Never say never.
That’s basically the mantra of Wall Stadium Speedway operations manager Emily Krause when it comes to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour possibly being at the iconic New Jersey facility her family runs in 2021.
As of right now the Krause family is not actively pursuing a Whelen Modified Tour event date for 2021 at Wall Stadium, and with good reason. As of right now the Krause family doesn’t have an agreement in place to operate Wall Stadium Speedway in 2021.
The Krause family has leased Wall Stadium for the last 10 seasons.
“I don’t even have a contract for next year,” Emily Krause told RaceDayCT. “That’s what I’m working on with the landlords right now. That’s where I stand right now.
“I can’t schedule a Whelen [Modified Tour] race, or anything, until I know we’ll be here. We want to stay around for a long time so I’m going to try to make it work. I don’t see Wall going forward without us, but I don’t have anything nailed down right now.
“I’m in a tough spot right now. Of course I’d love to schedule events. I’d love to schedule all kinds of events. I have people approaching me from stunt shows and Monster Truck shows and all kinds of racing series’. I’d love to schedule them all, I just can’t right now. We don’t want to look stupid. We want to have a contract first and then plan realistically. So no, we’re not going to be on the [Whelen Modified Tour] schedule, but that’s not final.”
Krause believes the Whelen Modified Tour will face another fluid year of scheduling in 2021 – like what happened in 2020 – because of expected continued restrictions across the Northeast. So she isn’t closing the door on the possibility that Wall could ultimately find a way onto the 2021 Whelen Modified Tour schedule even if they’re not on the schedule that gets announced by NASCAR initially.
“Races will be on and off their schedule in the blink of an eye,” Krause said. “We’ll just have to see what happens.”
Like many short tracks around the country, Wall Stadium had to leap plenty of hurdles just to remain in operation in 2020 with COVID-19 global pandemic restrictions in place. The exclamation point of a tough season for the Krause family came recently when state crowd restrictions forced them to postpone their Turkey Derby, one of the most historic Northeast racing events.
After 11 seasons away from the facility, the Whelen Modified Tour returned to Wall Stadium for one event in 2019. The track scheduled a return for the series for July 11, 2020, but that event was ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“We were telling them we just couldn’t make it work at 25 percent capacity,” Krause said. “When we had 100 percent capacity we broke even. It was our first event [in 2019], we were trying it out and we learned a lot. We do want to do another going forward, but if we broke even at 100 percent [capacity] there’s no way we’d consider it at 25 [percent capacity]. With what’s going on now we have no control. We weren’t saying ‘no’, we were just saying ‘not right now.’”
Wall will join 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.
It’s unclear if the series will return to Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway in 2021. South Boston (Va.) Speedway and Iowa Speedway – both part of the 2020 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.
A very uncomfortable place to be running a Business with all the unknowns…. First you gotta have a lease… But that’s also a gamble.. Glad Emily is trying Her best to have racing in New Jersey.. This is another track i will visit when we head off into retirement . We plan on cross Country Camping visiting as many race tracks as possible along the way, Looking Forward to National Parks also. I have never been east of the Mississippi River, So really looking forward to seeing that part of the USA. Hopefully it will be safe to travel in the fall of 2021. Glad I am not like Emily trying to make these TOUGH decisions in this current environment.. GOD SPEED EMILY!!!! Best of Luck to you…!!!
I’ve gotten use to coming on here for my daily kick in the jimmies. My morning coffee followed by a swift kick right down the middle.
We have no lease and can’t schedule anything will certainly turn into an indictment against Nascar somehow by days end I’m sure.
This is actually a little more optimistic than I thought it would be given the headline. It seems they are at least entertaining the idea of having Whelen tour at Wall in the future but given the current circumstances it doesnt make sense. You need to have a lease in place first. Then maybe once the PFE vaccines are distributed and restrictions are lifted they will consider bringing back the tour. May not be in early 2021 but perhaps late season 2021 or maybe 2022. I believe the bigger take away might be that the 2019 show only broke even. I remember they had a pretty good crowd there.
Suitcase Jake wrote, “I have never been east of the Mississippi River,”
Please explain.
Suitcase Jake, I HIGHLY recommend you visit the national parks. 🏞 They will change your life. My wife and I have been touring them for decades. Just magnificent. Make sure you do your research and set expectations accordingly.
There are the national parks, and monuments, forests, preserves, etc. Consider all of them.
Quite the situation. But, this one could possibly have a happy ending. I’m not saying this is NASCAR’s fault, but in light of circumstances beyond anyone’s control they might want to take a look at the fees they charge.
Wall broke even at 100% capacity, it can’t be expected that they’d lose money to hold a race.
