until the early '70s, plus Nilestown and Famboro ran supers every week, so the older people remember that and they like to see them come back.
"A lot of those early ISMA guys like Jimmy Shampine were my heroes when I was little and I remember seeing them run here, so to be in the same class doing the same thing they were doing is just great."
And, as track announcer John Houghton said in signing off yesterday, "Can't wait until next year."
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The view from pit road ....
Shadow going 100 laps is tough to do without doing a pitstop for refueling which would be tough to do as if not mistaken years before Delaware used to have a Supemod classic think was 100 laps and they used to refuel in the pit area not on pit row as it was not there then.If not mistaken these cars can go approx 70 laps total on a 1/2 mile track.The long races 100 laps are on smaller tracks in which they can run those laps .
Actually they can easily run 200 laps without refueling, if they plan ahead and run the extra side cell.
The Oswego Classic is 200 laps on a 5/8's mile track and they usually don't pit for fuel.
The Hy-Miler Nationals at Sandusky is 100 green flag laps on a 1/2 mile track and they can make it to the end if there are not a lot of caution flag laps. At Hy-Miler this year there was a long green flag stretch when it appeared to me they might make it all the way, until caution fever hit...
I am not a mechanic, but it sure would be nice to put starters on those cars. Cautions are painful while they try to get everyone restarted.