(The article below is a RaceDayCT column – The views expressed in this column are solely the opinion of the writer)
Anyone that’s spent any time in the last two decades following the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has at some point heard the grumblings when it comes to the scheduling of events at the Loudon, N.H. facility.
They don’t like when the race is scheduled too early. They don’t like when it’s scheduled too late. The reality is, there’s always going to be someone disappointed in something.
We’ve been around the sport long enough to understand that when it comes to the NASCAR Cup Series weekends at New Hampshire Motor Speedway the Whelen Modified Tour ranks lower on the totem pole of importance and concern behind the national divisions competing in Loudon on any of those weekends. Sometimes that can be a hard pill to swallow for teams and hardcore Modified fans, but it’s just simply reality.
But there comes a time when you have to ask if the fans occupying the seats for the division’s event have just become a total non-concern to event organizers? And lately, that’s a question that can be asked not just about events at NHMS, but globally across much of the series schedule.
More and more it feels like the series has seemed to have gone in a direction where concern for growing the fanbase has taken a back seat.
In a non-public communication from NASCAR last week, Whelen Modified Tour teams were informed that the division’s Sept. 20, 2025 event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take place at 9:15 am.
Yes, we understand the schedule can be tight and cumbersome at NHMS when it comes to Cup Series weekends. The Whelen Modified Tour is getting squeezed into a schedule on that day around a noon Craftsman Truck Series event and practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series, which will race at the track on Sunday Sept. 21, 2025.
As we said, we understand things can get cumbersome at NHMS, but at what point does it just become a matter of putting on an event just to put it on, throwing away the matter that this is a professional sporting event where one of the goals should be to compete in front of the biggest crowds you can attract?
It’s become a long used cliche around the Whelen Modified Tour calling the division’s annual trip to NHMS the “Daytona 500” for the series.
Well, we can’t imagine any scenario where the Daytona 500 would ever be scheduled 10 months in advance for a 9:15 am start. There’s plenty of reasons why most professional sporting events don’t start before noon. Mostly because it’s not what most fans of professional sporting events expect. This isn’t the local Under-12 soccer rec league game where moms are bringing sliced oranges and Capri Sun for halftime.
And seeing team owners, drivers and crew members applauding the decision to run a 9:15 am event is concerning. Sure, we understand the people involved in putting these events on don’t really enjoy spending a whole day at the track waiting for their event to take place. But, these are the people who should most understand that taking care of and growing the fanbase must be high on their list of priorities to help keep the series viable.
Seeing series participants detached from the negative issues of a 9:15 am race start in some ways makes it feel like they’ve almost been indoctrinated to just nod in agreement with whatever NASCAR does. It’s a feeling like they’re just saying “Sure, whatever we have to do to have a race there.”
And frankly, if the attitude is we’ll just do whatever we have to do to have a race there, then just don’t have a race there if it means taking care of fans of the series doesn’t matter anymore.
Lets be blunt here, if the series isn’t healthy enough to be seen as a showcase piece of the weekend attraction in Loudon, then maybe the track shouldn’t be on the schedule with an event squeezed in like a forgotten throwaway orphan.
If you’ve been around the Whelen Modified Tour for a decade or two you’ve watched as attendance at events has steadily trended further and further downward. It’s just one part of a list of concerns when it comes to the overall health of the series. While participation numbers have come crashing down in recent years, so has the number of people buying tickets to watch series events. This used to be a series that could easily count on attracting crowds of 5,000 or more at most events. That number is now a rarity to see when it comes to series events.
And while we can see NASCAR making attempts in different ways to try to increase competitor participation, the same can’t be said for efforts to increase the number of people watching the series. That’s a concerning matter. If fans aren’t filling the grandstands then tracks aren’t going to see the value in hosting the series.
Some will use the excuse that if fans don’t want to get up that early to get to the track and watch the event they can just tune in at home on FloRacing. And yes, that’s a fantastic option for those who are currently fans.
But here’s the dirty little secret nobody talks about. While FloRacing is a gem of an asset to short track racing fans, it’s not a vehicle for growing a fanbase. The chances are likely that if someone has a subscription to FloRacing they’re already a fan of the series. You’re not creating new fans or growing the fanbase through a broadcast element if that broadcast element isn’t offered on a free access platform.
