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Orchard Park, New York, native captures first series title after 16 years of competition on the Modified Tour
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 10, 2026) – A career’s worth of persistence paid off Saturday night at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, where Patrick Emerling claimed the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in the World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com.
The 33-year-old from Orchard Park, New York and driver of the No. 1 USNE Power Modified was able to clinch his first career title by simply starting the 161st NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Thompson, beating out last year’s champion Austin Beers who finishes second in the standings.
“It’s really special,” said Emerling. “This USNE Power No. 1 team didn’t miss a beat all year. I’m speechless. I’ve been running Modifieds for quite a while, and we came pretty darn close a couple of times. We just had a little bit of tough luck for a few years, but finally we were able to get a season to go, for the most part, the way it should.”
A regular presence on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since making his series debut in 2011 at age 18, Emerling capped a career-defining season. He took the points lead after the eighth race of the season at Claremont in July and never relinquished the top spot. On the season, Emerling led all other drivers in wins (5), top-fives (11), and top-10s (14) while also marking a career-high in laps led (694).
“Patrick Emerling is the epitome of a hard-nosed, badass racer,” said Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR’s VP of Industry Development, “His continued dedication and passion to the craft embodies what the Modified Tour is all about. He’s earned this championship, and it’s more than well deserved.”
The weekend began with defending Thompson winner Matt Hirschman pacing practice before 15-year-old Paulie Hartwig III secured the American Racer pole award with a lap of 19.319 seconds. The opening lap of the race nearly ended in disaster when a kill-switch error for Stephen Kopcik triggered a close call with Emerling and others at the front of the field. Following the restart, Emerling worked his way through the top five before engaging in a battle with Hartwig, eventually taking the lead on Lap 82.
Starting ninth, rookie Teddy Hodgdon IV mounted an impressive charge through the field, tracking down Emerling in the closing stages before taking the lead on Lap 132 and holding on to earn his second victory of the season.
Saturday’s race also served as the finale for the FloRacing Connecticut Challenge, a four-race mini-series spanning the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s four events throughout the state of Connecticut. Matt Hirschman claimed victory over Hodgdon by a margin of 15 points and earning $7,500 in prize money. With his two wins in the state, Hodgdon also won an additional $1,250.
The 2026 season marked an important chapter in the continued growth of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with American Racer serving as the Official Tire of the series for the first time and Gary Putnam taking the reins as Series Director. Both milestones underscore a shared commitment to the tradition and competitive spirit that define Modified racing, while laying the groundwork for an even stronger future for one of NASCAR’s most historic touring series.
Details regarding the 2027 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule will be shared at a later date. For updated information as available, fans can visit nascar.com/regional.
