The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will not be returning to Seekonk Speedway for the 2021 season.
Ed St. Germain, director of business development for Seekonk Speedway, confirmed to RaceDayCT Wednesday morning that the Massachusetts bullring has ended negotiations with NASCAR to bring the Whelen Modified Tour back to the track in 2021.
Seekonk has scheduled one Whelen Modified Tour event annually since 2016. Their 2020 event, which had been scheduled for June 6, 2021, was cancelled because of crowd restriction issues.
“We were not able to come to an agreement on a date and terms for a 2021 race,” St. Germain said. “One of the main considerations, with COVID, I’m not 100 percent sure where I’m going to be at in the early part of the season. To be able to cough up that amount of money – they require it 10 days in advance – that would be a bit of a stretch for us after being closed for a year.
“With COVID and different considerations we’re going to take the year off from the [Whelen Modified] Tour and focus on our weekly and regional stuff and then we will revisit that for 2022.”
Because of stringent COVID-19 global pandemic restrictions, Seekonk was unable to host fan attended events in 2020.
“We tried to look at things, but with COVID and the uncertainty of the 2021 capacity restrictions, we were not comfortable with the high price for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to book a date possibly have to cancel it,” St. Germain said. “We tried our best to work with [Whelen Modified Tour series director Jimmy Wilson] and his team and we appreciate all their efforts.
“If something was to change Jimmy knows to give me a call. If something changes with their business model and pricing structure that is more feasible to make for a profitable race he can give me a call.”
Said Wilson: “The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour enjoyed having events at Seekonk Speedway. We hope they enjoy a great 2021 season and hope to work with them again in the future.”
Seekonk joins a growing list of tracks that were on the Whelen Modified Tour schedule in 2020 that are not expected as of now to be back on the 2021 schedule.
For the 2021 season, NASCAR has announced Whelen Modified Tour events at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (April 8), Lancaster (N.Y) Speedway on July 31 and Richmond Raceway (Sept. 10). Stafford Speedway has announced three Whelen Modified Tour events for 2021 on April 25, Aug. 6 and Sept. 25. Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway management has confirmed that they will have two events on the Whelen Modified Tour schedule next year. Jennerstown (Pa.) Speedway and Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway are each expected to host one Whelen Modified Tour event next year. It’s unclear when NASCAR will announce a full 2021 Whelen Modified Tour schedule.
Thompson Speedway, which has been a part of the Whelen Modified Tour schedule every year since the division’s inception in 1985, will not be on the series’ schedule in 2021.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway management announced last month that their September Full Throttle Weekend, which featured the Whelen Modified Tour Musket 250 in 2018 and 2019 and the Musket 200 in 2020, will not return in 2021. The Whelen Modified Tour is also not currently scheduled as part of the track’s NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 weekend in July 2021. The Whelen Modified Tour has raced at NHMS every year since 1990.
Two events at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H. were added to the 2020 Whelen Modified Tour schedule after COVID restrictions began cutting holes into the original schedule. White Mountain managing partner Cris Michaud said last week that the track will not host the Whelen Modified Tour in 2021.
Like the events at White Mountain, an event at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. was added to the 2020 Whelen Modified Tour schedule after restrictions were put in place for many venues. Jeff Zuidema, a consultant for Monadnock Speedway, said recently that talks have been ongoing with NASCAR concerning a 2021 event at the track, but nothing has been finalized.
Wall Stadium operations manager Emily Krause said Tuesday that the facility operated by her family is not currently pursuing a date on the Whelen Modified Tour schedule in 2021.
South Boston (Va.) Speedway, which was also part of the Whelen Modified Tour schedule in 2020 – will not be on the 2021 schedule.
Because of COVID-19 global pandemic restrictions only five of the originally scheduled 17 events on the 2020 Whelen Modified Tour schedule were run in 2020.
Events were cancelled at South Boston Speedway (March 21), Thompson (April 5), Stafford (April 26 and Aug. 7), Martinsville (May 8), Seekonk (June 6), Riverhead (June 20, Sept. 19), Wall (July 11), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 18), Iowa Speedway (July 31) and Oswego (N.Y) Speedway (Sept. 5). Of the nine events that were run in 2020 four were added to the schedule after restrictions were put in place. A second race was added at Jennerstown Speedway, two events were added at White Mountain and one event was added at Monadnock.
Another swift kick. Thanks! This, like Wall sounds more like a year off to see where everything is before moving forward. Seekonk suffered the most in 2020 and still faces many unknowns regarding 2021. I get it.