When we hear stories of individuals in NASCAR management roles crowing gleefully to track promoters about how wonderful a crowd of 800 fans is for the Whelen Modified Tour at Monadnock Speedway, it’s genuinely cringe worthy and hard to believe that’s where the series is in 2024. But it speaks to the lack of concern management has in working with tracks to build up the fanbase and fill grandstands. Fifteen years ago series management wouldn’t even entertain the idea of visiting a track to race in front of a crowd of 800 – 1,000 fans.
A promoter at a track that does not host the Whelen Modified Tour told us earlier this year that the problem with hosting the series these days is that it’s no longer a partnership between the track and NASCAR when a track schedules a series event. That’s a fact that should be sounding alarm bells for series participants.
From 1992 to 2020 – a span of 29 years – NASCAR scheduled the Whelen Modified Tour’s season ending event at Thompson Speedway. The division’s champion was celebrated annually in front of fans at one of those most iconic venues of Modified racing in the heart of the division’s fanbase. In 2021 the series champion was celebrated in a season finale event at Stafford Speedway.
And then in 2022 the decision was made to hold the championship deciding event at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. That was another move that showed that pleasing the fanbase was of little concern. In 2022 and 2023 the series saw it’s championship event held on a Thursday evening in Martinsville ahead of the track hosting it’s national division events. The series crowned its champion in front of sparse crowds far from the historic Northeast heart of the fanbase. In 2024 the championship event was on a Saturday at Martinsville, a full week before the Cup Series weekend, once again with a sparse crowd on hand. The division will go back to a Thursday night season finale event just before the Martinsville Cup weekend in 2025.
Since taking the championship event to Martinsville, NASCAR officials have offered a regular refrain that having the event at Martinsville coinciding with the Cup Series weekend there is a plus for the series because it means national media that’s in town to cover the Cup Series will offer coverage to the Whelen Modified Tour. And yes, it’s a statement that’s really just a lot of PR malarkey. Outside of some social media Tweets, no there’s really no national media giving the series coverage from Martinsville on Thursday night. In the same way that when the series is competing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on a Cup Series weekend, none of the “national media” on hand is giving the series any genuine “coverage” outside of maybe some random social media Tweets.
When it comes the vision and goals for the series, there should be a balance in growing the amount of competitors and increasing the fan base. A 9:15 am race is just one more piece showing that increasing the fanbase or respecting the current fanbase is not a concern. Exuding the attitude of, “hey, just be happy we’re there” should never be in play when building a schedule for a professional racing series. What’s scary is watching a series that was once “Must See Racing” for so many fans in the Northeast slowly morph into a racing “club” where the number of fans showing up to events doesn’t really matter anymore to those putting the events on.
Discover more from RaceDayCT.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
As a diehard CT touring modified fan- who has gone to the September race weekend to see modifieds and not cup as long as it has existed for the last decade and a half- including the three Musket races I am super appalled. CT is the center of modified country- and making it to a seat my 915am is going to be super challenging. Why are we going away from cup practice/qualifying in the morning followed by the races for the day with a usual noon start time for the mods?
because thats what the cup teams want. you have to leave CT saturday morning. they have to leave NC saturday morning.
And cup teams are getting awful lawsuit these days when they don’t get what they want
Lot to unpack here.
But its not new.
I have said for years, that the tour is nascar’s bastard stepchild. They are open wheel, and Nascar does not want to align with open wheel. And I could give a crap less about how they try to sound like they try to care and sell their “oldest roots division.” Bullcrap. I’ve just always felt that way. Sales pitch.
But, as long as they can make a buck, they will string it along. And string only.
I have always felt, that Nascar would gladly drop the series, if they could somehow blame that series drop on fans, and make it look like that they had no other choice, but to drop it. Not on them. Cowards. Best racing they got, but, it is what it is.
As for last championship race not being at Thompson, well, thats on Thompson and Nascar. Equal blame for me.
Nascar for being, well, Nascar. Thompson for being a business, and putting their eggs in a road course venue and pushing back. (And who could blame them, so I guess no blame on Thompson)
Stafford kinda did the same thing and pushed back. No more Nascar over streaming issues, was the straw that broke that camel’s back to my recollection.
