MODSTOX
Close racing on a budget
by Ian Broomhead
Where do I begin, to tell the story of
how Modstox first began?
Well, it all started back in the mid-90s
and was known as the Formula Fiats
(Short Circuit magazine called them
the ‘uglies’ - how rude!). Decades of
rule changes have seen Reliant
engines become the norm and the cars
emerged as open-wheeled stockcars
transforming them into what is now
known as Modstox.
With demand for the cars outstripping
supply, an additional rule change
provided older F2 chassis with a new
lease of life when they’re convert into
Modstox. Increased car numbers
equals increased track action and with
evenly matched cars, it‘s anyone’s
game. Cars start from £1000 at the
lower end up to £2500 for top spec
making the class affordable to most
people.
Such was the demand for cars this
year, I reluctantly sold mine and
undertook another F2 chassis
conversion with the hope and intention
to make it on track this season. The
donor chassis was a 6 to 7 year old
Scot Cooper built F2, regularly used
until two years ago, it must have had
an easy life or a careful driver as the
main chassis was remarkably straight.
The suspension was to be fitted at
www.insidestockcarworld.co.uk
both ends of the car. Modstox Rules
dictate the car must be leaf sprung
with a Reliant or Morris 1000 based
rear axle, front hubs and bottom arms
sourced from a small mass-produced
car (excluding Ford).
I used a Morris 1000 rear axle and
Nissan Micra front hubs and bottom
arms, adding pick-up points on the
chassis to suit the mounting for them.
For the suspension the leaf springs
would be a mixture of Reliant at the
rear and a multi-leaf spring on the
front, with shock absorbers being Mini
front units all round. Early Randall top
wishbones completed the front
suspension with fabricated brackets to
connect the hubs to the wishbones.
New mounts were made to fit the
Reliant engine and gearbox into the
chassis. Next jobs were to fabricate
the exhaust using the Club’s own
issued silencer, making sure the propshaft is fully covered for driver
protection and that the driver can
reach to change gear.
Some minor external changes were
done mainly to comply with the rules
for bumper hoops and ensuring the
rear wheels had spring guards.
Andy Ford Racing Services provide me
with a bespoke Roll-cage using the
Randall design which meant re-
panelling the car. The new #88 was
born and apart from a few teething
problems the little black beauty seems
to get better all the time and should be
competing in the next few meetings.
Modstox concentrate their racing down
the ’back-bone’ of the country racing
within the I-factor series at Incarace,
Birmingham & Northampton, plus
Buxton, Coventry and Stoke. Around
24 drivers took to the tracks in 2012
with up to a dozen new cars under
construction and 3 or 4 rebuilds due to
make their debut late 2012, or early
2013.
Winners are spread across the grades
and vary from different eras in the
clubs history. The current winners
include: Points and British Champion is
Craig McInerney (156). Emma
Alldridge (255), Brandon Marlow (45),
Nick Smith (223), Ex Warton driver
Scott Bodilly (97) and more recently,
John Morris (25) and Paul Heath (343)
all taking wins.
Ian Broomhead
Please find us on
www.modstox.co.uk,
and on the Modstox page on facebook.
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