See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will pit this weekend at Watkins Glen International.
NASCAR Cup Series
Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports A[[).
CONCORD, N.C. — What began as a one-off Project 91 race in 2023, continued as a successful Xfinity Series campaign in 2024 and turned into a record-breaking NASCAR Cup Series run in 2025, will continue for years to come as Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing announced a multiyear contract extension Friday.
Van Gisbergen became the winningest foreign-born driver in NASCAR history this year when the Auckland, New Zealand, native won three Cup Series races, pushing his total to four victories in 37 career races.
Friday’s agreement will keep the former V8 Supercars driver at Trackhouse Racing.
“I feel like Trackhouse Racing is my home,” said the 36-year-old Van Gisbergen.
“Trackhouse gave me the opportunity to race at Chicago in 2023. That was just a one-race deal, and everything that has happened since then is because of the chance Justin [Marks, Trackhouse founder and owner] took on me. The men and women at Trackhouse have helped me feel at home in this new challenge, and I’ve been loving every minute of it. We still have a lot of work to do, but I couldn’t be happier.”
Marks created Project 91 in 2022 to expand the organization’s global reach by fielding a Cup Series entry for renowned international racing drivers. 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen raced for Project 91 in 2022 at Watkins Glen International and in 2023 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Van Gisbergen, though popular around the world, was little known to most of the NASCAR audience despite a resume that includes V8 Supercars Championships in 2016, 2021 and 2022, plus 80 wins and 48 pole positions, making him the fourth most successful driver in series history. He also won the Bathurst 1000 in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The NASCAR world took notice at the Chicago Street Race in 2023 when he led nine laps and won the race by 1.259 seconds in overtime. Van Gisbergen became one of six foreign-born drivers to win a Cup Series race and the first driver since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 to win his first Cup Series start.
After signing a driver development contract with Trackhouse Racing, Van Gisbergen raced full-time with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2024, winning at Portland International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway and the Chicago Street Race. He also raced in 12 Cup Series races in 2024.
Trackhouse expanded to a third car in 2025, naming van Gisbergen the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet. In his first full season in the Cup Series, he’s won the inaugural Mexico City race, the Chicago Street Race and at Sonoma. He also owns an Xfinity Series victory at the Chicago Street Race, driving for JR Motorsports.
“We are getting to watch one of the superstars of racing,” Marks said. “What we are asking him to do carries a high degree of difficulty. He’s moved to the other side of the world, learned a new form of racing and at times dominated the competition. He’s one of the greatest.”
Van Gisbergen is rewriting the NASCAR record books. He is:
• Tied for most wins in a rookie season.
• Fastest to three wins in the Modern Era.
• Tied three consecutive road-course wins from pole.
• The most wins for a foreign-born driver in Cup Series history.
• First New Zealander to win a Cup Series race.
As the latest beleaguered driver to become a byproduct in Carson Hocevar’s forceful bid for stardom, Zane Smith has a unique perspective of a sizzling star on the rise.
Nearly two years ago, it was Smith — not Hocevar — who was the young driver being handed the keys to a Cup Series ride at Spire Motorsports and anointed as a NASCAR prodigy.
The circumstances were different — Smith was farmed out to Spire after signing a new contract with Trackhouse Racing, which had yet to expand to three Cup cars. But in a Sept. 16, 2023, news conference at Bristol Motor Speedway, Smith was hailed as the can’t-miss prospect with a blindingly bright future.
“There was a short list of names, and Zane was at the top of that list the whole time,” Trackhouse founder Justin Marks said. “Huge fan of him, what he’s accomplished, his talent and his grind.”
Only 11 months later, Trackhouse announced a split with Smith after the nine-time winner and 2022 champion in the Craftsman Truck Series struggled mightily during his first full year in Cup (average finish of 23.2). Hocevar, who also was promoted to Cup after four Truck victories, provided an inconvenient and telling benchmark.
In their rookie seasons as Spire teammates, Smith, 26, finished nine spots behind Hocevar, 23, in the 2024 points standings.
That’s the historical kindling for a feud that sparked at Iowa Speedway, where Hocevar inadvertently spun Smith after a restart. After falling several laps down for repairs, Smith tried unsuccessfully to return the favor with his No. 38 Ford.
