Doug Dunleavy Giving $12,000 Plus Bonus To Whelen Mod Tour Sunoco World Series 150 Pole Winner At Thompson

Doug Dunleavy

Doug Dunleavy

What started off as a fun way to an add extra bonus to pole winners on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2015 has snowballed into a lottery type big money prize on the line Saturday at Thompson Speedway.

Dunleavy, who’s Dunleavy Truck & Trailer is a sponsor for reigning Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby and a number of other teams, began his “pole award” lottery at the start of the season.

The way it works was Dunleavy would pick five names out of a hat before each event and if one of those drivers won the pole they were awarded $300 from Dunleavy. If nobody in the five chosen won, the award would roll over to a new award for the next race.

Coby and Ryan Preece won the awards in the first two events of the season, and then it stopped being won.

And the award kept growing. While Dunleavy kept adding another $300 to the award each week, he was finding businesses that wanted to get involved and add to the bonus. And the award kept growing and growing and growing and each week it was going unclaimed.

“I go around to local businesses and show them video and show them some of the racing and tell them they can get involved for $100,” Dunleavy said. “… There’s so many people involved now, about 60 different small businesses.”

This weekend, at the final event of the season for the Whelen Modified Tour, there will be no names chosen. The award is free and clear up for grabs to the pole winner in qualifying Saturday for Sunday’s Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco World Series 150 at Thompson.

Dunleavy said the prize will be between $12,000 and $12,500 for the pole winner on Saturday.

“As long as we get a few good laughs and a good challenge I’m happy,” Dunleavy said. “I guarantee there’s a lot more people following who gets the pole this weekend.”

The pole “bonus” will pay significantly more than actually winning the race. The base purse for winning the event is $6,000. Assorted bonuses would likely put the winner’s share of the purse somewhere between $7,000 and $10,000.

Dunleavy said his efforts show that grassroots efforts to help raise funds to increase prize money for Modified events can be done.

“You’ve got to move a muscle, change the thought, I don’t know,” Dunleavy said. “I have a lot of energy and a lot of excitement and I love the Modifieds. When I go into these businesses chances are I’m coming out with money. And then chances are the people are then following what’s happening or even going to the next race. I love what I do, that little bit of extra. I think more people to get involved in smaller situations like what I do generate different things. It’s definitely brought some excitement.”

Comments

  1. The pole pays more than the race. Win the pole and go home unless your name is Colby, Preece or Pitkat. Then again, one of those 3 will probably win pole.

  2. Thank you , Doug Dunleavy.

  3. I meant to say Coby earlier. That was a spell check deal.

  4. Keep in mind emerling set fast time twice this season. Once at Thompson too

  5. Don’t put it by somebody to put an illegal car in there just to win the 12G. It’s not like cars goes through tech after qualifying.

  6. Awesome idea by Dunleavy. You would think NASCAR and the promotors would follow the lead

  7. Yeah, right. NASCAR is only interested in the money they’re getting. Not in giving out any money to the competitors.

  8. You really think that nascar would really follow their lead?

  9. This bonus guarantees that carburetors will never be looked at during this event. Wouldn’t want to sully such an event and bonus with findings such as an illegal carb. Guys, break out the big carbs!!!

    LM, a few seasons ago, when there were carb issues, carburetors were tech’d after qualifying. This went on for a while. Nobody was allowed near the cars after qualifying, then the top 5 were brought to the NASCAR trailer for carb inspection, again.

  10. NASCAR is into taking money,not giving it away.Thank you Doug for putting up such a big prize,if only nascar cared as much.Just think how great it could be if nascar cared as much as people like Doug.thank you again for supporting all the terams and series you do.

  11. Its nice to see somebody supporting the modifides and while its nice to such a contribution, i must say its pretty bad that it has come to winning the pole will pay out more than winning the actual race. Even more sad is the fact that it comes from a team sponsor. Meanwhile all the track does is continue to jack prices (yes thompson specificaly) and more and more people stay home. Just imagine the race quality and attendance if the track took some of the outragious ticket and concesion money and actually put it towards the race?? Too bad wont happen goes all in the pockets.

    Koodos to dunleavy for stepping in hey at least someone still cares about the best racing car series that gets nothing but a slap in the face

  12. speed kills says

    I am picking Santos for the pole….. !!!!

  13. Now here’s a way to make TT really interesting and worth watching!!!
    Thanks Doug!

    If I’m a betting man – I’ll take Preece for the pole.

  14. Pitkat for the pole!

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