When Austin Beers became a regular competitor on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, he didn’t have much experience racing at the tracks throughout the Northeast that make up the bulk of the series schedule.
His competition — drivers like Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk — grew up competing at places like Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park or Riverhead Raceway, staples on the schedule for decades. If there is one track where Beers has the upper hand in terms of experience, though, it’s Lancaster Motorplex outside of Buffalo, New York.
“When I go to Thompson or Riverhead, Justin (Bonsignore) and Ron (Silk) and all those Connecticut or Riverhead guys have all those laps,” Beers said. “Lancaster was one of the first tracks that, when I started to travel with the RoC Modified Series, it was one of the first tracks I went to.
“So, I kind of have an advantage on them more so than when we go to Thompson or Riverhead when they have thousands of more laps than me.”
Beers, from Northampton, Pennsylvania, ran his first full Modified Tour season in 2022 when he was 19. He has quickly become one of the series’ fastest rising stars.
Beers scored his first victory in 2023 at Richmond Raceway, which he followed with another win later that season at Lancaster. He won once last season at — you guessed it — Lancaster.
So what makes Beers, who is younger by at least a decade than most of his competition, so good at Lancaster?
“There is nothing that really suits me,” Beers explained. “It’s more of an experience thing. I just have a lot of laps (there).”
Lancaster is one of the most unique tracks on the Modified Tour schedule. The multi-purpose facility features a drag strip that is integrated into the frontstretch portion of the oval on which Beers and the rest of the Modified Tour field will compete Saturday night.
As a result, Beers says, drivers must attack the frontstretch different than the rest of the track. One wrong move could cost a competitor the entire race.
“It’s definitely unique. The increase in grip (on the frontstretch) is crazy,” Beers explained. “You almost have to set your car up to be straight going onto it, because if you’re turned sideways getting onto the grip, once it grips up and you’re turning right, you’re going right into the fence.
“It’s pretty tricky. It takes some getting used to at the exit (of Turn 4). Out of (Turn) 4 the top groove kind of tapers off over to the drag strip even more, so if you catch it early, then it upsets the car, as well.
“It’s all little nitpick things you have to figure out the longer you run there.”
Beers, who drives the No. 64 KLM Motorsports Modified for team owner Mike Murphy, used different methods to win at Lancaster each of the last two seasons.
In 2023, a fast pit stop catapulted Beers to the lead, and he held off Matt Hirschman to win. One year later, a storm before the race created tricky track conditions, which Beers figured out the best.
“Hopefully this season we can win by more than a car length, because I feel like it’s been just about a car length each time we’ve won,” Beers said. “I’d like to have a bit of a gap coming to the checkered flag.”
Saturday’s race marks the seventh event of the 2025 Modified Tour season, a year in which the series has seen six different winners through the first six races. The record, seven, was set in 1999.
Despite being the most consistent driver on Tour so far this year, Beers has not yet found Victory Lane. As the two-time and defending winner at Lancaster, he’s the obvious favorite to not only win, but also match that series record of different winners to start a season.
Beers knows winning again at Lancaster won’t be a cakewalk, but based on experience, the odds do appear to be in his favor.
“I think it shows how competitive the Tour actually is,” Beers said, “Six different winners in six races is pretty incredible, and there are plenty of other guys that can win. Obviously Trevor Catalano got a win last year; he’s a contender. Tommy (Catalano) is still looking for that first win, and I think Lancaster is a place he can win. There are plenty of other guys that can still win.
“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. The team is doing a great job bringing great race cars to the track. The pit crew is doing a hell of a job. It’s very comforting coming down pit road knowing we’re probably going to gain a few spots on pit road because out pit crew has been amazing and very consistent. I know when we make the right adjustments we can go forward.”