The return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va. will be delayed by a few months.
Earlier this month it was announced that the Whelen Modified Tour would return to Langley Speedway for the first time since 2018 for an April 23 event in 2022.
It was announced Tuesday that NASCAR and Langley Speedway have made the decision to move the event from April 23 to to Aug. 27.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour director Jimmy Wilson said the decision to move the event was due to scheduling conflicts. NASCAR is expected in the coming weeks to announce a bonus program for the three Whelen Modified Tour events in Virginia for the 2022 season. The series will also run at Richmond Raceway (April 1) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 27).
“We are excited to bring back a bonus program connected to our three races during the 2022 season that will take place in the state of Virginia – Langley, Martinsville and Richmond,” Wilson said. “After learning of spring schedule conflicts in North Carolina and Virginia, we decided to move the Langley race to August. It is important to us that all Modified drivers who wish to take advantage of the program are available to race in all three races.”
The Aug. 27 event at Langley will mark the third series event at the track. Timmy Solomito won a 2017 series event at the .397-mile oval. Ryan Preece won when the series returned to the track in 2018. Langley also hosted eight events on the former NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour from 2010-2015.
The originally announced event at Langley coincided with the running of the 50th NAPA Spring Sizzler at Stafford Speedway April 23-24. The Spring Sizzler had been a Whelen Modified Tour event for the last 34 years. Stafford Speedway management announced in October that the 50th running of the event would be an Open style event rather than a Whelen Modified Tour event.
What’s the over/under on entries for the Sizzler now?
JEBridges,
I’d say wait until the Whelen Modified Tour schedule is final before making that call. I don’t know that the decision to move Langley automatically means there won’t be a Whelen Modified Tour event on April 23.
Least surprising announcement ever
Stafford is one issue. There is another issue it’s called Bowman Gray Stadium. They can go to Myrtle Beach and all over Virginia but can’t come in North Carolina. It is amazing how 1 track can dictate a region and a division solely for them. I live in North Carolina love modifiers go to the dump very seldom. Nascar has allowed this to happen.
A bonus program for the three VA events??????
😝
Yeah, also known as an inducement, or incentive. Clearly Mr. Wilson has heard it loud and clear that the teams do not appreciate the added expense of all this traveling.
Wouldn’t it have been less expensive to simply run the normal 7-8 events at Stafford and Thompson?
Too obvious?
Dareal;
Too obvious, or now, maybe nascar realizing, too late.
Everything has a threshold.
I guess Stafford and Thompson have reached theirs.
Next move please.
So you’re suggesting Mr. Courchesne the notion of Wilson finding another track to sit on Sizzler weekend is still in play? Say it ain’t so. I’d like to think they, in part, found a way out of the Stafford conflict after seeing how strongly the Arute’s reacted to their refusal to move the Langley date.
Down to Langley on August 27 then off to Oswego on September 3. Kind of asking a lot isn’t it?
Racing Guys tentative date May 27 at Claremont. NWMT at Jennerstown on the 28 and Tri Track at Thunder Road on the 29th. Too congested, Racing Guys may want to rethink their plans.
August 6 TTOMS race at the Speedbowl and a “to be announced” NWMT race on the same day. TTOMS race at Stafford on September 24. NWMT “to be announced” race on the same day. Let’s not be self defeating here Mr. Wilson. You’ve got a great schedule. a lot of challenges and have caused enough friction so how about you ease out of those remaining question marks and call it a schedule.
Can we all just come together? Stafford has a regular show on the 23 so just add a NWMT race kind of like Michaud and Mayberry did.
And the fans went wild!!!
The move to August will allow the Bowman Gray folks to run in the event, which will be needed, as quite a few northern teams that aren’t in the points race will forgo the event
It doesn’t mean anything to Stafford. I think they are committed to their schedule. And a good schedule it is.
April 23 speedbowl
April 24 Speedbowl
Scheduling around Bowman Gray makes no sense. Only 2 guys (named Myers) will go to the tour race anyway. Run anytime you want in NC, it won’t affect the car count. Now fans is another issue. Run a 200 lap tour race in NC on the same night as twin 25s at BGS, and 17,000 fans are going to BGS. It’s a real head-scratcher.
This “bonus program” for the three VA races really commits, or incentivizes, teams to the full schedule, in order to place better for the season points pool. But then, something like only 10-15 teams usually run the entire season. Like I said a long time ago, this schedule will have Silk, JBon, Emerling and Fifield running the whole schedule, and at that, maybe Fifield will get a top 10 in the season standings.
For those that were fans in the Danbury RaceArena days Bowman Gray is no mystery. The similarities in physical appearance including narrow racing lanes, electric atmosphere and fierce fan loyalties are striking. The track occupies it’s own unique space outside of anything that goes on around it.
Purists make fun of the Madhouse but the fact is what they do there is exactly what racing has been about since the beginning. Action, excitement, tradition and rivalries that go back decades add up to crowds weekly few tracks can match.
Don’t need to be making fun of them it makes more sense to try to copy them.
The only mystery is why they continue to be a NASCAR sanctioned track they surely don’t need them.
NASCAR tour results for CT tracks 2016. THE CONNECTICUT STATE NASCAR MODIFIED TOUR CHAMPION of the NINE tour races ran in state was the #2. I picked that year because Waterford was still on the schedule. Now 3 race Virginia Chumpion, not SMART lol.. Another desperate attempt to fill fields. NASCAR blinked, plain and simple. The conspiracy theorists can babble on for weeks about who will do what when. Get a life and get to the races. 78 days until New Smyrna, best week of modified racing in 2021. 44 entries. May skip the tour race for World of Outlaw Sprints at Volusia that night. No time for NASCAR sanctioned events. Money better spent elsewhere. Happy Thanksgiving and stay warm Turkey Derby attendants.