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Season to open at New Smyrna Speedway and conclude at
Martinsville Speedway for third consecutive year
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 20, 2023) – A week before crowning the 2023 champion at Martinsville Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour plans to carry on a new schedule tradition by opening mere miles from the birthplace of NASCAR and finishing at one of its most historic tracks as the 16 race dates on the 2024 schedule was announced today.
For the third consecutive year, the Tour will open at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida as part of the track’s “World Series of Asphalt Stock Cars Racing” during NASCAR’s Speedweeks, racing under the lights on Saturday, February 10. The 66th running of the DAYTONA 500 at nearby Daytona International Speedway then takes place a week later to conclude the opening week of NASCAR action.
Martinsville Speedway returned to hosting the Whelen Modified Tour’s season finale in 2022, and will carry on the new tradition for the third consecutive year in 2024. The race on the Virginia short track moves to a weekend date on Saturday, Oct. 26 – opening up a week of camping and activity for fans of the Virginia short track. NASCAR will then set the field for the Championship 4 in all three national series – NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series – the next weekend, Nov. 1-3.
“We have seen over the past two seasons how exciting it has been for our fans and competitors to open at New Smyrna and finish at Martinsville,” said Jimmy Wilson, Senior Director, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. “The mix of tracks on the schedule pays tribute to the Tour’s roots and sets up a competitive season from start to finish, demonstrated by how once again this year our fans are going to see the Whelen Modified Tour title decided at the finale.”
Richmond Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway return to the schedule as companion events alongside NASCAR national series race weekend. Richmond will remain the second race of the season on Friday, March 29, while New Hampshire holds a mid-summer Saturday, June 22, date.
New Hampshire has hosted a total of 75 Whelen Modified Tour races, led by the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik’s eight wins. Tony Hirshman is second on the all-time wins list there with seven, while Reggie Ruggiero and Bobby Santos III have each tallied five victories in the heart of New England.
Richmond began hosting Tour races in 1990 and has seen the likes of NASCAR Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik, current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece and three-time Tour champion (and current title contender) Justin Bonsignore visit Victory Lane in their 13 races thus far.
North Wilkesboro Speedway joined the Tour’s schedule for the 2023 season and returns for the second straight year in 2024 on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (Connecticut) will host a trio of marquee events during the 2024 season, starting off with a Sunday, April 7, event during the 50th Icebreaker Weekend. The Tour will return for a Wednesday night mid-summer classic on Aug. 14, before a third and final visit on Sunday, Oct. 13, during the World Series of Speedway Racing.
Another stalwart on the schedule, Riverhead Raceway, will host a pair of key races for the Whelen Modified Tour, starting with a Saturday, May 18, race in the spring. They will then host a Saturday, September 14, even that will continue to pay tribute to late track owner and team owner Eddie Partridge.
Riverhead stands as track that has been the longest continuous host of the Whelen Modified Tour since coming on board in 1985. Although scheduled to hold a race in 2020, the pandemic prevented the race from taking place.
“It’s important to the Tour to be a part of tentpole events that honor the history of our sport such as those at Thompson and Riverhead,” said Wilson. “And then we also have incredible support from tracks such as Monadnock Speedway, which always provides a great event experience for fans and will continue to do so with a trio of races in 2024.”
Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire, will continue to build upon their schedule of races under JDV Productions, as they are slated for three dates in 2024 – Saturday, May 4; Saturday, July 20; and Saturday, Sept. 21.
“There are so many great tracks in the Northeast that provide exceptional racing and close proximity to home for our teams,” added Wilson. “These tracks, and their fans, are truly at the heart of what is great about Modified racing in the Northeast.”
Those tracks include Lancaster Motorplex (New York) – formerly known as New York International Raceway Park – that returns to the schedule for the third time, and second straight, with a Saturday, August 3, race. The track first appeared on the schedule in 2021.
Seekonk Speedway (Massachusetts) returns to the 2024 schedule with a Saturday, June 1, event and Oswego Speedway (New York) rounds out the schedule with a Saturday, Aug. 31, race.
“We’re proud this year’s schedule provides balance for our competitors and their teams, who themselves are managing jobs and families away from the track each week,” said Wilson. “And our fans will still continue to see the high-quality and exciting Whelen Modified Tour racing action they have come to love at their favorite facilities.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour concludes the 2023 season on Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway, where the Tour will crown a champion. Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore have battled atop the standings all season, and enter the race separated by 13 points for the title. Silk, the 2011 champion, holds the lead over three-time champion (2018, 2020, 2021) Bonsignore.
Below is the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. Schedule is subject to change. Race times and broadcast networks will be announced at a later date.
2024 NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR SCHEDULE
| Date | Race / Track | ||
| Saturday, February 10 | New Smyrna Speedway | ||
| Friday, March 29 | Richmond Raceway | ||
| Sunday, April 7 | Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park | ||
| Saturday, May 4 | Monadnock Speedway | ||
| Saturday, May 18 | Riverhead Raceway | ||
| Saturday, June 1 | Seekonk Speedway | ||
| Saturday, June 22 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | ||
| Saturday, July 20 | Monadnock Speedway | ||
| Saturday, August 3 | Lancaster Motorplex | ||
| Wednesday, August 14 | Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park | ||
| Saturday, August 31 | Oswego Speedway | ||
| Saturday, September 14 | Riverhead Raceway | ||
| Saturday, September 21 | Monadnock Speedway | ||
| Saturday, October 5 | North Wilkesboro Speedway | ||
| Sunday, October 13 | Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park | ||
| Saturday, October 26 | Martinsville Speedway |
