International Supermodified Association (ISMA)

Updated November 2, 2017

Star drivers Nolan Smith and Jim Shampine founded this organization in 1974 with

Syracuse businessman Tom Heveron, who served as the first president. The first race took

place at Lancaster, New York on July 3, 1974. Initially, the club raced mainly at Fulton

Speedway in New York, making occasional visits to other tracks. 1976 was the first season

when points were tallied.

By 1980, when Steve Giola became president, the ISMA raced for a minimum purse of

$10,000. He served through 1984, when “Irish” Jack Murphy took the post. The point fund

reached $20,000 in 1986 and $25,000 in 1992. Through the 1990s, the ISMA raced annually at

Oswego and added a number of Southeastern venues to its touring schedule.

Today ISMA is North America’s largest Supermodified organization and the only one that

runs a real touring series. The current schedule includes about 16 races on paved tracks

ranging from 1/4 to 5/8 mile in length in Ohio, Ontario, New York, and New England. Major

events include the Hy-Miler at Sandusky, Ohio; the International Classic at Oswego, New York;

the Star Classic at Star Speedway in New Hampshire, and the World Series at Thompson

Speedway, Connecticut. Winner’s prize ranges from about $4,000 to $10,000. According to the

ISMA website, a brand-new, turnkey ISMA Super costs upward of $50,000, although a credible

used racecar can be had for $15,000 to $20,000. “No ISMA driver races supermodifieds as a

full-time profession. Most ISMA drivers work a regular job or own a business and race cars as a

part-time profession or as a hobby. Ted Christopher, who’s driven supermodifieds for Clyde

Booth in 2010 and ’11, is a professional racecar driver but primarily in asphalt modified racing.” 1  

ISMA cars closely resemble Oswego Supermodifieds with one major difference, the top

wing. The 24-square-foot wing is mounted on air shocks that adjust wing angle according to

speed. On the straightaways, the wing flattens to reduce drag; in the turns the shocks push the

wing up for more downforce. Minimum weight is 1,850 pounds, of which 67% may be on the

left. The 470-cubic inch, fuel injected, methanol-burning big-blocks put out 800 to 850

horsepower. Tires are typically 13 inches wide on left front, 14 inches on right front and left

rear, and 18 inches on the right rear. Depending on track, teams run 2.5 to 7 inches of stagger.

Unlike most top-level racing series today, ISMA places few restrictions on suspension design.

Some cars run torsion bars, others run coil-over shocks, mounted either outboard or inboard

and working through pushrods. 2 “The results of all this technology give winged Supermodifieds

the speed of an Indy car and the quickness of a Midget,” claimed the ISMA 2002-2003

Yearbook. “It’s not uncommon to see a pack of winged Supers three and four abreast, darting

in and out of traffic and changing lanes in the middle of the turns.” In fact, during a recent dual

show at Oswego, Supermodifieds and Sprint Cars turned lap times within a few hundredths of

one another.