(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
NASCAR announced on Friday the 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour calendar, and the slate includes 14 races across six states – from Maine to Virginia.
The schedule is a mix of historic Modified staples, the return of a pair of tracks and an inaugural trip to an upstate New York venue.
The 2021 season will open at Martinsville Speedway on Thursday, April 8, as part of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend. It will conclude with the traditional Fall Final race weekend at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will also race on the national series weekends at Virginia’s Richmond Raceway on Sept. 10 and New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17.
Stafford, which has hosted 132 races for the tour since tour began in 1985, will have three dates, including the season races of the season as part of its annual Spring Sizzler weekend.
The tour will also visit Riverhead Raceway on Long Island three times: May 15, June 19 and Sept. 18. The quarter-mile bullring has hosted 64 tour races since 1985 but was unable to in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the tour’s first race at New York International Raceway in Lancaster, New York, on July 31, upstate New York will see a pair of races at Oswego Speedway — on June 12 and Sept. 4.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, will have a tour race for the first time since 2005 with an Aug. 21 races. The tour has run at the third-mile oval, a long-time part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, five times between 1995-2005. Jerry Marquis won the most recent race there.
Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway, which returned to the schedule last year and had two events, will bring the tour back on May 29.
Hallelujah!!!!!
Hi Shawn, to you and your staff, welcome back to the electronic world! You and your site were definitely missed!
Fast Eddie,
Thank you very much. I’ve been operating this website since June of 2012 and that is the first time that I’ve endured an issue that has taken the site offline for more than a few hours. It’s been a long 48 hours, but glad to have everything back up and running.
The schedule is a real beaut Clark. I’m putting a copy of the schedule above the fireplace. Right over the wife’s picture.
It was just the other day I asked about the possibility of 2 at Oswego and possibly BR. I am so stoked about returning to Beech Ridge. That made it for me.
A big thank you to Stafford, Riverhead and Oswego for stepping up with multiple events. You will be rewarded!!
When it is all said and done I think history will show zero Thompson races will be a huge mistake. The masses are not happy about this situation. 35 years of history and tradition down the toilet. Hopefully this is just a one off season without Thompson.
I look forward to Seekonk, Monadnock, WMMP and possibly Lee returning in 2022. At least a couple of them.
No RacedayCT on the schedule release day would have been like no Santa Claus on Christmas. Welcome back.
I’ll be interested to know what TT/Star do about 5/29 now that the WMT schedule is out.
WELCOME BACK RACEDAYCT TO THE WORLDWIDE WEB !!!!! YOU WERE MISSED BY ONE & ALL!!
FOURTEEN RACES IS GREAT !! Hopefully they all sell out and are great shows …. The Martinsville race has really grabbed my attention along with Oswego …. I would have to pick those two to see in Person in 2021 if the BUG gets trounced ….. Maybe if you sign up for multiple races you get multiple Discounts ????
Hey Mr. Wilson. Geographic and track configuration diversity. Nice job!!
Glad NHMS is back officially!!! Still a bummer, no THOMPSON………….
Fourteen races. Six in New York. Only five in New England. Certainly a most unusual schedule.
Being limited geographically to New England for the most part, this is the first time in a few years that I don’t have the potential to see at least 1/2 the WMT schedule. However, considering not long ago it looked like only 3 events and now officially 5 in New England that is a definite plus. Still lots of great Modified racing scheduled in New England, the WMT is only part of it. Although we will miss the Thompson WMT races, the Open races have the potential to be good events. I’m betting at least the mid-week events won’t have a $50 ticket, and I’m sure no one will miss that part.
Now let’s add some reality… the #TrumpPandemic is raging and getting worse. A vaccine will not be available to the general public until June/July, probably much later. (The Orange Idiot passed on locking purchases for Americans, and we will be short.) Safety protocols are going to get tighter as the infections, case rates and death rates are at the high levels and accelerating. It’s just not safe for people to socialize, and it’s getting worse.
So a new poll should be: How many races from the recently released NWMT schedule to you think will happen as planned?