So i know im kinda out there, but here goes.
Streaming issues the solution but a bigger part of the problem. I have always been able to convert new fans by taking them to a race and giving them the whole experience. Put their butt in a seat. Hot dogs and all, which helps the local track scene. And converted my fare share I’m proud to say.
Funny, I cant generate that same excitement by trying to talk somebody into a Flo experience in my living room. I guess I’m selling it wrong. And I’ve tried. And I have hot dogs! It don’t sell. It ain’t football, just sayin.
Now Nascar is playing fast and loose with the poor bastard stepchild, and its streaming revenue for as long as the milking lasts.
And to me, thats what the end result is. $$ Damn the torpedoes by Nascar.
So as far as I can see, that doesn’t convert a new generation of fans. That dog just don’t hunt.
Enjoy whats left, cause I see the light at the end of the tunnel. And its a freight train.
I just feel so much for all the dedicated teams and crews, that put so much into this, to have no support. So disappointing. So frustrating. But, not unexpected.
Lots of blame to go around, but mostly on the sanctioning body. And dont get me wrong, a whelan tour race is my go to. Although, hard to miss a tri track race these days, great stuff.
Consumers drive the bus, in business. Company’s listen to the bottom line. And everything is a business. And businesses need to change with the times to attract customers. Or they die.
No doubt, Nascar has failed the modified series on that front. Think about it. Who is streaming?
Mostly , the diehard fans that have followed the sport forever. Very few new. And yes, we as a group, are shrinking.
Fans, or lack thereof, have to take some of the hit in this. Sorry. TV is part of this problem. Got too easy for us “fans”. Sit on the couch and not take a buddy to a track, and hook a new generation. (And before you sharpen your knives, I am not calling out streamers, just dialog)
So who cares? Start it at 5:00AM for all Nascar cares! Got the tv revenue! Till they don’t…
i guess just maybe, this sport of Modified racing is something that only we old dedicated fans are holding on to. Hard to admit. I’m coming to terms with it. And we know how that ends.
Was a great ride.
As always, JMO. Sorry for My rambling opinions.
Happy New year all, be well.
Well said Shawn. NASCAR could NOT care less about modified racing and pays a minimum of lip service to the teams. I can’t understand why anyone would want to go Tour racing when they are clearly being played for suckered by the sanctioning body. I also put the lack of promotion of the Tour right on the shoulders of NASCARS SiriusXM channel. Never and I mean never do they mention anything about the Tour. All they ever talk about is inane comments like “who’s your favorite driver and who did what to whom”. Pathetic drivel. Shame on those hosts and shame on NASCAR.
monaco series way to go time for nascar to take a hike!!
You hit all the points! I don’t always see it the way you do and you nailed it. One more point. Why go to the race when you can watch it on TV in the comfort of your own home where burgers and hot dogs aren’t $7? The honest answer is that, unless you go and see the racing live, the excitement and emotion of the event gets lost. FLO is good for me on most Fridays when I leave the office too late to see most of the Stafford show. I know this is NWMT issue but it’s Relevant to our modifieds. I still miss as much of the Stafford races by watching on FLO but don’t spend as much to get to the track, eat and drive a hour to my home. That said, I plan on advance when it’s an open up or the Sizzler and Fall Final. Why am I using Stafford when it’s no longer a NASCAR sanctioned track? Be sure they are the model. They still get the fans there in person.
This has been my point in my last several replies. This series should be the main feature on a Saturday night. Season ending championship race especially!!! I was at Martinsville this year (as well as the 2 previous years)and it was great! There were many new fans in attendance. Not everyone is there for the cup or Xfinity series. I could care less about them. If Nascar thinks the Modified series is an inconvenience, sell it or trade it to an organization that appreciates it.
Nascar is like the federal government. Tell me one thing it has touched and made better
shawn, do you follow any series outside the ones you cover? It really seems like you don’t.
Everything you said can be seen in plenty of other series these days. Enough that you cant call them all wrong.
Time are changing. TV matters just as much, if not more than anything these days. The world does not revolve around CT based modified fans as much as they think it does.
