International Supermodified Association

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International Supermodified Association

Sport	Auto racing
Jurisdiction	United States, Canada
Abbreviation	ISMA
Founded	1974
Headquarters	Oswego, New York
Official website
www.ismasupers.com

The International Supermodified Association (ISMA) is a sanctioning body of short track auto racing in the United States. It is the largest sanctioning body of supermodified racing, an open wheel discipline.^[1]

The ISMA was founded in 1974 by Jim Shampine and Nolan Swift, who had won multiple races and championships at the Oswego Speedway.^{[citation needed]} With the help of local businessperson Tom Heveron, they formed ISMA as a forum for owners and drivers to express their ideas and opinions, particularly those drivers and owners who felt concerns were not being listened to by the track's management.

ISMA's goals were to improve safety conditions in supermodified racing and to host a larger number of events per season to ensure sufficient purses and support for drivers. The association worked with the track to plan for future improvements and focused on driver safety and having a say in the track's future.

Tom Heveron served as the sanctioning body's president and led ISMA through its developmental stages, with the help of the organization's vice president Jim Shampine and Fred Graves, its secretary and treasurer. ISMA negotiated with the Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway in Lancaster, New York for a 40-lap race held on July 3, 1974, which Todd Gibson of Richwood, Ohio won. The following year, ISMA booked races at Fulton Speedway with a $5,000 purse and $1,000 to win.^{[citation needed]}

Starting in 1976, ISMA developed a point fund with tracks contributing $500–$1,000 per race to this fund.^{[citation needed]} ISMA awards points to car owners rather than the drivers. Joining the Heveron, Shampine and Graves team, Shirley Letcher took over the responsibility for the point system. In just three seasons, ISMA had sanctioned over $96,000 in purse money^{[citation needed]} and races, adding a point fund of $4,400 paid by promoters, providing a tow fund at all races, requiring all promoters to hold insurance, and working to expand the race schedule to other tracks. Steve Giola Jr. would become the first point-based champion in that year. ^[2]

ISMA continues to be at the forefront of Supermodified sanctioning bodies, pioneering the franchise system, in which teams purchase a franchise at the beginning of the season. Each of the 19 franchise teams are allowed to miss up to 3 shows during the race season while being guaranteed a minimum starting purse of $1,000 at each event.^{[citation needed]}

ISMA has generally sanctioned between 13–17 shows a year including two of the prestigious Supermodified Triple Crown Series at 1/4-5/8 mile paved short tracks located in 6 states and Canada. In 2023, ISMA merged with the Midwest Supermodified Series (MSS), focusing on events in New York, Ohio and Michigan. The 2024 schedule includes races at Oswego, Evans Mills (New York), Sandusky, Lorain County (Ohio), Lee, Claremont (New Hampshire), Berlin (Michigan) and Caraway (North Carolina).

Bracketed numbers denote cumulative number of championships.

Competitors notable outside of ISMA:

• Bentley Warren- 37 IndyCar Series starts including the 1971 and 1975 Indianapolis 500
• Doug Heveron- 96 professional NASCAR starts, 1 IndyCar Series start, attempted 1983 Indianapolis 500
• Joe Gosek- Started the 1996 Indianapolis 500
• Davey Hamilton- 56 IndyCar Series starts including 14 Indianapolis 500 starts; with a best finish of 4th
• Doug Didero- 3 professional NASCAR starts, 6 IndyCar Series starts, attempted 2000 Indianapolis 500
• Mike McLaughlin- 318 professional NASCAR starts with 6 wins, 1988 Winston Modified Tour Champion
• Johnny Benson Jr.- 503 professional NASCAR starts with 18 wins, 1995 Busch Series Champion, 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Champion, 1993 ASA National Tour Champion
• Bobby Santos III- 7 professional NASCAR starts, 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion
• Ted Christopher- 29 professional NASCAR starts, 48 NASCAR Modified wins, 2008 Whelen Modified Tour Champion, 2x 24 Hours of Daytona starts

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