Drag Illustrated Issue 130, March 2018 | Page 36

Dirt Totally Modular-motored Fords turn out in droves for Mod Nationals By Van Abernethy Modular was designed to give everyone a fair shot to win,” Young adds. Even though the event is only in its second year, it’s gaining steam to the point that it has become one of those special gatherings that many people wait all year to attend. “I kinda hate to describe it like this, but this event is like the LS Fest for the modular com- munity! I hear people talking about LS this and LS that, but we’ve got cars that are just as fast, and spreading awareness is the next evolution of getting the word out about how awesome these cars and engines are,” says Young, who first began Pro Stock to Pro Street shifting gears is just more fun! ramclutches.com 803.788.6034 36 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Trevor Eman - pro stock Issue 130 B illed as the “only all- modular race in the country,” the Mod Nationals might also be among the fastest growing events in recent years. The most recent run- ning, held November 11-12 at South Georgia Motorsports Park, more than doubled attendance levels of the inaugural event held last year in Memphis. The Mod Nationals is best described as a com- munity of enthusiasts loyal to Ford’s modular brand of horsepower. The race attracts impres- sive tuning talent; mod motor gurus who can do everything from adjust timing on a camshaft, to performing head work or sometimes put an engine together while a car sits in the staging lanes before qualifying, as was witnessed at the most recent event. “Where on earth can you find overhead cam expertise like that in one location?” asks Justin Young, who has spearheaded the modular motor movement by launching this event two years ago. The latest gathering at South Georgia greatly expanded its roster from last year’s event, which included 13 exciting classes that cater to many different engine combinations. “Modular Outlaw is like our X275 class for modular engines. Then there’s things like King of the 4-Valve for engines like the Cobra, Ter- minator and Coyote. We also have something called Battle of the Underdogs, which is a 2v vs. 3v class, because they sort of represent the forgotten modular motors,” Young says. The event features a host of additional classes such as Modular Truck, Heavy Street, and Ex- treme True Street, among others. “Each class