The experts predicted 🎯 the mess we are in right now. They are saying it is going to get worse for the next couple to several months. People are going to travel and visit from now through New Years, spreading cheers and COVID-19. The cases and deaths will surge after New Year’s Day. It will take months and months to tamp it down, while waiting for the vaccine to become widely available. This will take us well into summer and into fall.
Good luck.
Seems to be a North and South tour combo schedule, Hopefully the govt wont keep interferring in letting the guys race early in the season again,, TY Shawn,,
Where’s all those New Hampshire short tracks? Lee, Monadnock, Claremont, White Mountain, etc. Didn’t 🌈JD🌈 say 2021 was going to be the year that NH was going to be the center of short track racing?
🤣🤣🤪🤪😝🤪🤣🤪🤪🤣🤪🤪🤣🤣
I know I sure missed Shawn and RaceDayCT. One way of filling the void was to catch up on video’s featuring stories about local racing personalities.
Here’s a suggested list. They’re all interesting but the first on the list is exceptional.. Vault Productions, Stan Mertz, Woody Pitkat and Tri Track at Stafford. For me Stan Mertz epitomizes the best in grass roots racing and Pitkat the best choice to pilot his car for reasons you will see.
Not intended in the video was showing the opportunity opens provide smaller operations like the Mertz team. A chance to win which they did unexpectedly at Stafford’s Twisted Tea open. And they would have finished well at the Tri Track event if not for the crazy wreck the 6 got caught up in.
A Day at the Races | 2020 | Stan Mertz Racing | Stafford Speedway | Tri-Track Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt4ARVZxeWc
(Just out. Stan Mertz and absolute must see for modified fans)
Ryan Preece’s biggest career wins & his roots in modified racing | Waltrip Unfiltered Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x4V7Q9tU34
(July 2019-older but still many interesting Preece bits of interesting trivia)
Beers With Brannon Episode 3: Ryan Preece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&feature=youtu.be&v=HTvVOhcY24M&fbclid=IwAR28WjJrC2IB91HaaalAGW_Jabhrcq7tnNEBLhjakGWnylXyLTgmgJOJXUc
(September 2020. A dose of more current Ryan Preece.)
Stories from Victory Lane Ep. 96
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMvfchdKjaw
(Matt Buckler’s series just out with Phil Rondeau)
Stories from Victory Lane – Ep 92
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuP8YWvzASg
(June 2020-Ryan Preece )
Stories from Victory Lane Ep. 94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ3bt8TEraU
(September 2020-Randy Lajoie)
I keep saying it. The tour needs a new sponsor that pays big bucks like the dirt cars.
How about NASCAR puts more money in the teams pockets rather than theirs? That may help.
Be thankful they have Whelen as a sponsor. I am certain they are doing everything possible financially to help out.
Doug;
I just finished watching the #6 video. It is all you said. How can you not pull for a guy like Stan. I do not know him, have never met him, but I have to admit, I’ll now be paying more attention. His honesty in the video about what his role is, particularly about having trust in his team to make the calls, is really something. The guy certainly is good in front of the camera conveying that.
Thanks for the suggestion! Brightened up a gray day for sure, with all that’s going on!
Geeze Bobf that’s swell you’d follow up on the video.
Stan Mertz has been one of my go to guys for a while. I’ve emailed him a couple times with questions and he’s taken the time to not just respond but provide insightful answers.
You may have noted the modest shop. The fact that at the start Pitkat drove for him with an SK motor knowing it would always be at a disadvantage but drove it anyway. The fact that people that know stuff gravitate to him based on his personality. Not only gets a competitive motor donated but has the guys with the expertise to mate more power to the chassis and get it to the front of the field almost immediately.
Best news for me is he said he will be at the Stafford opens in 2021.
I ramble but Stan Mertz and guys like him are what opens are all about. On any given day with the right combination and a little luck you can end up in victory lane.
Doug;
What impressed me was his ability to let the guys do what they need to do. That, and the guy goes to a race, to race, and realizes, he isn’t going to cut it. Swallows his pride, and calls somebody to drive. Sometimes, that’s all you need to know about a man…..
Thank you Doug, Really enjoyed the Video’s….. Humble Works >>>> in Racing……how can anyone not root for Stan and His Team…