The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make its 2020 New England debut at a facility the series has never visited before.
NASCAR announced today that a July 4 event at White Mountain Motosports Park in Woodstock, N.H. has been added to the 2020 schedule.
The Independence Day 200 at the quarter-mile White Mountain Speedway will be the second event of the season for the series, which is scheduled to open its 2020 season on Sunday with the running of the Wade Cole Memorial 133 presented by Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer at Jennerstown Speedway.
“We’re so happy to have the Whelen Modified Tour coming to White Mountain,” WMMP managing partner Cris Michaud said in a release. “This wasn’t even on our radar a few weeks ago, so to have it come together like this is huge for the track and our fans.”
White Mountain Speedway will be open to spectators with a 50 percent capacity for the July 4 event.
With continued restrictions in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts it’s unclear when the series will get back to competing at any other venues on the original schedule besides Jennerstown. The series was originally scheduled to run 17 events in 2020. Three of those events – at Martinsville (Va) Speedway, Iowa Speedway and the July event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – have been cancelled.
Events that had been scheduled in March, April, May and June at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Thompson Speedway, Stafford Speedway, Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway and Riverhead (N.Y) Raceway have all been postponed indefinitely.
The series had added an event to the schedule to be run May 30 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway but it was ultimately postponed due to weather. NASCAR has not rescheduled that event. Sunday’s event at Jennerstown Speedway was an addition to the schedule. Jennerstown was originally scheduled to run on May 23. That event was rescheduled to Aug. 22.
Shot across the bow. TT vs WMT. One of them should move the event to Friday night. No racing for months and now this. What a cluster! This is a bad look for northeast racing. Now everyone has to sit and wait until it gets figured out.
Who was planning what first? It could be a terrific day for streamers but creating a log jam on a super highway in place less traveled…….uncool.
Please, leave this to the locals. Outsiders should not travel, just the competitors.
Waldo, you’re off the hook, don’t have to travel to this one.
Monadnock Speedway has been working with Tri Track on rescheduling the opener that was lost to COVID19. Going through the schedules, that have been updated, for Modified Racing this was an open date. Monadnock Speedway and Tri Track decided it was good date that would not have any conflicts until this announcement came out after Monadnock posted the Tri Track event. Monadnock Speedway would of never thought to consult White Mountain on this as they are not even a NASCAR sanctioned facility supporting the weekly NASCAR program and had no event scheduled.
The capacity is reduced to 50% at the NWMT and TT events, and the tracks are far enough apart that there should be little to no conflict.
How many cars run both series full-time? None. There has been little to no crossover in recent seasons. No big deal at all.
So I guess we got a war of modified tours. Could pick pretty much any other day and they schedule on top of Monadnock tri track. If there two go against each other as planned I will probably go to Monadnock. A shame I bet the mods go well at White Mtn.. That is a racey little track
spectators allowed!!
i gotta get up there for this race!
They could have run the PASS race on Saturday and the NWMT on Friday night and everyone wins. NASCAR just needs to keep there thumb on everything. No good as JD said.
There may not be any cars that compete in both series but there are plenty of drivers that do.
No Phil A. Stay home! Per executive order of dafella.
I’m conflicted already. WMT fans travel well and this will be the first opportunity to see them in 2020. Worse yet, because these are online sales, decisions need to be made quickly to guarantee oneself a ticket with capacity being at 50%.
Not many cars run both but several drivers do. Silk, Woody, Swanson to name a few. I don’t see Nascar backing down. I am going to assume Nascar reached out to Norm about a date at one of his tracks and we’re turned down based on this. Nascar eating one of there own.
WMMP is a neat little race track but even at 100% capacity they’d have a tough time breaking even on an event like this. There has to be more to this.
Why is the NWMT the heavy here? The article timing with the TTOMS first does not necessarily reflect some nefarious motivation by the NWMT to crash the TTOMS party. Why can’t it just be separate planning that by coincidence landed on the same day.
JimB is on point. Drivers like Pitkat, Dowling, Swanson, Silk, Pasteryak and even Hirschman could have conflicts. Car owners left to sit it out or find other drivers that clearly wouldn’t be in the same class.
