DIRT MOTORSPORTS: 358-Modified Super DIRT Series: Small-Block Silver Bullets

By Chris Marquart / DIRT 358-Modified Series Reporter

WEEDSPORT, NY – The small-block faithful have reason to smile this week.

And hopefully, some of the nay-sayers will acknowledge that the new 7600-RPM MSD ignition and limiter isn't the new bane of 358-Modified Racing. It won't kill the sport, it won't glaze the class vanilla and it certainly won't hurt the quality of racing.

Alan Johnson, a long-time 358 hero, drove a 2005 DIRT-legal 358-Modified to a pair of victories this weekend, using the less-muscular and chip-restricted small-block to defeat the explosively strong big blocks in Sunday's opener at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway (Weedsport, NY) and Saturday night's lid-lifter at Fulton (NY) Speedway.

Johnson patrolled the preferred line like a shark following a blood trail, running smooth-as-glass and benefiting from the slick surface he has come to be a master on.

The big-blocks would generate tire spin with the power, requiring more throttle modulation. Johnson's no. 14J was able to hook up off the corners better than the Modified and walked to back-to-back victories for car-owner Jeff Rudalavage.

"It took a lot of work and long hours to get here," Rudalavage said, explaining the small-block power plants that arrived Wednesday night. "Once the big-blocks wore their tires out, he methodically ran them down. He let the race come to him," Rudalavage continued. "In my mind, Alan is the best out there and he proved it this weekend. He loves small-blocks."

"We had to be DIRT-legal and run with the rev limiter," said Johnson, who ran against the limiter in the straight-aways at times, but it never really restricted his car. "We ran with the gear in the car like we would have used whether we had a limiter in it or not," Johnson said. "About halfway down the straight, you would hit it, but it doesn't hurt you too bad on a short track like this."

On a short track such as Cayuga County or Fulton, the power difference is negated because the big-blocks aren't able to carry big straightaway speed like that at Canandaigua Speedway or Rolling Wheels Raceway. The Modified cars must slow so significantly in the corners, it evens the field with the Modifieds. As the track becomes slicker, it tips the scale in the small blocks' favor.

"It's hard to say, but let's say we don't have that caution [on lap 23]," said runner-up Tim McCreadie. "Alan was quicker on the watches than we were, but he was a half-lap behind, so you might not notice. That restart brought him up to us. Either way, even if it stayed green, I think he would have been on our bumper right at the finish. This is what he does best."

On a slick track, small-blocks at Weedsport have beaten their bigger cousins before; Justin Haers won in a fantastic showdown in July of 2002. Haers and Johnson have raced together at Fulton in the small-block ranks in 2002 and 2003. Johnson won track titles in Weedsport's big-block division in 2002 and 2003; he claimed the Fulton Speedway's 358-Mod track title in 2001. Johnson has 94 career small-block victories.

Products of the Fulton Speedway have won three of the last four 358 Super DIRT Series Championships. Last year, Pat Ward and Johnson were separated by just three points at year's end after both ran at Fulton. In 2003, Tim Fuller claimed his second 358 touring title after winning the 358 track title at Fulton. Fuller took the 358 crown again in 2004. In 2002, Matt Sheppard, the tour's Rookie of the Year was a Fulton regular and in 2001, Haers won Tour Rookie laurels and claimed Fulton as a home track.

Next, the test will be to see how the rev-limited cars hold up at a larger facility or on the small venues with tackier surfaces in night-race conditions. As for now, those planning to use the chip-limited power plants have claim to a small - but new - feather in their collective cap.

SKIDMARKS:

Fulton Speedway will again offer home track bonus points in the 358-Modified division. A schedule has been established to crown a Fulton 358-Mod champion and the points will count toward the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT 358 Modified Champion.

Already looking toward the end of the season, both Sean Beardsley and Eldon Payne Jr. are hoping to secure small-block rides as hired guns. Presently, Beardsley and Payne both drive big-block Modifieds for their home-run operations.

Matt Sheppard has a new Nick Ryan-owned Bicknell on the way and Pat Ward will likely be running parts of the 2005 Small-Block tour.

Sportsman regular Russ Hefti (opening day Weedsport winner) expressed some interest in running a partial 358 touring schedule toward the end of the racing season. Hefti is currently running a rev-limited sportsman car with the 6600 chip.