The other side of the equation is the economy. Although Trump would have you believe the economy is doing great, based on the Stock market, the stock market is only a very small piece of the overall economy
People are hurting right now, and some have been for months. Cities and county’s are starting to impose shutdowns, as has the state of Rhode Island. These are the first, if what I fear will be many.
Many race fans, Drivers, crew and car owners are normal middle class people who work 9-5 jobs, and many are suffering, trying to tough it out. What will your weekly track look like in 21? Reduced car counts, less people in the stands. In all less revenues for the race tracks, that’s if they’re even able to operate. When it comes to feeding your family and putting a roof over your head, as opposed to attending a race, most will choose family first as it should be.
Hope everyone is safe strong and sane. Keep fighting, although things look bleek now, someday the tides will shift, and eventually we will return to near normal and be able to enjoy what we enjoy
MASK UP
Two important takeaways from this article; the Krause family has not entered into a lease for 2021 and they broke even on the 2019 WMT show. Both financial considerations that will dictate what happens next at Wall.
Is it possible the WMT is pricing themselves out of existence? I hope not but time will tell.
Goodfella, LOL yes West of the Mississippi … Can’t wait to see the Grand Teton’s .. Redwoods .. Yellowstone .. Wyoming .. Montana.. Arizona… All that good ole USA !!!!
Nascar has scheduled an ARCA race at Iowa on July 24th. One wonders if Iowa has been revisited by the WMT schedule makers?
For now, let’s just hope the Krause family is able to renew their lease for another 10 years or so, that’s the first step. Let’s not forget we’ve still got ’22, ’23, ’24, …. So even if there isn’t a tour race in ‘ 21 due to current circumstances, it may happen in future years. JD, go ice the boys down.
MASK UP if you really love racing.
Shawn, a few if us have discussed Covid, the vaccines, the economy and their possible effects on the upcoming 2021 season
I was wondering, what are your thoughts?
Yes LETS hope the Krause Family is able to lease the property and KEEP WALL STADIUM alive for many years!!!
I always take what Promoters say with some hesitation, ok the last WMT race in 2019 you broke EVEN at 100% capacity and if you saw the race online or u tube u see the place is packed, you ONLY broke even but you scheduled a WMT race in 2020??????????? and are willing to discuss a race in 2021 if 100% capacity?, just like Thompson if you have been to a WORLD SERIES race and saw the PACKED grandstands and if u add front and back gates, hot dogs and beer, parking and popcorn, T shirts and MORE and your NOT making a profit?????????????????????
I agree. This is a snapshot in time in a changing environment with nothing conclusive in the longer term.
I’m pretty convinced NASCAR is ready to move to a middle ground and make deals track owners find more attractive. Wall is not out of the running yet. Fact is the tour drivers that many say are the best in the business looked like rookie Street Stock drivers the last time they convened at Wall. They could use a measure of redemption.
Rob. P,
My opinion is that I think the season locally will begin more than likely with 25 percent restrictions. I think the continued effects on the economy overall is going to mean a likely drop in competitors in most divisions. I also think that once a viable vaccine is introduced for distribution that it will likely be six months at least before mass distributions efforts are ready.
I WANT RACING AND I WANT IT NOW!!!!!!!! AND I WANT FREE TICKETS. AND I WANT NASCAR TO PAY FOR MY GAS MONEY AND OTHER FAN FEES, INCLUDING MILEAGE. AND I DEMAND FREE BEER, WINGS, AND ICE CREAM FROM THE TRACKS. AND I EXPECT TO PICKUP A COUPLE CASES OF FREE BEER FROM THE TRACK FOR BEFORE AND AFTER PARKING LOT GATHERINGS. AND THE TRACK HAS TO PROVIDE ALL THE ICE I WANT!!!!!!!
SO THERE!!!!!
Dr. Fauci was just on the news.
The Thanksgiving travel will result in massive spreading and new infections. That increase in cases will result in even far greater spread and cases with the Christmas and New Years traveling and gathering. It will then take several months to recover from that and get the numbers down.
Way back when this started, Dr. Fauci predicted what we are presently going through.
Canada saw a huge increase from their October holiday, and they are suffering now.
Connecticut news is reporting that CT might start seeing vaccines in May/June, with that going to first responders, medical personnel, nursing homes, etc. It will be months and months before regular people start getting the vaccines.
Perhaps you race fans need to sue somebody to get the racing community high priority access to the vaccines.
Hey Dareal, if you find the alternate universe that gives you all that stuff, please post directions for us! 🙂
Thanks for the reminder Rob p. I almost forgot we still have 22 23 and 24 coming up. I think it was AOC that said the earth would be ending in around 12 years so I was a bit concerned about that. But now that Biden is on his way in, my mind has been put at ease.
Thanks Shawn, as a journalist you’ve got a greater scope of the industry in general. Glad to see many peoples views on and off this site aligning to a common conception.
Keep up the great work
MASK UP everybody.