With the Modified Tour title in sight, Patrick Emerling wants to put the cherry on top with a win at Thompson

Patrick Emerling has spent 16 years chasing a dream. On Sunday at Connecticut's Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, that dream will come true. The driver of the No. 1 USNEPower Motorsports Modified will clinch his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship when the green flag waves to start the World Series 150 (4:30 p.m. ET on NASCAR Channel and FloRacing). That doesn’t mean the 33-year-old from Orchard Park, New York is resting on his laurels. Quite the opposite, in fact. ENTRY LIST: See who's racing Sunday at Thompson “Our mind is in a place where we’re just going to do what we normally do every race,” Emerling said. “We’re going to go out and try to win the thing. We’re going to try to do the same thing that we did at Riverhead and Oswego. “That’s our goal, to cap off the season on a really high note at Thompson.” Emerling, who has been a regular face at NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events since he made his series debut in 2011 at the age of 18, has put together a career-defining season as he stands on the verge of his first championship. He enters the Thompson finale with a career-best five victories. He’s led a career-high 659 laps this year and leads all drivers in top fives and top 10s this season. [caption id="attachment_528051" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Patrick Emerling (right) has leaned on crew chief Dale Hedquist (left) as they've chased the Modified Tour championship this season. (Photo: Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)[/caption] The success Emerling has enjoyed this year is a testament to the work the USNEPower Motorsports team, which is led by crew chief Dale Hedquist, has put in this season. “I’m just really proud of the whole group and the whole group effort,” Emerling said. “USNEPower, Dale Hedquist and the whole crew. These races are a full group effort. Just really proud of the group and everyone involved to be able to make this happen. It’s really, really exciting.” Thompson is a track where Emerling has enjoyed success, including Modified Tour victories in each of the last two seasons. His 2025 victory was particularly impressive, because he was forced to start the race from the rear due to an unapproved adjustment. He still found his way through the field to earn a trip to Victory Lane. Another Thompson victory Sunday to close his championship campaign would be the perfect cherry on top for what has been a dream season in NASCAR’s oldest division. With that in mind, Emerling said his team has put extra emphasis on preparing for Sunday’s finale. [caption id="attachment_528052" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Patrick Emerling has won a career-best five Modified Tour races this season. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)[/caption] “We’re racers; we just want to go do our thing,” Emerling said. “Dale, the whole group, we really loaded all of our guns up for this race. It’s just a race we really want. We ran good at Thompson, we did have a couple wins, and we finished third there in the summer race. “We just want to improve on that and keep the momentum going in the last race of the year.” For Emerling and company, the goal ahead of the World Series 150 is simple: Win the race, win the championship and celebrate accordingly. Based on what Emerling and the No. 1 team have accomplished already this season, it would be hard to bet against them Sunday evening. “That would be absolutely incredible (to win at Thompson),” Emerling said. “At that point that would be a six-win season. That would be just awesome. That’s what we’re going to try to do. Just approach it like we’ve approached every race all year and just have fun. “The whole team really enjoys what they’re doing, and I enjoy it. Everyone involved in the USNEPower No. 1 car enjoys what they’re doing and has a lot of fun doing it. Keep it fun, do our thing and compete for a win.”