Whelen Modified Tour season preview: Championship contenders, a new tire supplier and more storylines for 2026

The number of drivers hoping to capture the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship seems to grow by the day. More than a dozen drivers have verbally committed to contesting the entire NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule this year, beginning Feb. 7 at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. Headlining that list is defending champion Austin Beers, who returns to the seat of the No. 64 KLM Motorsports Modified owned by Mike and Maggie Murphy. Beers is coming off a championship campaign that saw him score wins at Lancaster Motorplex and Riverhead Raceway. He never finished worst than ninth. In 2026, Beers will face a stacked list of competitors hoping to deny him the honor of back-to-back titles. That list includes three Modified Tour champions. MORE FOR 2026:

• Complete Modified Tour schedule
• Watch all races live on FloRacing

Two-time Modified Tour title winner Ron Silk is back on a full-time basis after competing part-time last year, when he led the series with four wins despite racing in just 11 events. Justin Bonsignore is back for another full season of competition after falling eight points shy of his fifth series championship last year. Jon McKennedy, the 2022 champion, is also making a comeback to full-time competition with his own No. 79 program. Patrick Emerling, who has a new partnership with USNEPower for 2026, should also be considered a championship contender in the No. 1 Modified; he’s won five races over the last two seasons. Other notable contenders include Craig Lutz, Tommy Catalano, Kyle Bonsignore, Tyler Rypkema and Matt Hirschman, each of whom scored wins during an ultra-competitive 2025 campaign that saw nine drivers visit Victory Lane. A trio of Rookie of the Year contenders are also expected to contest the full Modified Tour schedule in 2026. They include Mike Christopher Jr., who will drive the No. 31 for Elite Racing, as well as Teddy Hodgdon and Paulie Hartwig III, who will drive for their own family operations. Additional drivers expected to race full-time include 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephen Kopcik, Trevor Catalano, Eric Goodale, John-Michael Shenette and Ken Heagy.

American Racer becomes new Modified Tour tire supplier

New for 2026 on the Modified Tour is the introduction of American Racer as the series' official tire supplier. The change comes after multiple offseason tire tests that included select Modified Tour teams giving feedback about the potential change. As part of the agreement, American Racer has signed on to support multiple contingency awards through the 2026 season. They include the American Racer Pole Award, which will dish out $1,500 to each pole winner. American Racer will also sponsor the Hard Charger Award, with the highest finishing eligible driver who advances the most positions from the start of the race to the end of the race earning an additional $1,000. Additionally, American Racer will award three sets of tires to teams after each event. One set will go to a random team (determined via a post-race draw) that finishes between 10th and 25th. Another set will be awarded to the highest finishing new team. The third set will go to the winner of the American Racer Hard Luck Award, which will be determined via a media vote. [caption id="attachment_498394" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Mike Christopher Jr. is one of three rookies expected to compete for Modified Tour wins in 2026. (Photo: Rachel O’Driscoll/NASCAR)[/caption]

Modified Tour rookie field among the strongest in years

The trio of drivers expected to compete for the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year Award could be considered the strongest in years. Mike Christopher Jr., Paulie Hartwig III and Teddy Hodgdon all join the series with ample experience and high expectations. Christopher Jr., of course, is the son of Mike Christopher Sr. and the nephew of the late Ted Christopher, who won 42 races and the 2008 Modified Tour championship. Christopher Jr. has made nine Modified Tour starts since 2021. In his third start, he found Victory Lane at Jennerstown Speedway in 2022 while driving for Tommy Baldwin Jr. The 26-year-old in 2026 will pilot the No. 31 Elite Racing entry owned by Alan Dering. Matt Hirschman previously drove the Elite Racing entry, splitting the year between Dering’s car and the PeeDee Motorsports entry owned by Roy Hall. Hartwig enters the Modified Tour with an abundance of potential. The 15-year-old has raced Modifieds in the Southeast over the last two seasons, scoring a win last year at historic Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Due to age restrictions, Hartwig will miss the opening race of the season at New Smyrna, where Carson Loftin will drive the No. 73 in his place. However, Hartwig is scheduled to compete in the remaining 15 races on the schedule. Hodgdon got his feet wet with the Modified Tour one season ago by competing in five events. He earned a best finish of 12th at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The 25-year-old from Danbury, Connecticut has been a fixture at Modified events in the Northeast for several years. He has wins at Seekonk Speedway, Stafford Speedway and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park under his belt in various divisions. [caption id="attachment_494926" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Gary Putnam, a former competitor, is the new NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series Director. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)[/caption]

Gary Putnam ready to lead the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

A new-but-familiar face is taking over as Series Director of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2026. Gary Putnam, a competitor with decades of experience both behind the wheel and as a mechanic, was named the new NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series Director late last year. Putnam is a veteran of 34 Modified Tour starts who's also spent time working for a variety of NASCAR programs during his lengthy motorsports career. He spent time as a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series for Petty Enterprises and worked with drivers like Bill Elliott, John Andretti and Jamie McMurray. A Modified guy at heart, Putnam fills the role vacated by Jimmy Wilson, who was promoted to a new position within NASCAR during the 2025 season. Putnam is the fifth Series Director in the history of the modern Modified Tour, which was founded in 1985. “This opportunity came at the right time in my life and career,” Putnam said in November. “I’m super excited. This division has always been a passion of mine, from infancy probably. I’m looking forward to this a lot.”