The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will race at Iowa Speedway
in 2020.
NASCAR’s oldest division will make its furthest-ever trek
out west when it races at the 7/8-mile track located just East of Des Moines on
July 31 and August 1 alongside the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
While the rest of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour scheduled
has yet to be revealed, it is a safe assumption that the familiar mix of New
England Short tracks and Southern bullrings will be retained in addition to
Iowa.
The Tour will also return to Martinsville Speedway next
spring alongside the NASCAR Cup Series. The inclusion of Iowa makes the series
a true national touring division, a fact not lost on defending champion Justin
Bonsignore.
“I am excited,” Bonsignore said. “Anytime we
can put our series in front of a new audience it is great. As a driver, I love
going to new facilities and this looks to be a beautiful place. I really
appreciate Iowa Speedway for going out on a limb and having us showcase what I
feel is the best racing in the world.
“It should be a great race, similar to what you see at New Hampshire.”
READ MORE: Complete Short Track Scene Modified coverage
The races at one-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway are unique
because the cars feature restrictor plates that keep the cars bunched together
and push-drafting down the long straightaways. With another track is close
enough to a mile, fans should expect something similar for Iowa.
With stops at Martinsville and
Iowa, NASCAR is pushing the Modified Tour to a national audience, in addition
to the fact that all the races are now live streamed on the FansChoice.TV
platform.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt this much excitement
about an upcoming season,” said Iowa Speedway President David Hyatt. “From
the fans to competitors and media, it’s industry-wide excitement and we are
already looking forward to it.
“The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Iowa Speedway are a perfect match.”
Even though the modern era of the Whelen Modified Tour started
in 1985, the first recorded NASCAR Modified race was held in 1948 on the sands
of Daytona Beach and won by Red Byron, who eventually was crowned NASCAR’s
first champion.
“We are thankful
for the opportunity to expose fans in the Midwest to the type of racing fans in
New England and a few other places have loved for years with the Whelen
Modified Tour,” said Brandon Thompson, Managing Director, NASCAR Touring
Series.”
The Tour has produced several drivers and crew members who have climbed the ladder to the three NASCAR national series. A few include Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Donny Lia, Mike McLaughlin, Jeff Fuller, Steve Park, Jimmy Spencer and Mike Stefanik are included on the list. Also joining those modified standouts is Ryan Preece.
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Ed Yerrington
July 28, 2019 at 8:17 am
How about Ron Bouchard Pete Hamilton