Monadnock Speedway will release its 2021 schedule on Thursday. One thing that won’t be on the slate of events to be announced Thursday for next season at the Winchester, N.H. venue is a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.
Multiple sources close to the track have confirmed to RaceDayCT that Monadnock Speedway will not host the Whelen Modified Tour in 2021.
Monadnock Speedway consultant Jeff Zuidema was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday evening. Zuidema said last week that talks were ongoing with NASCAR concerning possible Whelen Modified Tour events at Monadnock or Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. for 2021. Monadnock and Lee are both owned by Norm Wrenn Jr.
Sources have also confirmed that Lee USA Speedway is not expected to host the Whelen Modified Tour in 2021. Whelen Modified Tour series director Jimmy Wilson said he had no comment Wednesday evening.
Monadnock Speedway was not on the original 2020 Whelen Modified Tour schedule, but ultimately ended up being one of four additional events added to the 2020 schedule after the COVID-19 global pandemic restrictions came into play earlier this year.
Monadnock ended up hosting the Whelen Modified Tour for an Aug. 29 event this year, which was won by eventual series champion Justin Bonsignore.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has run 13 times at Monadnock Speedway since the series’ inception in 1985. The division ran one event each year from 1985 to 1990 at Monadnock. There was a 20-year layoff in between events at the facility before the division returned in 2010. The series ran one event annually at the track from 2010 to 2016.
The Whelen Modified Tour has run five times at Lee USA Speedway running one event annually from 1993-96 and returning to the track for the last event in 1998, which was won by Ed Flemke Jr.
Monadnock 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.
Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway director of business development Ed St. Germain confirmed to RaceDayCT Wednesday morning that the Massachusetts venue he oversees will not pursue a Whelen Modified Tour event for 2021.
Wall Stadium operations manager Emily Krause told RaceDayCT Tuesday that the facility operated by her family is not currently pursuing a date on the Whelen Modified Tour schedule for 2021.
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.
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.
Someone please check on JD
I’m starting to see a pattern develop. I think NASCAR is asking too much if these tracks given the current situation in the world, and are not willing to adjust for this situation. Pathetic. Time for “The series formerly known as the WMT” to start organizing for a 2021 debut. Nascar needs to see the errors of it’s ways. The ones who teach this lesson need to be the WMT teams, otherwise this behavior will continue.
Right now they’re making Tri Track, MRS and any others look like rock stars.
Nothing elite about this WMT.
Hey, somebody get a wellness check for 🌈JD🌈.
And my friend officially ,the walls have come tumbling down.
JD, are you walking bow legged yet? Better get and extra large bag of ice for the boys 😂
HOW THE GREAT HAVE FALLEN
STARRING: THE SAGE OF SCHEDULING…….JD
SPECIAL EDITION: THE FUTILITY OF PREDICTIONS AND SELF CONGRATULATION
JD says
October 17, 2020 at 7:10 pm
Being the man of vision that I am I have solved everyone’s 2021 issues
I have the WMT schedule capped at 18 events.
JD says
October 31, 2020 at 10:19 am
Rob P, if you are upset about Trump today don’t turn your TV on Tuesday night. 4 more yrs is nothing. It’s a cup of coffee really.
JD says
November 23, 2020 at 12:31 pm
Based on all this info I have WMMP on July 3rd or July 10th now.
JD says
November 23, 2020 at 9:19 pm
Starting to feel like a New Hampshire heavy summer for both the WMT and TT. Winning!
JD says
November 26, 2020 at 10:11 am
I can’t 100% confirm this but a little bird, smaller than a turkey told me the WMT will be at Seekonk June 5th. Their normal tour date.
APOLIGIES TO JD THIS IS MENT TO BE ALL JUST GOOD NATURED CHOP BUSTING.
HOWEVER YOU MAY WANT TO GET A NEW BIRD TO LISTEN TO.
We have a rebirth of NSWMT. I told all you donkeys cuz I can see the future and I’m always right, that when tracks start doing their own tour type mod open shows, they would ditch touring series who demand high pay. As usual I was right again. Who do I sound like, go ahead take a guess. LOL
Doesn’t this happen every year? This is just the latest version of the NWMT is on life support saga. A more impactful twist with the pandemic and all but still the same theme.
The fact remains. The NWMT is looking to still have the best schedule of every touring series to date. So some tracks are not signing up. It’s mostly because of extenuating circumstances as opposed to their cost model. That to date no one has more then a guess as to what that is.
