Another fine article from Joe Amentler...
From the Elmira Star-Gazette Sept. 3, 1976
Around the Tracks
By Joe Amentler
The mettle and the metal of the modified men and machines will be put to the test this weekend as racing's second season of long distance special events begins.
The big money chase starts tonight at the Riverhead, L.I., Raceway with an extra-distance race on the quarter-mile asphalt.
The 10th Modified-Sportsman 200 at Oswego Saturday is half of a holiday weekend double bill at the ultra fast oval. Sunday will see the 20th renewal of the International Classic 200 for Super Modifieds. A total purse of $75,000 for the two events will be contested for by drivers from across the U.S. and Canada.
The Mod Squad skirmishing continues on Labor Day with the 200-lap NASCAR National Championship race at Stafford Motor Speedway, with $20,000 in posted awards.
The Dirt Modifieds will be at the Syracuse Fairgrounds Monday afternoon for a 30-lap, $12,000 tuneup for the Schaefer 100 at the Syracuse mile Oct. 3. Following the daylight action most of the contestants will haul to Rolling Wheels, Elbridge, N.Y., for an evening 100-lap special.
The macadam modifieds return to Long Island next Saturday for the Freeport Speedway's $20,000 Bicentenial 200. Succeeding weeks will offer the $30,000 Thompson 300 on Sept. 19: the 26th 300 mile Race of Champions at Trenton International Speedway, Oct. 10: and the Cardinal 500 at Martinsville, Va., a week later.
Based on accomplishments so far this season, the favorites in the big blacktop races have to be Richie Evans, Maynard Troyer and Geoff Bodine.
Evans was hot again last weekend, scoring wins at Spencer, Shangri-La and Fulton, while George Kent was runnerup at Oswego.
Mike Casterline won his eighth Late Model feature at Shangri-La and wrapped up the season championship in that division.
Evans and Troyer, sporting wings on their modifieds, finished one-two at Stafford's "anything goes" Modified Madness special Tuesday night.
Geoff Bodine ran off with his 10th and 11th Thompson Speedway features last week. Nine of the wins have been in the regular Sunday races and two in mid-week Yankee All-Star League events. The two All-Star victories along with a second and seventh in that six-race series have gained him the League point title.
Fred DeSarro won Stafford's last regular season show Saturday and took the point crown from Bodine. Geoff finished third in the race and second in the points, while his car owner, Dick Armstrong, was tops in owners points for the second year in a row. Bodine won at Westboro Speedway Friday night, his second triumph at that oval.
Jerry Cook copped an extra point race at Islip Speedway last Saturday and appears headed for his fifth NASCAR National Modified title.
The United Racing Club crown is still up for grabs. Contenders Gary Gollub, Bill Schroth and Harry Benjamin were shut out last weekend. Bill Buckley won at Rolling Wheels and Bill Wentz Jr. took the Orange County Speedway feature.
Races at Flemington, N.J., Fair Saturday and Sunday could decide the point race. Only a couple of contests in Canada remain on the URC schedule.
