By Dave Shullick Jr.

Introduction Racing in one of the premier events for supermodified

race cars, Dave Shullick, Jr., won the annual Hy-Miler Nationals on July 27, 2013. The win came 14 years after his rookie year, when he saw a victory in the same race snatched away by a technical disqualification. Known as Shoe II in deference to his father, who won the race an impressive five times, Dave Shullick Jr. drove a car built by Jim Bodnar.

About Supermodified Race Cars Built virtually from scratch, supermodified race cars

employ methanol-fuel-injected engines that can generate more than 800 horsepower. The total body weight ranges from 1,650 to 1,850 pounds, including a large aluminum wing that is the most visible of the supermodified’s unique features. This wing, 24 square feet in area, is a large spoiler which exerts more than 2,000 pounds of downward force on the car as it races, creating greater traction and reducing slippage on corners.

Conclusion Another trademark feature of the supermodified cars

is the extreme offset of the engine. Unlike most cars, which generally distribute the engine’s weight over the car’s center line, supermodifieds offset the engine to the left, which dramatically increases traction when navigating the left-hand turns of the racetracks. Other unique traits of a supermodified race car include an open-wheel design and tires of varying sizes to better navigate high-speed corners.