I’m not the only one looking at the entirety of the landscape and liking it. 10 opens at Stafford and Thompson alone with rules that include specs. Good to fill the NWMT guys schedule gaps. A race at NHMS plus Tri Track and the MRS. The Racing Guys may be doing something and Waterford may as well. Add in a great NWMT anticipated schedule and bingo…….tour modified fan nirvana.
So what’s the problem?
We went from half the WMT races being in New Hampshire last year to what is looking like none in 2021.
I FOUND 🌈JD🌈!!!!!
I FOUND 🌈JD🌈!!!!!
I FOUND 🌈JD🌈!!!!!
Yes, he’s delusional, but he’s still alive.
KEEP HOPE ALIVE.
Here he is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=720O_yBLrTs&feature=youtu.be
For those of you that still insist on ignoring the #TrumpPandemic, this is where you end up.
It is apparent that NASCAR is being totally inflexible here, and they WILL ruin the Mod Tour just as they have ruined CUP. North East Tracks should sever ALL ties with NASCAR and stop paying EXHORBINANT sanction fees, and go open. This can help RAISE purses for the meat and potatoes of all tracks, their support divisions. I recall seeing an article on Facebook from an OLD Racing paper, showing Charlie J won a 30 Lap race in 1978 and won $1200.00. They race for practically the same purse, yet all the costs have probably rise 10 fold. Come on guys lets use our heads here. DUMP NASCAR!!!
More shows like TriTrack
Just waiting for Stafford to pull out now. Maybe I can find a good Saturday Night bowling league.
Part of me thinks this is a gag and all these tracks are on the schedule.
I will not spend a dime on any open shows. Star being the only exception. You all think this is good. It’s not. Modified purses will go down, the only good point fund will disappear. Why am I paying WMT General Admission when the tracks aren’t paying WMT purses? If they are saving/making all this money I want in via cheaper tickets. $20 a ticket seems about right.
Trump would have fired Jimmy Wilson by now. Just saying… Business is results based and the results are not good right now.
Zero driver/owner reaction anywhere???
As far as ole JD goes, I may just starting running. I will keep going for a few years like Forest Gump.
I think I need to repeat this:
“For those of you that still insist on ignoring the #TrumpPandemic, this is where you end up.”
🌈JD🌈, the #TrumpPandemic is not a hoax. It is real. Trump is the fraud, grifter, con, thug, etc. Wake up.
This whole scheduling situation exists due to COVID. Area tracks have seen the success of TriTrack at small tracks and the Opens at Stafford and Thompson. They can’t commit to NASCAR’s up front $$ without at least knowing if they will be able to have a crowd to see it. I think for many tracks, the WMT is their version of the grocery store “loss leader”. Because of the fees, they will have the WMT and hope to make a small profit or at least break even. Casual NASCAR fans show up and hopefully have a good experience and decide to go back for more events. I know that has increased my circle track schedule over the years. If the Opens and TriTrack events are successful this year, tracks will be that much more unlikely to pay NASCAR’s fees, which may cause NASCAR to re-evaluate for 2022 if they want to regain tracks in the Northeast.
It is apparent the Whelen tour is not going to be as many races as years past and a larger percentage of their season will be outside of their typical geographical region,. Do you think this will lead to less teams following the tour in 2021. Could the Tour type open series and Tri track become beneficiaries of Whelen modified schedule short comings. If you have all this money invested in equipment arent you going to want to run somewhere. I think you will see more Whelen tour drivers running some of these open shows then you have seen in years past. I wonder what Stafford thinks, they currently have a monopoly in the region being the only track with Whelen races currently scheduled for 2021. Will Whelen pull their sponsorship given the lack of races and the shift away from their home region? Hopefully it is just a one year pandemic issue but I think it is more than that.
Am I right or am I right?
Just can’t make this 💩 up.
Please read this carefully, from 🌈JD🌈:
“Just waiting for Stafford to pull out now. Maybe I can find a good Saturday Night bowling league.
Part of me thinks this is a gag and all these tracks are on the schedule.
I will not spend a dime on any open shows. Star being the only exception. You all think this is good. It’s not. Modified purses will go down, the only good point fund will disappear. Why am I paying WMT General Admission when the tracks aren’t paying WMT purses? If they are saving/making all this money I want in via cheaper tickets. $20 a ticket seems about right.
Trump would have fired Jimmy Wilson by now. Just saying… Business is results based and the results are not good right now.
Zero driver/owner reaction anywhere???
As far as ole JD goes, I may just starting running. I will keep going for a few years like Forest Gump.”
