Four thousand dollars for 25 laps of work will be up for grabs when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified Tour hit the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the inaugural NHMS Modified Shootout on July 11, 2014.
The inaugural Whelen Modified Tour NHMS shootout is coming to Loudon in July 2014 (Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The race was announced as part of the 2014 schedule during Saturday’s Touring Series banquet at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
The 25-lap invitation only event will pay $4,000 to win and at least $800 to start, part of a $25,000 total purse. The field for the event is expected to be 20-24 cars, representing previous champions and winners in both divisions, along with the 2013 Rookie of the Year award winners each division.
The event is part of the July Sprint Cup Series weekend at the track. The Friday card at the track will see new shootout event sharing then schedule with Sprint Cup Series qualifying and a 100-lap K&N Pro Series East event. The Whelen Modified Tour will run a regular points paying event on July 12.
“This promises to peg the excitement meter,” New Hampshire Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager Jerry Gappens said in a release. “The NASCAR Whelen Modifieds are always one of the most popular and exciting races of the weekend. This gives a majority of the competitors two big days of racing and what I think will be the best pole-day card at any NASCAR track. We think this will really give the fans more bang for their buck.”
More details concerning the event format are expected at a later date. A NASCAR official confirmed Saturday that there would be no additional practice rounds for participants in the event and it was reported that the lineup will likely be set by blind draw.
20-24 cars expected?!?!? They’ll be lucky to get 15! It’s a good attempt at a unique race, but why not make it like the Cup’s All-Star Race. Let it have it’s own weekend so teams don’t have to worry about tearing up their equipment for points-paying race the next day. Have winners, champions, etc locked in, and a shootout that actually pays well) for the rest with a chance to race your way in. And of course, a fan vote.
This should get everybody excited, a whopping $4,000 to win. Gappens is the same guy who cut the Modified Purse in 2012. This is all about putting Asses in the stands.
Gappens knows nothing about the Modifieds or about how to treat them. He also shows that he is not much of a promoter. This is a hapless attempt to put people in the stands.
If it was $20,000 to win and $1,000 to lead every lap, now that’s a race. The Mods would put on one hell of a show for $1,000 to lead per lap.
Without the Modifieds nobody would go to Loudon.
NASCAR and the WMT CUT, CUT, CUT.
Cut the purse, flash races cut the purse, flash races cut the Tour bonus money, cut the point fund payout from 20 to 15 (Thanks Chad Little you know that was your call) and you wonder why the field shrinks every year.
Why would the Modified teams want to risk going nuts for $4,000 to win. The $800 to start only covers the tire bill.
The Modifieds were added so somebody is in the stands on Friday.
Nobody goes to Loudon to watch the K&N crap.
This should turn out to be nothing more than a paid practice session. Nobody will put their car at risk with the points race the next day. Is this shootout replacing the practice session that was lost?
Friday is a tough day. The Mods have to be there. But I don’t see fans going on Friday instead of Saturday, or Friday and Saturday. So the crowd will be the same. The crowd is not local, there are significant travel distances for the fans. I wouldn’t travel to Loudon for a 25 lap race. If it runs resonably clean, it will be over in 20-25 minutes. It takes me 3.5 hours to get to Loudon. And will I travel to Loudon both days? No way.
It will be interesting to see if ticket sales will incrementally change to pay for the practice session.
Commom people. This is NASCAR. Why would you try to apply logic to it. Then again there are so many smart fans out there maybe one or two of you should apply for the Touring Series Directors positing. Or better yet form your own tour and run it.
Craig I could not agree with you more ! The only way to put this on is if it is after the point’ s race. Unless you have two cars who in there right mind would chance it. i think nascar is just trying to give the fans something more to see for the money they are robbing from them. Jmo
Exactly Jimmy… We know nothing and yet everything all at the same time.
I think it is a good deal for the mod tour – they are already at the track – might as well race, instead of practice all day for nothing. If you are point racing you start and drop back and practice – if you are a real racer you will be racing for the win… That is what real racers do…
Craig why are you thanking Chad Little
Oh I’m sure you will see 20-25 WMT guys start in the race. But 3 to 5 laps into the event. Don’t be surprised to see half of them pull into the pits and call it a day. Time for the WMT guys to pull the Start and Park rule the top three series have been doing for years now.
This is an insult, $4k to win! During a Sprint Cup race weekend this has got to be one of the lowest paying events ever. When NHIS first opened $20k+ events for the mods and Busch North were the norm. It is no wonder with events such as this that the mod tour is dying off due to the cost while the Valenti mods are thriving. The cost of running these cars are ridiculous and then to propose an event with this purse really demonstrates how much they value the modifieds
+1 on what Craig said – Make it $25,000 to win and have it on Sunday before the cup race. I know that would never happen; NA$CAR would never put their money where their mouth is and put a potentially exciting race before their big dollar superstar yawnfest. It’s fun to dream…
Crazy! How is it an invitation only “allstar” race with a purse this low? I’m sure all the southern mod boys will be lining up to come too since it will cost them more than winning purse to come. Thanks NASCAR lol