How about the comparative purse structure. The NWMT would have to bring their A game that is not the case at Jennerstown or risk defections chasing more money at the TTOMS event.
Regardless of the limited capacity when is conflicting premier modified series races ever no big deal. Anyone that would suggest that would have to be……let me think now………that’s right a Claven.
The cream is rising to New Hampshire. You’re going to love the White Mountain announcer.
Horrible decision by NASCAR – they are trying to hurt Tri-Track on purpose. They are a useless organization.
And three *drivers* that may run both series isn’t many. Usually, the NWMT drivers are the big draw for the TT, so that will be a big hit for them. The car owner can find a seat filler.
This is a very unusual year, and each series is going to do what it needs to do to get in the races. The big dogs will prevail.
I understand the schedule crunching due to the virus, but this is a long weekend. a little co-operation between series would be nice, and better for the racers that do have multiple rides. Based on Michelle’s comment above, incredibly weird to me that the WMT would run at a non-NASCAR track!
Exactly! We have the WMT at an unsanctioned track vs a non Nascar tour at a sanctioned Nascar track. Welcome to 2020.
There is no conflict. END OF STORY. Dafella has spoken!
Running a NWMT event at a non NASCAR track, on a date previously booked by a competing modified touring series in which some of its drivers compete is a very low blow by NASCAR. Shame on them.
Dadope says no conflicts , the TTOMS champion now has a NWMT ride and a few others ,but if Dadope says no conflict no conflict it is
I believe Ronnie will run the tri track show. The #50 team had only planned to run a limited schedule on the NWMT so it wouldn’t conflict with the tri track series. I’m pretty sure bullrings we’re not part of their plans.
Which track has a better beer/liquor stand? Regardless, NH has great state liquor stores!
Are you saying Ron silk will run the tri-track over the tour?
I don’t understand why everyone is talking about WMMP being non NASCAR as an issue. I don’t think Oswego is a NASCAR track and the tour races there annually.
The 50 doesn’t run the WMT. Silk drives the 85 on the tour. My guess is TT will cave and move the date but they shouldn’t. TT always does their best to avoid conflict as it is in their best interest. WMMS could also easily swap the tour with PASS on Friday as their show is a 2 day event as someone already suggested.
I’d be interested in some driver’s thoughts on all this today.
This is why I will never support the WMT….Nothing but a bunch of hacks…I hope Norm Wrenn pulls the NASCAR sanction from Monadnock and or Lee,just like STAR did. WMT is desperate for races as I would not be surprised that they have no races at Thompson this year.Long live the TTOMS.
EVERYONE need to RELAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Virus has affected so many things and racetracks like other places want to make up for $$ loss and there will be conflicts as Tracks and series look to do as much as possible while they can, Lets hope common sense prevails and all series and tracks can run their races thru OCTOBER, make some $$ and give us fans some desperate racing, pitting series against series DOES no good for any of them, I WANT a series to be DESPERATE TO RUN RACES and not follow the DAREAL stay home policy
JD, the 50 will be running a limited schedule on the NWMT this year. Over the winter, Paul Les purchased the Eric Sanderson #16 WMT team. The cars have all been prepared, and repainted sporting the #50. Ronnie Williams is the Driver, and Adam Skowyra is the crew chief. Paul is Adams father in law, and owns RB Enterprises, which was a long time sponsor of the 16, and will now sponsor the 50.
They will still be running the SK at Stafford, as well as the tour type open car, all of which carry the number 50. Quite an impressive team they’ve built.
The 50 in the NWMT in a limited schedule? So Tomaino is out?
https://racedayct.com/2020/01/ronnie-williams-to-run-for-skowyra-motorsports-and-jamie-tomaino-on-whelen-mod-tour-in-2020/
That’s a scoop!! Williams still has the 99/25/50 banner on his Facebook page.
King Doug, Ronnie is due to run only a handful of races on the WMT For the 50 team. In addition he’ll be defending his SK track championship at Stafford, and running the 80 lap open shows for Skowyra Motorsports. Hell also be defending his Trip Track series title for Gary Cossellas in the #25 car. Wether or not he still plans to run WMT races for Jamie in the #99, couldn’t tell ya. Covid has reaked havok with the schedules, and with NASCAR trowing these pop up events to conflict with other series, it could leave Ronnie, as well as other drivers with some tough decisions to make. At this point I think only Ronnie knows, subject to change.