🌈JD🌈… This is the guy walking around at the home center store with fishing tackle hanging from his mouth. He continues to swallow hook, line and sinker, and thinks that is a good thing. This is the guy walking around with the arrow through his head. This is the guy that is totally oblivious to the #TrumpPandemic. This is the guy watching Fox like it’s the only thing on TV. He’s still amazed at talking moving pictures.
Mask up people, the life you save may be your own. And some other people.
I still don’t get that some people still think the WMT is so great. It’s almost as if they think these guys are the same caliber as cup, and that open modifieds are merely amateurs.
NEWS FLASH: 99.9% of the WMT drivers are amateurs, who work a full time job, and race as a hobby. 99.9% of the WMT drivers started racing at a weekly track. 99.9% of all the crews work a full time job, and race the WNT as a hobby, most not even paid for their work.
In short WMT people are just like open people, we all out our pants on one leg at a time, and enjoy racing as a hobby.
Some of the teams who choose to run non WMT events have more money invested in their equipment than even the top WMT teams. A modified is a modified is a modified. Same cars, just different names behind the wheel.
🌈JD🌈, why can’t you acknowledge that the #TrumpPandemic is real? The #TrumpPandemic is what disrupted the 2020 racing season.
🌈JD🌈 wrote, “Part of me thinks this is a gag and all these tracks are on the schedule.”
That explains SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH. Thanks for clearing things up.
And the rest of 🌈JD🌈 thinks the #TrumpPandemic is a hoax.
🌈JD🌈 is the guy wearing the tin hat at the track.
I get the others but Eddie. Come on man. Using your theory Stafford wouldn’t have scheduled what they did nor Riverhead if they go with the two.. I know you’ve been to both the Stafford open shows as well as the NWMT because you’ve said as much.. You’re saying it’s the same sized crowd? Same vibe, same number of campers in the parking lot? Three NWMT races as loss leaders? That’s a lot of losing.
I guarantee that most fans aren’t Fast Eddie ready to enjoy a race with a completely open mind. Many specifically prefer the pomp and circumstance that NASCAR brings. I also think that the video element may be a wild card we know little about but may have a greater impact then may be readily apparent.
I don’t know Robp.
Unless I misread your post, I think guys with the last name of Fuller, McTavish, Hamilton, Bodine, Bouchard, Preece, Park, just to name a few, we’re just a tic above amateurs.
And for a lot of years, their bread and butter were the NASCAR sanctioned, in some way shape or form, modifieds.
I like diversity. I like the differences between all racing sanctions.
These are tough times for the tracks, sanctions, owners and drivers. After a tough year, tracks can’t afford another huge hit like last year.
So, is NASCAR dead, and out priced themselves on the local modified scene?
I don’t have that answer. I could only hazard a guess, however, if there was never a COVID pandemic, apples for apples, if COVID never happened, and tracks were dropping nascar modified events, then maybe we would be having a different conversation IMO.
I know nascar has mandates, is expensive, and looks like a bloated fat cat.
For me, my personal preference is a hot summer night at Thompson with the tour.
Don’t get me wrong, best race I ever saw in my opinion was that haunted 100 at Seekonk with Silk and , well, we all know the story.
As for nascar modifieds, I never as a fan have to worry about parity (from my view anyway), the correct amount of personnel at an event, to run it, and research and changes, that a big organization brings to the table, particularly after something tragic.
The Blewitt bar comes to mind.
So do you get what you pay for? As a fan, I think I do. As a competitor, as Phil A eluded to, maybe not so much.
In the end, I’d really hate to see a sanctioning body decide that it’s not profitable, and end their modified division. And I feel, that is what will happen. I feel, nascar is not going to reduce their price or business model, and can dissolve the modified division right now, and blame it on COVID, so they don’t look bad. Am I stretching here? I don’t know know. But I know this. Losing any organization that runs any modified event, cannot be good for the sport overall. Checks and balances. And I’m not ready to blame nascar, or any track trying to stay afloat in these trying times I’m just not sure that nascar has priced itself out if COVID never happened. And truthfully, I don’t want to see them go. Jmo.
Look, tracks have no idea what the crowd limits will be in 2021, or what crowds will show up given the severity of the COVID-19 #TrumpPandemic, and the dire predictions that forecast very dark, bleak times ahead, well into or through the racing season. That makes it impossible for tracks to predict revenues and commit to NASCAR. NASCAR requires commitments, and under these conditions, commitments are simply not possible. NASCAR needs to come up with another option, like escrow and risk sharing. Should for any reason a race be put off due to COVID-19, the track does not owe NASCAR anything, and both parties shall work in good faith to reschedule. Some sort of lead time, like a couple days before the event, should be allowed to give the track an opt out. NASCAR is not stupid, and is not trying to squeeze the tracks. NASCAR knows the tracks need to do what they need to survive, and NASCAR needs to work with that as much as they can, and the tracks need to realize that NASCAR has certain minimum expenses it needs to cover.
