NASCAR officials are expected to announce Thursday that the Whelen Modified Tour will return to Daytona International Speedway in February to be part of the second running of the UNOH Battle at the Beach event at the facility.
NASCAR Modified Tour cars line up for the running of the Battle at the Beach last February at Daytona International Speedway (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
A source close to NASCAR confirmed details concerning the event Wednesday. The event will be on February 18, 2014 on a temporary track using the backstretch of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
The official announcement of the 2014 UNOH Battle at the Beach is expected to take place during NASCAR Race Hub on Fox Sports 1 Thursday at 4 p.m.
The event will be a one-day show with a 150-lap non-points Whelen Modified Tour event that will be open to Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified Tour teams. The event will also include a 150-lap K&N Pro Series East points race.
Reached Wednesday, NASCAR spokesperson Jason Christley could not confirm the details about the event, saying, “there will be an official announcement [Thursday] on Fox Sports.”
Despite swirling rumors to the contrary over the last month, it has been confirmed that there will not be a Whelen Modified Tour event at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in February.
Though it has been confirmed through a source that New Smyrna Speedway, which will run its second season under a NASCAR sanction in 2014, will host the regional touring K&N Pro Series East for its actual 2014 season opening event on Feb. 16, 2014, two days before the division’s event at Daytona.
New Smyrna will still host six Tour Type Modified division events as part of its traditional World Series week leading up to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 23, 2014.
The Whelen Modified Tour race at Daytona will be a $20,000 to win event. The paper clip shape used for last year’s temporary track, which came under criticism for producing rough racing, is expected to be reworked to a rounder type track that is expected to eliminate some of the dive-bombing that took over in 2013. The Battle at the Beach is expected to be broadcast nationally through Fox Sports.
This sucks big time
same old nascar treatment of modifieds, the ugly step child of nascar. They just don’t get it, listen to your fans, we know what we want. I personally don’t want another circus at Daytona that makes this good division look bad.
Parking lot racing at it Finest… It Sucks
they should all stay home
Glad The World Series Of Stock Car Auto Racing is still on tap for New Smyrna Speedway.
Uggh, so much for listening to your fans… Who knows maybe we’ll have another mike Stefanik moment we can talk about
Worst possible decision…. Last year was a disaster, I am so glad I didn’t take a ride up and waste time and money…
And how rotten they are to screw the actual “home” “local” “Saturday night” track that has been doing things for years with a strong tradition. I did go to New Smyrna to see some of the racers I have watched up north for years, and the turn out was horrible due to the carnage and cost of the “Stench at the Beach”… just my thoughts…
Non points race ? They should all stay home home unless they get $5000 tow money
This after New Smyrna Speedway put up brand new musco lighting. Thanks Nascar!
Over NASCAR,
Nobody is saying NASCAR told New Smyrna no on a Whelen Mod Tour event. I know the possibility was examined, but maybe they decided not to go for it. And again, there are still six Tour Type Modified division feature events scheduled for that week at New Smyrna.
Even the well funded teams think it makes no financial sense
LOL Watch the K&N Points race be all rules and regulations and the WMT race be a wreak fest, slug fest, and a all out crash fest with no rules.
My thoughts on this return to Daytona can be summed up by the a quote from the past:
“Yeah right, I don’t want to say anything, just going to say the wrong thing. I am that frickin pissed. It’s just bullsh*t”.
– Mike Stefanik, racecar driver & prophet.
Just because there is stuff scheduled at New Smyrna doesn’t mean all is well….. last year the field was definitely impacted in a very noticeable way… was very u fortunate… I brought new people to the track expecting to see a great night of racing and it was quite a letdown….
Shawn do you know what the payout is. I’m not talking about winning, I’m asking about last place? Because that will determine if anyone shows up. 20k to win is great but with nascar glaringly apparent disregard for respect of short track rules, you can be leading with the white flag out and be turned around without penalty and finish last in 1 turn!!!! I think its ridiculous that they would even think this is a great idea. Nascar is there own worst enemy.
Fred, I do not know the position-by-position payout at this time.
Fred:
Total Posted Cash Purse in 2013 was $113,100.
1st – $20,000 2nd- $7,000
20th – $2,000
34th and last place – $1,500
This race does nothing to help the week long series at New Smyrna. Those who were thinking otherwise got taught a lesson last year. NASCAR is nothing but a clown show when it comes to short track racing. They are totally clueless and have nobody in higher management with successful short track management experience.
Race should pay more to win Just like the old days dirt raceing pay more
Blame NASCAR all you want, but it takes two to tango.
It’s the Hart family that owns New Smyrna Speedway. NASCAR doesn’t own New Smyrna Speedway.
After 47 years of support by Modified Teams that travel every year from the North the Hart Family passed right over them to give the K&N Series the Headline event of the 48th Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
The K&N Series race will have a big time purse, TV and the big spotlight of the week at New Smyrna for the week.
This is what you get for 47 years of support.
The Modifieds will again run for a chicken feed purses. The Same purses from the 1970’s.
This is a complete sellout by the Hart Family
I just look at the Daytona back stretch on Google earth and measured it. 242′ from wall to wall. Riverhead is 252′, Monadnock is 336′. Then to make it worse, Daytona is flat, the others are banked.
Umm, quick questions. Do any of the WMT teams actually want to go to New Smyrna? They didn’t last year. Just saying
LET THE MODIFIEDS RUN ON THE BIG TRACK. THEY CAN DO IT,
Thanks for the info on the payouts. 1500 guaranteed probably won’t even pay the fuel costs to go down there for the northern teams. Some will do it most I’m afraid will not. As far as the asphalt series at new Smyrna. Most teams probably didn’t run cause they were focused on saving there stuff for Daytona.
Maybe I’m wrong but didn’t new Smyrna have that racing event long before the bungle at the beach started? If anyone is to blame for the poor attendance at n.s. it would be nascar.
New Smyrna doesn’t have an attendance problem. The house is pretty full every night. New Smyrna has a modified problem. There are none!! They had some 12-13 car features last year.
Sorry mark I wasnt meaning an audience problem I meant race car attendance problem.
they should call this race “boring at the beach”, it’s a temporary track that would be good for go carts not modifieds 🙂
Why?