2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule Announced
During the recent Touring Series Awards Gala (Concord, NC) NASCAR announced the 2010 Whelen Modified Tour schedule. The 2010 season consists of 14 events in five states – including the addition of two new venues: Lime Rock Park and Monadnock Speedway.
Highlights from the 2010 schedule include:
• The 1.53-mile road course at Lime Rock Park (Lakeville, CT) will play host to the WMT for the first time on July 3 as part of a doubleheader with the NASCAR Camping World Series East. It will mark the first time the Tour has competed on a road course since 2000. The competitors will run the course in the traditional clockwise fashion, but will utilize the ‘new course.’
• The July 17 event at Monadnock (Winchester, NH) will mark the return for the WMT to the quarter-mile oval for the first time in two decades. The Tour held five events there from 1986-90.
• Traditionally the marquis events of the season, the WMT returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 26 and September 18. As in the past, both dates run in conjunction with NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.
• After the success of the inaugural event at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN) in 2009, the ‘World’s Fastest Half Mile’ will return to the schedule in 2010, once again as a combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. The Modifieds will run as a part of a doubleheader on Aug. 18 with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
• Martinsville Speedway (VA) will welcome the WMT for the 35th time on June 6. In a change for 2010, Martinsville will be a 200-lap, doubleheader with the Camping World Series East – not a combination race with the WSMT.
• In addition to the first and last races of the year, Thompson will also play host to the Tour on Aug. 12.
• Stafford will have the traditional Spring Sizzler (April 25) and Fall Final (Oct. 3) events, which will bookmark mid-season dates at the historic half mile on May 28 and Aug. 6. The May race will be extended to 125 laps in 2010.
• Riverhead Raceway (NY) will return to the schedule on July 31. Riverhead and Thompson are the only venues to play host to the Whelen Modified Tour in each season of its existence.
2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule
Sun., April 11: Thompson International Speedway (.625-Mile), Thompson, CT
Sun., April 25: Stafford Motor Speedway (.5-Mile), Stafford, CT
Fri., May 28: Stafford Motor Speedway (.5-Mile), Stafford, CT
Sun., June 6: Martinsville Speedway (.526-Mile), Martinsville, VA
Sat., June 26: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-Mile), Loudon, NH
Sat., July 3: Lime Rock Park (1.53-Mile Road Course), Lakeville, CT
Sat., July 17: Monadnock Speedway (.25-Mile), Winchester, NH
Sat., July 31: Riverhead Raceway (.25-Mile), Riverhead, NY
Fri., Aug. 6: Stafford Motor Speedway (.5-Mile), Stafford, CT
Thu., Aug. 12: Thompson International Speedway (.625-Mile), Thompson, CT
Wed., Aug. 18: Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-Mile), Bristol, TN
Sat., Sept. 18: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-Mile), Loudon, NH
Sun., Oct. 3: Stafford Motor Speedway (.5-Mile), Stafford, CT
Sun., Oct. 17: Thompson International Speedway (.625-Mile), Thompson, CT
Season Closes with Annual World Series
This past weekend NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour rolled into Thompson International Speedway (Thompson, CT) for the World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart. The 150-lap event marked the close of the 2009 race season for the WMT.
On Saturday, persistent rain showers caused the cancellation of all on-track activity. As a result of Saturday’s washout – practice was cut to 30 minutes and qualifying was canceled (the field was set according to points).
On Sunday, the WMT teams ran in a brief practice session. Following the practice all WMT drivers participated in an autograph session for the fans in attendance.
At approximately 4:35 the green flag waved signifying the start of the final event of the WMT’s 25th season. The UNION Insurance Group/SpaceFitters Chevrolet started the race from the 25th starting spot. When the caution came out on lap 43, the team brought the car to pit road for tires and fuel and adjustments. Shortly thereafter, on lap 82, Renee spun her ill-handling car trying to stay in front of the leaders. Eventually, the No. 90 car would find its way back onto the lead-lap (via the Lucky Dog) – but with about 20 to go – the car developed an electrical problem. After losing several laps in the pits, the team remedied the situation and returned the car to the track. In the end the electrical problem forced the team to finish the race three laps down from the leaders.
Teddy Christopher won the race and Donnie Lia captured the Championship. The No. 90 car was credited with a 16th place finish.
“We had all sorts of problems today,” recounted Renee. “We were loose from the start. Then we lost the brakes. We seemed to fix all that during our many stops – then we lost power with an electrical problem. It’s certainly not how we wanted to end the season.”
With the 2009 season in the record book, we look forward to keeping your updated with off-season news and notes. Please check back for frequent updates.
Thompson’s World Series Postponed
With snow gently falling over much of the state and temperatures dropping into the mid-30s – and more bad weather in the forecast – Thompson International Speedway officials have postponed the World Series of Speedway Racing.
Originally scheduled for this weekend, the event has been postponed until Oct. 23-25. The schedule for the weekend will remain the same. This is just the second race during the 2009 season that has been postponed.
According to published reports in The Hartford Courant, Don Hoenig (Thompson’s track owner ) was quoted as saying: “We desperately wanted to run the World Series event this weekend. But, when virtually every weather forecast is predicting a complete wash out, we felt we had no choice but to move everything to next weekend.”
Next Saturday’s schedule calls for Whelen Modified Tour qualifying at 2:30 PM, with the 150-lap Whelen Modified Tour race going off on Sunday at approximately 3:30 PM.