Martinsville Modifieds: The Early Years

NASCAR Modified action as Melvin "Puddin" Swisher (No. 53) passes Johnny Johnson. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Three-time NASCAR National Modified champion Bugs Stevens at speed in his Modified during a race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Late-1950s: Glen Wood (No. 16) leads the way during a Modified Stock Car race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Early-1960s: Ray “Mr. Modified” Hendrick at speed during early-1960s NASCAR Modified racing action at Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick is the all-time winning driver at Martinsville with 20 career Modified and Late Model Sportsman victories between 1963 and 1975. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1968: Ray Hendrick sits inside his traditional coupe-style NASCAR Modified before a race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Billy Hensley climbs from his Modified racer after a crash. (ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images)

1970s: Bugs Stevens leads Fred DeSarro during a 1970s NASCAR Modified race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1970s: A coupe-bodied Modified racecar sits atop a Mustang-bodied machine following a hard crash that tore out chunks of the concrete wall during a 1970s NASCAR Modified event at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

A driver climbs out of his NASCAR Modified after an incident at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1970s: NASCAR Cup racer Donnie Allison prepares to give a NASCAR Modified a try at Martinsville Speedway, circa the late 1970s. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

November 11, 1970: Bobby Fryar (No. 48) leads Wayne Johnson (No. 52) and the rest of the field during the NASCAR Modified portion of the Cardinal 500 Classic at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1971: Jerry Cook in his #38 Ford Pinto bodied Modified during a NASCAR Modified Series race. Cook raced around his home state of New York and often migrated down south to one of his favorite tracks, Martinsville, Speedway. (ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images)

Early-1970s: The field of NASCAR Modified stock cars gets set for the start of a race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

October 17, 1971: Ralph “Hop” Harrington (No. 1) leads Carl “Bugs” Stevens (No. 15) during the NASCAR Modified portion of the Cardinal 500 Classic at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Early-1970s: NASCAR Modified drivers pose for a group shot just before an early-1970s event at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

April 29, 1972: Three-wide action during the 100-lap NASCAR Modified race at Martinsville Speedway, with Joe Thurman (No. 29), Jimmy Hensley (No. 26) and Steve Ervin (No. 5). (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

March 10, 1974: Carl “Bugs” Stevens (L) and Jimmy Hensley (R) shake hands as they hold their trophies after winning races during the Dogwood 500 Classic doubleheader at Martinsville Speedway. Stevens won the NASCAR Modified tour portion, while it was Hensley claiming the victory in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman event. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

October 27, 1974: After winning their respective races in the Cardinal 500 Classic at Martinsville Speedway, Ron Bouchard (L) and Ray Hendrick (R) pose with one of the grandfather clocks that are awarded to the victors. Bouchard won the NASCAR Modified portion of the event, while Hendrick took home the win in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1975: Paul Radford (R) at Martinsville Speedway with his NASCAR Modified Chevy Vega. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1975: Jerry Cook and his crew pose with his Pinto-bodied car before a NASCAR Modified race at Martinsville Speedway. Cook would go on to win the 1975 NASCAR Modified championship, one of his six career titles. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1976: Actress Elizabeth Taylor joins Geoff Bodine in victory lane after Bodine won the NASCAR Modified portion of the Cardinal 500 at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

October 29, 1978: Geoff Bodine (L) and Sam Ard (R) celebrate in Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway following the Cardinal 500 Classic. Bodine took the win in the NASCAR Modified Tour segment while Ard took the checkered first in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman half. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

April 21, 1979: Steve Jones exits his car after a hard crash during the Azalea 150 NASCAR Modified race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1980s: Maynard Troyer leads the field into turn one for the start of an early-1980s NASCAR Modified race at Martinsville Speedway. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

1981: Although his car is a bit the worse for wear, NASCAR Modified driver Richie Evans raises another trophy after an obviously hard-fought victory over Geoff Bodine in the most spectacular bump-and-grind finish at the track. (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)