Is it a solid payday? Maybe NASCAR thinks they are ‘helping’ mod teams with a big purse?
Good for you Bobf. Dander fully up, provided a full on, no holds bared rant and I for one loved the honesty. I too am outraged at the reaction to the early time slot but land in the opposite direction on both it and the side issue it spawned. I don’t think Loudon is that big a deal on the schedule but if it is that would mainly be because the teams love it apparently. They seem to be OK with the early start and might even be taken to task for it if I’m reading this right. As for fans if Loudon was such a big deal there’d still be a Musket race. I haven’t searched but if I really try I bet I could find commentary by this very publication calling out fans for expressing a love for races at the facility then failing to show up in person. But what I really find vexing is a couple things actually. First how local race fans are perpetually calling for purses to increase but when NASCAR does credit for it is muted. Mainly because NASCAR is a distant, arrogant, top down behemoth that few people in this region like. Secondly the notion that NASCAR is stupid without having an inkling of actual knowledge about the roll of streaming and how it’s changed short track racing. Oh sure, all the naysayers will point to smaller race attendance then draw conclusions connecting it to streaming availability and that’s fine. It’s one element of the streaming equation but they’re not accounting for the thing they don’t have a clue about which would be the viewership and advertising dollars that streaming brings in. Don’t know and what’s worse not even willing to admit what they don’t know it critical information worth knowing to make an objective observation. Why aren’t you curious to know that some group of 20 somethings, somewhere in the lower 48 are sim racing modifieds and buying streaming subscriptions to see the real version of what they’re sim racing. I don’t know that’s true but the naysayers can’t say it isn’t. “Average Weekly Viewers: 17,073 Peak Weekly Viewers: 38,265” is what Stafford used in one of their 2023 marketing campaigns. Doesn’t take a math major to figure out those are a lot higher then in person attendance. I know Stafford isn’t stupid so if they’re partnering with FloRacing and have been for years, they continue to improve the facility including a major asphalt upgrade just completed they probably aren’t considering shutting their doors in the foreseeable future. NASCAR is nation wide compared to Stafford so it follows the numbers for NWMT races are exponentially higher. Yet all the MMTTS lovers that think that series can do no wrong and love putting NASCAR down could care less about the fact they don’t have a grasp of what the streaming element is nationwide they know what they know so case closed.
Take a breath Doug it is after all the season for good tidings and fellowship and as Bobf has said JMO.
Doug;
A very respectful rebuttal, which I always count on by you, and is appreciated.
You know, after I wrote that piece, I sat there thinking. I probably contradicted myself. Why?
Because before Flo, do you remember the mantra from a lot of us fans?
Poor stepchild modifieds. Why wont nascar give them more tv time, and get these guys the recognition they deserve?
Well now, a streaming venue and I’m bitchin.
Guess I can’t have it both ways.
So selfishly, I guess I’m mad because its rare I dont make the nh race in person. And I guess I’m just having a hard time with those beers and dogs before 10:00am lol!
Absolutely, good will towards all. Happy new year Doug, and all racedayct brethren that put up with me. B
I’ve always viewed the NWMT races at NHMS as rewards/showcases for NWMT teams/drivers rather than “grow the Tour fanbase” events. The NWMT folks get to perform on a big stage in front of Cup and Xfinity teams. So, although the early morning start is not optimal, it doesn’t undermine the reward/showcase aspect of the NWMT races at NHMS.
Poor decision by Nascar. At least they could have had the event at the end of the day for the WMT, and you would have the fans that were there for the truck race and cup qualifying, Just start their events earlier to be sure to get the events in before dark. I t is depressing to see a race with an empty grandstand and starting it at that time it will be even more empty. It is also not fair to the teams and their sponsors.
“just start it earlier”
that easy huh?
Happy New Year to all RDCT fans !!! HAVE FUN = BE HAPPY !!!
looking forward to Speedweeks in FL…. Will big Money dominate again ..???
I actually appreciate the 9:30 am start. I only go the cup weekend Saturday now, I will be there by 7 am regardless, and now I can get up to White Mountain Motorsports Park without choosing between the NHMS and WMMP events I care about. I don’t stay for the cup races there anymore.