Pit Box: New Hampshire Provides Big Stage, Big Money For Whelen Modified Tour

(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)

Almost from Day 1 way back in 1990, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has provided the perfect venue to spotlight the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Entering its third year, the track’s Full Throttle Fall Weekend will again provide an elevated platform for NASCAR’s only open-wheel division.

The 72nd tour race at “The Magic Mile” will pay out $20,000 to win.

Did we mention the winner of the Musket 200 presented by Whelen also gets one of the coolest winner’s hauls in motorsports? A handmade flintlock musket by Edwin Parry of Black Hart Long Arms out of Eastford, Connecticut, to go to with the trophy, a replica of the Minuteman statue in Concord, Massachusetts.

The event weekend is open to fans, and the race will also be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Gold.

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Musket 200 presented by Whelen

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Bobby Santos III jumped into the No. 36 as a substitute for an injured Dave Sapienza, drove to the lead in the final laps and scored yet another big win at New Hampshire. The 34-year-old has now won four of the last six tour races at New Hampshire.

Sapienza will be back in the No. 36, and will field a second car – the No. 63 Sapienza Enterprise Chevrolet – for Santos, who has five overall wins at New Hampshire.

Santos is also coming off one of his biggest career wins, taking home the 72nd Annual Pay Less Little 500 Saturday night, the prestigious sprint car race at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway.

Ron Silk is also riding a wave of momentum. The former tour champion is coming off a win at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park last Thursday, and won the summer race at New Hampshire last year.

As with any race, six-time tour champion Doug Coby has to be in the conversation.

Coby has four wins at New Hampshire and finished third in the extra-distance race there last year.

The race will be 50 laps shorter than the first two editions held at New Hampshire, but it will still be one of the longest races in tour history. Strategy and attrition have played a key role in each of the first two runnings. As Santos proved last year and Chase Dowling showed in the inaugural edition, if you’re in the top five on the final lap, you’ve got a shot at bringing home the checkered flag.

And the musket.

RACING REFERENCE: Previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at New Hampshire | NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers career stats at New Hampshire | 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Musket 200 presented by Whelen is limited to 32, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-26) and provisional process per the entry blank (27-32) for the Musket 200 presented by Whelen. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

The Musket 200 presented by Whelen will be 200 laps (211.60 miles) and is to be run in one (1) segments.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows:The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race.