(The article below is a RaceDayCT column – The views expressed in this column are solely the opinion of the writer)
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make its first of four visits to Connecticut in 2026 rolling along on a positivity high.
After two events this season the Whelen Modified Tour returns to Thompson Speedway for the Icebreaker 150 on April 12.
It was an offseason of big news for the series following a 2025 season that ended with a first-time series champion in Austin Beers.
It wasn’t long after the 2025 season ended that news broke that longtime Modified team owner, crew chief and driver Gary Putnam would assume the role as series director.
The decision to hire Putnam for the role brought forth a wave of optimism for the future of the division from many series competitors and longtime series fans.
In late December the news of American Racer Tire replacing Hoosier Tire as the division’s exclusive tire provider brought hope for many competitors that the change would help to level the playing field to some degree with the series.
Parity is always a bonus when it comes to any competition, but is an especially big factor for a series like the Whelen Modified Tour that had been seeing a small percentage of full-time teams dominating the podium.
Over the last five years overall participation with the series had become a major concern, with car counts falling each season for five consecutive years. The division went from averaging 31.8 cars per event in 2019 to 24 cars in 2024. The car count increased to 24.4 per event in 2025, marking the first time the series had seen a car count increase from one year to the next since 2019.
And while the season is only two races in for the Whelen Modified Tour, the two events that have taken place have shown promise for the series not only for parity but also for continued increased overall participation.
It can be said that Beers’ championship for KLM Motosports in 2025 kicked off the wave of momentum for 2026. Over the 14 seasons prior to 2025, a total of five drivers had won series driver championships, with two drivers – Doug Coby and Justin Bonsignore – accounting for 10 of those 14 titles.
Bonsignore scored victory in the season opening event for the series on Feb. 7 at New Smyrna Speedway, but on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway it was Stephen Kopcik becoming a first-time series winner in the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 200.
And when it comes to the hope for parity and fresh faces of success, it’s been Tyler Rypkema in the iconic Boehler Racing Enterprises Ole’ Blue No. 3 carrying the torch thus far in 2026.
Rypkema finished second at New Smyrna and followed that up with a third place run at Martinsville. Rypkema is the only driver this season with podium finishes in both events. He sits in the series points lead for the first time in his nine years with the division.
And despite being only two races into the season, the standings already show the crystal ball possibility of new faces hanging around in the battle for the 2026 title. Heavy-hitters Ron Silk and Bonsignore each have had already had mulligan days this season, which makes for an interesting look at the standings when it comes to two drivers who nearly unanimously are expected to be in the mix for a title. Silk bounced back from a last place finish due to an early wreck at New Smyrna with a second place finish at Martinsville but the two-time series champion still sits 13th in the series standings. A late wreck at Martinsville dropped Bonsignore, a four-time series champion, from the lead in the standings down to seventh place.
The series rolls into Thompson with Rypkema holding a two-point advantage over Beers at the top of the standings with Patrick Emerling three points off the lead and Kopcik four points off the top spot. Rypkema, Emerling and Kopcik are all looking to become first-time series champions in 2026.
It all makes for a recipe that looks to be possibly cooking a tasty season for the Whelen Modified Tour in 2026.
The Icebreaker 150 marks the first of three events for the division at Thompson Speedway in 2026. The series returns to Thompson on Aug. 5 and then the series champion will be crowned at the Sunoco World Series at Thompson on Oct. 11.
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I’m happy to see the NASCAR tour on a bit of an upswing. I was down on the series the last few years especially after discovering tri-track and going to a bunch of other open races. The NASCAR tie-in just didn’t mean that much to me when the real mystique of mod racing in the northeast feels tied to the specific tracks like Stafford and Thompson, even if there is a lot of cross pollination with the famous drivers and teams. I guess I liked the local feel of the open shows and tri-track more. But I like all the mod races I can get so it’s nice to see NASCAR invested in improving the series.
While I am extremely happy to see the upswing and renewed interest, I am concerned over the dark cloud of the fuel pump prices, on both the racing teams, and the fan that still travels to shows. Hoping for best…
Thompson is the Best place to watch Modifieds… The High Banks carry the speed with many chances to pass inside or outside or slide job… We are all happy to see the Nascar Tour gets its HEARTBEAT BACK along with Stafford back in the mix , speaks volumes of the heath and good vibes now present… Gary Putman is a racers racer… He can be a Cornerstone to rebuild the series back up to the Excitement it once had when coming to Town… I am very happy Gary is in control… He’s a good listener, He’s been on every position possible..lots of FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE will be nothing but a BOOST in the garage…Good Luck and hopefully Icebreaker Weekend is Beautiful Weather in Northeastern CT ….
I was going to comment, but I can’t add much to the three previous posts except additional agreements with all and happiness at the direction things are going. I guess I’ll Second, third, and fourth the previous comments!! 🙂