2022 is looking good.
Unbendable NASCAR, Some things never change. If they would take off the BLINDERS and actually work with these Tracks to ease the burden it would help out these Loyal tracks that have been on the Schedule in previous Season’s. IRON FIST NASCAR bangs on the table, NO NO NO put up the full amount ten days before the race or NO RACES FOR YOU…!!!! NASCAR is not your FRIEND. I love the Tour, Not the Management of the TOUR… I hope the Thompson Outlaw MODS & Stafford Open’s .. Have a Fantastic car counts, Fantastic memorable races . Thompson is putting up nice Purses , Especially the Ice Breaker 10 K , Thompson 300 20 K, 5K for the other shows to Win. Stafford has 3500 K to win their open shows. There should be plenty of Modified’s showing up to get a piece of the CASH MONEY !!! Glad Seekonk still has the OPEN WHEEL WEDNESDAY show . Those are always on my MUST SEE LIST .. Plus the SUPERS and Boston Louie will be on that LIST. There’s gonna be plenty of Great races this year too see. It’s not gonna bother me if the NASCAR label fell off, WE just wanna see Our Northeastern Driver’s out on the Tracks we LOVE, racing wheel to wheel, to be Honest I really feel most of us will enjoy the Racing in 2021.
Suitcase Jake, couldn’t have stated it better.
JD how them nuts doing? Better invest in a cup.
MASK UP if you enjoy racing.
In all seriousness, NASCAR needs to re-evalute their situation, and adjust their fees and purses to reflect the time in which we live. Won’t be surprised if Stafford ends up cancelling at least 1, and most likely 2 WMT events. Just a sign of the times and the world we live in.
PLEASE MASK UP, and stay safe.
Maybe all these WMT teams should band together, grow a pair and ditch NASCAR.
Approach these tracks as “the Series formerly known as the WMT”. Ditch the sanctioning fees, set a realistic purse, get some sponsors, and get officials willing to volunteer their time. Stick it to NASCAR, and show them that they can race without them. Everyone would benefit, all it takes is to band together, and get creative.
Figured this would happen. Seekonk opted to not run their premier divisions rather then pay reduced purses; most events held were the Friday categories, so they didn’t have the big back gate some tracks had while trying to make up for lack of fans. The good news as commented on by Suitcase Jake is there are some really good races scheduled at Seekonk. Hope they can run them with fans!
OMG!!!!
Good for Seekonk reaching out to Dafella for his insight. Now if only someone could get those idiots at Stafford his number.
Could it be that NASCAR doesn’t want the modifieds to succeed? Anytime they’ve races on a cup weekend, they upstage the cup guys. You can only step on the big guys toes for so long before he kicks you square in the nuts Ask JD.
MASK UP if you enjoy racing.
Only idiots would be surprised. Nothing has changed for Seekonk to activate.
The #TrumpPandemic is getting worse, no reason to believe things will be any better in ’21 than they were in 2020.
Smart people will be isolating through ’21. The vaccines will not be widely available to the general public until late ’21.
I figured this was coming. Seekonk wasnt allowed fans at any point last season. They ran a series of Friday shows until the state of MA and Seekonk band travel from RI. Seekonk being 10 minutes from Providence over half their drivers have a RI address, The state or town said yeah RI people can come as long as they had a negative covid test within 48 hours of the event. Unfortunately at the time it was taking a week to process said tests making them useless. So they were forced to cancel those events until the travel ban was lifted. Of all the tracks around here Seekonk was dealt the worst hand. They had a great schedule for a big anniversary year too. I really felt bad for them. This is also the first year in probably 15 or 20 years in a row I never made it to Seekonk. With that I didnt go to the sub shop down the street and fill up my car at the Cumbies.
It looks like Stafford is going to be the only local venue hosting the Whelen tour. So they will have a monopoly. Maybe Lee or Monadnock will find the financial courage to host an event. The overwhelming theme here is. Nascar costs too much and isnt working with these tracks in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. The good news. There are a lot of modified racing when you add up everything. It may not be the brand name but the brand name format is not the most fan friendly. These tour type opens is like a box of chocolates, you just dont know what you are going to get. The tour you pretty much know who will be there.
