New Jack Swing: Jacob Perry To Run Three Whelen Mod Tour New Hampshire Short Track Events

Jacob Perry calls southern Connecticut home, but the short tracks of southern New Hampshire definitely feel like a second home to the Pawcatuck driver.

In 2022 the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make a three-race short track swing in New Hampshire and Perry and his Jack Bateman owned team will be there for all of them.

“I didn’t expect to do anything with the [Whelen Modified Tour] this year and then Jack was ‘I’m on board.’” Perry said. “I think he really wants to go chase that Whelen [Modifed Tour] victory because he had a couple runs that he should have won when he ran back in the day. I think it’s putting a fire back under him that we ran so good last year.”

Perry will run the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. on May 21, the Duel at the Dog 200 at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. on June 18 and the Clash at Claremont 150 at Claremont (N.H.) Speedway on July 29.

Despite going to the events with a team that has little experience running the series, optimism runs high for Perry. He has had success at all three tracks. He won Modified Racing Series events at both Lee and Monadnock last year and was leading the Modified Racing Series event at Claremont last year before a flat tire ruined his day. Perry was also in contention to win a Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series event at Monadnock in 2020 before losing an alternator while leading with about 30 laps remaining.

“It makes a huge difference going to what are my three favorite tracks,” Perry said. “I’ve always loved Monadnock and I’ve run really good there in everything we’ve ever run, from Pro Four Modifieds, to Trucks to Tour Type Modifieds. So I’m really excited to get my shot at the top tier in New England at my favorite place. And we’ve had the same luck at Claremont. We’ve been good in basically everything we’ve run there. And Lee is another one, I’ve turned a ton of laps at Lee so I’m really excited to get back to Lee.”

Perry said the team is also looking at the possibility of adding the Whelen 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16 to their schedule to complete the New Hampshire portion of the Whelen Modified Tour schedule. Perry’s first and only Whelen Modified Tour start came in July 2019 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“That’s kind of, if everything goes well with the season up to that point,” Perry said. “That’s a little bit later in the year. We just have to make sure everything is going smoothly. I know Jack really wants to run that race.”

In addition to running the part-time schedule with the Whelen Modified Tour, Perry will once again run full-time for Bateman on the Modified Racing Series. He had three victories and finished second in the MRS standings in 2021. He will also run in selected Open Modified 80 events at Stafford and other Tour Type Open events for team owner Norm Perry.