Stop expecting people, entities, NASCAR, and other sanctioning bodies to give away money.
Bob f, you didn’t misread. The WMT for the most part is amateurs.
Back in the day guys like Evans and Bodine raced for a living, but they also raced up to 5 times a week.
99.9% of the tour drivers today work a regular 9 to 5 job, and race as a hobby.and most of them race either at a weekly track or in other series. They are not professionals. Racing isn’t what’s paying their bills, it’s just a sport they enjoy taking part in.
Doug for the record, Stafford wasn’t part of my WMT vs. Opens theory. I should have clarified that. Although with three event, maybe they got a bit of a ‘volume discount”? The other tracks that have had both seem to draw about the same amount of fans for an Open or a WMT show. Monadnock, Seekonk, and the Speedbowl being my prime examples. They’ve had both and the crowd is about the same for either.
Robp, sorry, respectfully disagree. And I’m not trying to start anything here at all. I consider any of these guys or ladies, that have the moxie to step into a 650 hp plus piece of iron, steel, whatever, a professional. I have total respect for any, and all these drivers, under any sanction and any division. I guess it’s my definition, I consider
them professionals. I guess if the definition is that they do it for a living vs a hobby, then I understand your point. I just know I could not do it. And I really admire those that can.
Dareal, I think everyone agrees, and has acknowledged that the pandemic is driving the bus. That was my point in my post. Can we really evaluate if nascar priced itself out? If COVID was non existent, and these “non events” were happening, then yes, we have a great debate. right now, under current conditions, I’m just not so sure is all. Just a very “fluid” situation for the next year or so in my opinion.
The open modified shows are 100% better than NASCAR races have been in the last 20 years
NASCAR lost touch with weekly racing and now you’re see the dirt tracks taking ADVantage
When’s the last time you seen them pave a dirt track Lol
Bob f, that’s the beauty of the country we live in. Everyone is entitled to their own decisions. I’m glad we can respectfully agree to disagree. As far as Covid goes, it’s here, it’s real, and it will continue to spread and kill. Maybe if the Federal government respected the American people, and had acted aggressively, we wouldn’t be where we are now. That’s all history now, and we can’t change it.
One thing we can do is to MASK UP.
Bobf, I agree with you 100%… COVID is driving this completely. We are at the mercy of COVID. Well, except that not everyone agrees COVID is in control or even a factor. Most, but not everyone realizes that COVID is in control. We would not be having these convos if COVID were not the issue it is.
We’d be yapping about the normal stupid 💩, beating on Doug, Insipid Cybil, RickyInMass, WeldingWonders, and all his other phony screen names, who had the rounder tires, what chassis is faster, why doesn’t anybody run a built motor anymore, Hirschman is a scaredy cat bullring specialist, Colby can’t drive in traffic, yadayadayada.
And I don’t believe NASCAR has really priced itself out as some are saying. Many think that NASCAR is some big fat cat that is making too much money, and can easily afford to drop its rates, fees, etc. Well, I don’t see the massive sponsorship in the NWMT that is paying those kind of bills. Look at the trucks and xfinity cars… for decades those series have had near ZERO people in the stands, yet those series has had MASSIVE sponsorship and TV deals. They are doing quite well. Clearly they have survived many decades. NASCAR runs a tight ship, they have rules, they have a safety programs, and they pay the damn purse. The NWMT competitors know that, and they don’t have to worry about it. You get what you pay for. Look at the MRS. Look, NASCAR wants to race, they did a great job looking for any open port in the storm that was COVID-19 in 2020. Things aren’t looking good going forward concerning COVID-19 and I can see tracks being reluctant to sign up for any firm commitments. NASCAR needs to realize tracks might have to bail at the last minute, because that call won’t be up to them, it will be up to the doctors, CDC, Governors, etc. and that can happen at any time. You can’t run a business like that, you can’t commit big bucks, when a higher authority can step in and shut it down. So no, I don’t think NASCAR is the big meanie here. We don’t know what normal terms and conditions are between the tracks and NASCAR, so it’s hard to even think what terms & conditions could be with COVID and reduced attendance, whatever that might be. Ticket revenue is crucial because of the lack of mega sponsorship.