My favorite period of local dirt and asphalt racing was from the mid 60s into the mid 70s.  During that time, your big winners would usually come from deep in the pack (starting in the teens).  Today it seems most of your winners come from the top 6 or 8 as it all about "the re-draw".   I'm guessing its harder to come from the back nowadays as the hot rods are so even.  However, wouldn't it be more exciting to see the Williamsons, Sheppards and Friesens racing from the back of the pack rather starting in the single spots?  Maybe have a  half way caution break to bunch up the field.  Would love to hear 3Wider comments.  Scott Ely   

The tail wags the dog now. You tell one of the guys you just mentioned they're starting 18th if they come to your track, they ain't coming. Unfortunately with today's car counts, the name racers hold the upper hand. You want them to come and bring their fan following, you have to play the game the way they want. Part of the reason I think the modified's days are numbered. Hate to be the doomsayer here, but I don't see any way around it.

Like the gentlemen above I also lived through what I consider the best of Modified racing. I know there will be a lot of opinions on what was the "best of times" As John said those days are gone and are never coming back. Todays cars are too closely matched so coming from beyond tenth starting spot is way to difficult. The rules have to be opened up to let teams search for an advantage.The racers are different today as well. Even with todays thick rule book Gary Balough would find a way to stretch things and gain an advantage. 

Agree that everything is "too closely matched". Back in the mid 60's to mid 70's, you built our own car. Got some chalk, laid it out on the garage floor, put welder to tubing and bar stock, and you had a race car. Various idea's created various cars and some were much faster than others. Today, you pick up the phone and in a short while, a complete roller shows up at your doorstep. Racing today is almost like the old IROC series.

Agree for Super Dirt and STSS races even though I’ll head to Bridgeport next Tuesday. However, see 3 Wides post below about his trip to Grandview— lots of racing from the back in heats and the feature.

racing at grandview is much better then most places. they still come from the teens to the front and a lot of that is right side panhard bar.when they ran the left it was like every were else win from the pole only passing was on restarts

Most, if not all, traveling series use time trials to line up heat races and features for the past several decades. Steve Kinser broke the track speed record at Flemington back in the 80's! Nothing has changed that much except for the current cookie-cutter style of cars we see currently.

Mandy Pauch-Maheny put out videos this weekend. Since when do modified drivers get Lucky Dogs during a feature? "Times have changed," as others have said, we are not going back.

The time trials thing, starting up front, ruins racing. I've seen the greatest dirt modified driver, by numbers, come to a handful of STSS shows when you drew for the heats and DNQ'd, multiple times.  The idea is to be the fastest, but the idea as a promoter is to make it entertaining and that DON"T MIX!

Like John Mc said, the tail is wagging the dog.  I go to races or watch on TV and enjoy for all I can now and don't ever see it changing. BUT, the days when guys started in the back and won was usually the car was much more superior than the one's he's passing. They were great drivers, but most of the great drivers drove great cars and for a reason.

I don't see a fix or change, so enjoy what you can.

Have to agree with you Kevin about might as well enjoy what we have because it wont change. Lets just hope it doesn't get worse. Back in the day there were cars that were superior to others as you said. A lot of that came from some teams having more funding than others but also being able to try things that todays rule book doesn't let you do. 

100% Kevin.

Wasn't that Wolfgang in 1989, when he went off the speed charts,i can remember Bill Singer that night pausing over the PA before he gave us Doug;s time !

Very enjoyable for me to come from the 15th or 17 place or win

Didn't Lincoln do that back in the day, with the point leaders,the leader in points started 12th in the feature ; I,m sure someone has the eaxact answer !! Thinking of Freddie Rahmer !