I kinda get what everyone is saying but in my mind Nascar is still the top tier , even these other groups when they advertise their races the make mention of which nascar tour drivers or cars will be attending so they obviously look at nascar as being the premier division,another level of professionalism, maybe at to much of a price, I don’t know, just my opinion and I know what they say about opinions
Meanwhile, New Smyrna is already accepting entries for the World Series. Sounds like folks will be isolating down there in Feb.
Hey SC, the Monadnock schedule is being released tomorrow. If you can have the “WMT off the 2021 Monadnock schedule” ready to go for tomorrow morning that would be great. I have a fresh bag of ice waiting for me when I wake up.
If you need me, I will be laying in traffic until then.
There’s plenty off the schedule in 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAql2DyGU2un1Ei2nMYsqOA
Key takeaway, “we were not comfortable with the high price for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour”.
Wake up NASCAR and Jimmy Wilson, you are pricing yourselves out of existence.
Seems to be a reoccurring theme here, thanks but no thanks, we can’t afford your terms and demands.
“We tried to look at things, but with COVID and the uncertainty of the 2021 capacity restrictions, we were not comfortable with the high price for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to book a date possibly have to cancel it,”
The context high price was in was that of the pandemic. Up front money plus possible capacity restrictions. Not the high price as an absolute in every situation. When things return to somewhat normal they could very well decide the high price whatever that constitutes is worth it and said as much.
Seekonk Speedway sits on a very valuable piece of real estate on Route 6. There will not be too many more “un-seasons” to go for that track to remain in operation.
Doug, when a track only broke even for a WMT pre-COVID event in 2019 at 100% capacity, explain without over analyzation how you can say the investment was worth the return in monetary terms. Maybe I am missing something here. Business decisions are based on profit and loss along with constant evaluation of your business model.
When the track takes all the risk and the WMT walks away with the guaranteed funds that I am certain they have calculated the profit on there is only one winner here and it’s not the track. Commonly known as a one way street.
Context high price, pandemic? Sounds to me more like a crutch or convenient excuse.
Idiots, and that means you, business models are gone… there is no business model with the #TrumpPandemic. There is no such thing as long term planning with the #TrumpPandemic, other than it is here and the idiots that have survived had better start wearing masks and following other protocols.
My feeling Earl was that you dissected the part of the man’s statement that fit your pre conceived notion which was a tad disingenuous. I didn’t say the pandemic and capacity unknowns were factors Ed St. Germain did. I know if you don’t feel context is important I’m not going to convince you otherwise. Normally however context is everything.
So far we’ve seen Seekonk, Monadnock and Lee, USA all open minded to the idea of having the NWMT this season but each for their own reasons not able to strike a deal they felt comfortable with.
Your narrative is that the NWMT has priced themselves out……all stop. I respect that but were it true no track would consider having them for races. We don’t know everything do we?
I’m not seeing this whole negative Nancy NASCAR deal at all. I’m seeing unique circumstances affecting scheduling. It could have long term consequences as some predicted, I don’t happen to share that notion.
Come on man, Martinsville and Richmond. Big time tracks. You’ll never see that with Tri Track or the MRS. Not that there’s anything wrong with them we love them all. But they are not known for visiting the big time tracks.
To clarify my last sentence in my last post; the convenient excuses and crutch I speak of is on Dougs part. I really don’t believe he understands the magnitude of the problem with NASCAR & the WMT as it relates to the financial obligations they demand from the tracks.
Again Doug your inability to differentiate apples 🍎 and 🍊 astounds me.
From what I understand the price is the same for a WMT show no matter the track location, demographics or seating capacity. So let’s use a number that has been thrown around for a WMT show; 65-70k.
By your admission Richmond and Martinsville big time tracks which you are attempting to compare to Seekonk, Monadnock and Lee USA? Apples 🍎 to jelly 🍩.
What is the seating capacity for Richmond vs. Seekonk? I am certain Richmond is considerably higher than Seekonk. How about Martinsville vs Monadnock? Same answer. Which tracks would have the increased ability to overcome the additional investment required by NASCAR for a WMT show? Answer is obvious.
Then you try to compare TTOMS and MRS saying they will never visit the big time tracks? Why should they when they are more than successful at what they do and the entertainment value they provide? I have yet to hear one track that hosts TTOMS bitch about the investment they are required to make. I wonder why?
Come on man!
Bitch is not the proper word, I should say make a comment. My apologies.
” I (Earl) really don’t believe he (Doug) understands the magnitude of the problem with NASCAR & the WMT as it relates to the financial obligations they demand from the tracks.”
That could very well be. In any event thanks for the sharing of thoughts.