50 | Ronnie Williams | Paul Les | Adam Skowyra
That’s what’s on the Jennerstown list of entries. That clearly adds a bit more drama to this race seeing how they can do with the older Sanderson equipment compared to Solomito in his new LFR.
It would be nice to know what happened to the 99 deal.
Doug, they do have a Troyer TA-3 That was new for the 2019 season. Cannot explain Timmy’s lack of performance in 2019, as all of their equipment was the best Money can buy. It happens allot more often than thought, good driver, good crew chief, great equipment and then lackluster performance. In some cases when they look back at the season, they have an ah ha moment, where it’s something stupidly simple, hiding in plain sight.went through it in 2003 with the late model. We’d show up, be stupid fast in practice heat, and first few laps of the feature, then the proverbial light switch. Turned out to be a bent lower ball joint in the RF. The ball joint would cause a bind. You couldn’t see it was bent, until it was out of the car, and we found it when we mysteriously list an inch of compression travel. Just stupid little things like that can kill your season
RACING PURSE BREAKDOWN
1st – $5,000 7th – $1,200 13th – $1,000 19th – $900 23rd – $900
2nd – $3,000 8th – $1,100 14th – $1,000 20th – $900 24th – $900
3rd – $2,400 9th – $1,000 15th – $1,000 21st – $900 25th – $800
4th – $2,000 10th – $1,000 16th – $900 22nd – $900 26th – $800
5th – $1,500 11th – $1,000 17th – $900 27th – $800
6th – $1,300 12th – $1,000 18th – $900 28th – $800
QUALIFYING AND SPECIAL AWARDS
$200 Hoosier Tire “Lap Leader” per event award to the eligible car owner whose driver leads the most laps in each event. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event.
$200 Hoosier Tire “Move of the Race” per event award paid to the highest finishing eligible driver who advances the most positions during the course of the race. In the case of a tie, the highest finishing driver will receive the award. $200 Hoosier Tire “Most Improved” per event award to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most
positions during the course of the race. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event. If money is not awarded during this event, funds will rollover to the next event and will continue to rollover until an eligible new team/organization claims the money.$400 Phil Kurze Halfway Leader Award presented by Josten’s per event award to the race leader at the halfway point of the
event regardless if the race is running under green or yellow. $1,000 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole per event award to the driver with the fastest qualifying time eligible to participate under the Manufacturers’ Prize Money Conditions. $550 Sunoco Spec Fuel awards divided: 1st-$300 5th-$150 10th-$100. $3,500 Whelen Engineering “Winner of the Race” award to the winning driver. Whelen Non-Starter award will be paid to the first 8 competitors throughout the season who pass inspection, practice, attempt to qualify, but fail to make the feature event.
BONUS PLANS
$5,000 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Bonus Plan is to be paid to any of the Top 25 eligible car owners as follows: 1st through 25th-$200 each. Eligible car owners are those who are ranked in the Top 40 of the final 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship car owner point standings, regardless of overall finish in the event. Eligible car owners must enter the event, attempt to qualify and attempt to compete in the race. If the event is postponed any car that has qualified for the postponed race must return and attempt to compete in the event to be eligible for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Bonus Plan. If the eligible car owner’s car does not return, the car will be considered withdrawn from the event. Determination of what constitutes such attempts shall be at the discretion of the Series Director. In the event any of this Bonus Plan is not paid, the remaining money will be distributed evenly among the eligible car owners for this Bonus Plan. $600 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Driver Bonus Plan is to be paid to the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Driver. The 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Driver and/or Car Owner must enter, qualify for and compete in the event. If the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Driver is not eligible for this award, then the award will be paid to the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Car Owner. If the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Driver and/or Car Owner are not eligible for this award, the award for this event will be distributed through the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship Points Fund. $200 to the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year if he/she enters, qualifies for and competes in the event. If the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year is not eligible for this award the award for this event will be distributed through the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship Points Fund
HOOSIER TIRE ALLOTMENT FOR THE WHITE MOUNTAIN “200”
The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR
Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is zero (0) tires, any position.