Shunned: Tyler Rypkema Unfairly Disregarded By Whelen Mod Tour Broadcast Team At Martinsville 

(The article below is a RaceDayCT column – The views expressed in this column are solely the opinion of the writer)

Rodney Dangerfield made his career as one of the greats of standup comedy on the foundation of a catchy buzzphrase. 

That buzzphrase that became his signature line was: “I don’t get no respect.”  

On Saturday the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returned to action for the division’s second event of the season, the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway. 

When it was all over at Martinsville it was Stephen Kopcik holding off Ron Silk to score his first career series victory. 

The results tabulation for the event showed off some superlatives for the race. Among some of the official awards, Austin Beers won the American Racer Hard Charger Award, Justin Bonsignore took home the American Racer Hard Luck Award, Patrick Emerling scored the American Racer Pole Award and Kopcik won the Phil Kurze Halfway Leader Award. 

One award missing from the final results though was the Rodney Dangerfield No Respect Award. 

So that award might not officially exist, but there’s no denying if it did exist it would have gone to third place finisher Tyler Rypkema. 

It’s fair to characterize Rypkema as a racer who has flown under the radar for much of his nine years competing on the Whelen Modified Tour. Rypkema has one career victory and 12 career top-five’s over 88 series starts since 2018. 

But Saturday night at Martinsville, on a night when he should have garnered at least a fair share of the post-race spotlight, Rypkema pretty much got shockingly ignored when it came to the FloRacing broadcast of the event, almost as if he was purposefully being shunned.

Call it a slap in the face for the Owego, N.Y. driver, but it almost felt like the FloRacing producers went out of their way to disrespect Rypkema after the race.

There was 15 minutes of post-race coverage on FloRacing after Kopcik took the checkered flag for the event. Following the event Kopcik was interviewed by pit road reporter Ryan Flores. Also interviewed was Silk, the second place finisher, along with fourth place finisher Eric Goodale and fifth place finisher Austin Beers. There was no interview for Rypkema.

It was a little over 13 minutes into the post-race coverage before Rypkema’s name was even mentioned for the first time, as broadcasters were wrapping up the broadcast. 

“Tonight it’s Stephen Kopcik celebrating on the victory stage,” FloRacing announcer Kyle Rickey said. “Winning here this evening by a tenth of a second over Ron Silk. Tyler Rypkema, Eric Goodale and Austin Beers rounding out the top-five finishers.” 

That was the total extent of accolade Rypkema received after the event, a quick mention in a rundown of the top five to end the broadcast. 

Andrew Molleur, who finished 13th, was even mentioned in the post-race before Rypkema. Even Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Martinsville winner Justin Allgaier was mentioned in the post-race coverage before Rypkema’s name was brought up. 

And to make it even worse than basically being ignored, the announcers took away a massive achievement Rypkema accomplished on Saturday. 

Rypkema finished second in the season opening series event at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 7. His third place finish Saturday night moved him into the lead in the series standings by two points over Beers. 

There was no mention after the race that it was the second podium finish in two races this season for Rypkema. And no mention that he assumed the series points lead for the first time in his career. 

Actually, that achievement of leading the standings for the first time in his career was stolen away by the broadcasters. 

“And unofficially, a seven-point gap – we know it’s still early – but Justin Bonsignore out front over Austin Beers,” Rickey said of the standings just as the broadcast came to a close. 

We know this about Rypkema, he’s a quiet guy on the series who isn’t out there looking for fanfare or pats on the back, but it’s certainly hard to watch when someone – be it anyone – who fully deserves that fanfare instead gets the full-on “No Respect” treatment.