There is no shortage of experience and talent on the entry list for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s season-ending Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Thursday night (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing).
Mixed in with Modified veterans from both the northeast and the south are two NASCAR Cup Series legends in Bobby Labonte and Ryan Newman. The duo is once again back with Sadler-Stanley Racing for Martinsville, piloting the No. 38 and No. 39 Modifieds, respectively.
Mods at Martinsville: Entry List | Buy Tickets | How to WatchDespite entering the Cup Series nearly a decade later than Labonte, Newman has more track time in a Modified. Since 2008, Newman has made at least one start in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour each year, with 2020 being the exception. The 2008 Daytona 500 winner has amassed four victories, 16 top fives and seven poles during that time, with his most dominant stretch being a clean sweep of the three races he entered in 2010.
[caption id="attachment_411347" align="alignleft" width="300"]Labonte has been competing in Modifieds since 2020, when he started making appearances in events around the southeast. Driving for Mike Smith, Labonte, a two-time race winner in a Modified, has applied the same efficient driving style that won him the Cup Series title in 2000.
In their first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season together under the Sadler-Stanley Racing banner, Newman and Labonte have endured mixed results.
Labonte qualified inside the top 10 for both of his Modified Tour appearances this year. He brought home a sixth-place finish at Richmond Raceway in March but was unable to replicate that showing at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May after getting swept up in a crash with fewer than 40 laps remaining.
As for Newman, who was unable to compete at Richmond after the race was pushed back a day, he put together a vintage performance at North Wilkesboro, leading six laps and finishing sixth in the 38-car field.
Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville marks one year since Newman and Labonte first raced Modifieds as teammates. Labonte's night ended after 63 laps due to an accident, but Newman survived two late restarts to finish third behind Matt Hirschman and race-winner Corey LaJoie.
Both Newman and Labonte will look to add one more accomplishment to their respective storied resumes when the green flag waves at Martinsville.
[caption id="attachment_411349" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Ryan Preece racing his own Modified at Martinsville
It's been nearly a year since Ryan Preece last participated in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event. That will change Thursday.
The 2013 series champion is bringing his own No. 40 Mizzy Construction Modified to Martinsville for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200. He'll look to obtain his first victory in the series since 2021.
Before embarking on a full-time career in the NASCAR Cup Series, Preece was regarded as one of the best drivers on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Along with his championship, Preece's resume includes 25 victories, 81 top fives, 18 poles and 4,340 laps led.
Preece still makes time for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour whenever his busy schedule allows. Among the teams Preece has raced for in recent years include the iconic Ole Blue No. 3 owned by Jan Boehler and the late Eddie Partridge. Preece was driving that car at Richmond when he obtained his most recent series win.
Thursday serves as a throwback to Preece's rookie season on the Modified Tour, when he ran the entire year with his family-owned team. A victory for Preece at Martinsville would be his first in the series with a car prepared by himself and his father Jeff.
[caption id="attachment_411352" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Bowman Gray champion Brandon Ward looks to build momentum
Veteran racer Brandon Ward achieved a career milestone earlier this year by adding his name to the prestigious list of track champions at Bowman Gray Stadium.
In the months since Bowman Gray’s finale, Ward has turned his attention to other Modified events around the southeast, which will include his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start on Thursday at Martinsville.
Known for his versatility, Ward has visited Victory Lane in nearly every type of car he has competed in over the past two decades. These accomplishments include wins in the now-defunct NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series and the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
Ward and his team New Day Motorsports elected to test their luck with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regulars during the series’ inaugural visit to North Wilkesboro Speedway in September. He managed to work his way to the front but faded to his original starting position of 24th by the time the checkered flag waved.
A strong run at Martinsville in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 would give Ward plenty of confidence heading into 2024, when he plans to run an expanded schedule that includes a defense of his Bowman Gray title.
NOTES:
- John-Michael Shenette will make his third NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start Thursday at Martinsville, and he'll do so with a new partner on board his No. 28 Modified. Anglers Choice Marine, a Bass Boat Superstore with locations in Martinsville, Lexington, N.C. and Spindale N.C., is a family owned business that's been in operation for more than 25 years. Shenette hopes to deliver a new career-high finish after logging a 12th-place run in his Modified Tour debut at Virginia's Langley Speedway in August.
- Patrick Emerling is back in his family-owned No. 07 for Martinsville after finishing in the top five with Joe Stevens at North Wilkesboro. Emerling has been focused on his NASCAR Xfinity Series program this year, with his best run being a 14th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
- Burt Myers is among the southeast contingent looking to challenge the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regulars at Martinsville. Along with being a 10-time champion at Bowman Gray Stadium, Myers won two NASCAR Southern Modified Tour titles in 2010 and 2016.
- Andy Jankowiak’s successful 2023 season has seen him tally several Modified victories and two top fives in the ARCA Menards Series. On Thursday, Jankowiak will make his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start of the year in the No. 59 with Jody Lauzon as he looks to improve upon a 13th with the team at Oswego Speedway.
- Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Joey Coulter is back with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Martinsville in his own No. 02. Coulter primarily competes in Modified events around the southeast, but he heads to Martinsville searching for his first top 10 on the Tour.