Hocevar poked fun in a social media post after finishing eighth, savagely including the in-car video of Smith’s failed attempt at side-swiping the No. 77 Chevrolet. Even more dismissively, Hocevar (who was confronted by Smith’s crew chief after the Iowa race) posted a photo of the “Take a number” machine ubiquitous at supermarket deli counters.
His former teammate was just another dissatisfied customer who dared to cross paths with Hocevar, who has ruffled the feathers of many veterans while running up front weekly.
If that sounds like bulletin-board material for Smith and his team, there will be no shortage of motivation at Watkins Glen International (incidentally, Hocevar and Smith both finished in the top five there last year).
A weekend at the New York road course will offer constant reminders for Smith of how fleeting life can be in the Cup Series.
Shane van Gisbergen, who became Trackhouse’s third full-time Cup driver this season and essentially sealed Smith being squeezed out of the team’s plans, will try to win his fourth consecutive race on a street or road course. Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom who is destined to replace Daniel Suárez at Trackhouse in Cup next year, will race in NASCAR’s top three national series at The Glen.
It didn’t work out quite that way for Smith, who landed at Front Row Motorsports for the 2025 season with the scars from “an ugly year” that he believes made him stronger.
“There was a lot of unknowns and uncertainty and just kind of a bad taste, but with that, you move forward,” he said recently about the 2024 season. “I’m trying to do better at living in the now and appreciating what I’ve got. Hopefully, I have a long future racing on Sundays, but nothing is ever promised in motorsports.”
While three races remain before the 16-driver Cup Series playoff field locks before the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Sunday’s affair at Watkins Glen International (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) is the likeliest spot for Michael McDowell or AJ Allmendinger to play spoiler and flip the postseason picture on its head.
Playoff Probabilities provided by Racing Insights (entering Watkins Glen)
The pair of road-course ringers have been hit-or-miss on the left and right-turn circuits this season. Allmendinger has struggled in particular, with just one top 10 coming at Chicago.
McDowell put together top-five runs in Mexico City and Sonoma Raceway and had the dominant car at Chicago before a mechanical failure parachuted the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team to a 32nd-place result.
The silver lining for Allmendinger and McDowell is that they both have success at The Glen. Allmendinger has a career average finish of 10.8 at the New York road course, which is his best among all active Cup tracks. He also scored his first career win at Watkins Glen in 2014. McDowell’s streak of luck at The Glen has all come in the Next Gen car, with two top 10s in the last three events.
Before the green flag drops Sunday, let’s take a closer look at the playoff bubble and see who is lined up to virtually lock themselves into the postseason and who could see their championship hopes crumble.
GREEN FLAG[Who’s in a great spot for Watkins Glen]
Sunday could easily be the day Tyler Reddick (98.70% playoff probability) finally hurdles the 2025 obstacle of not getting to Victory Lane. As long as the drivers mentioned above don’t steal the show at Watkins Glen, the No. 45 23XI Racing driver will go playoff dancing for a sixth consecutive season. Reddick owns three top 10s in four starts at The Glen, with a best finish of seventh in 2022. He’s also tied with Chris Buescher for most top 10s on road courses in the Next Gen car (15).
YELLOW FLAG [Who’s on the fringe for Watkins Glen]
Alex Bowman (88.4% playoff probability) dips here despite being on a pretty hot stretch. The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver has finished 11th or better in seven of the last eight races, with three top fives for good measure. His average finish in that span (8.0) is second to teammate Chase Elliott (7.63), who has finished inside the top 20 in every race in 2025. While Bowman is one of the better road-course racers in the Cup field, he has a real struggle point at Watkins Glen, with no top 10s in eight starts and an average finish of just 21st. It’s one thing if Bowman falls to the 16th spot if a new winner emerges from outside the bubble. However, he can’t allow for either Buescher or Ryan Preece to chip away at his points cushion (plus-40 above Buescher entering Sunday) and will likely need to have a career-best day at The Glen to feel comfortable going to Richmond Raceway.
RED FLAG [Who I’m concerned about heading to Watkins Glen]
Because he’s the last driver currently in, it has to be Buescher. His playoff probability stands at just 52.13%, and he hasn’t helped his case much this summer, with just one top 10 in the last five races. Buescher’s knack for road courses did not come to fruition at Sonoma and Chicago as a mechanical issue stumped the RFK No. 17 team in the Windy City, and Buescher couldn’t make up any ground from the midpack in Wine Country.
However, Buescher is the defending winner at Watkins Glen, getting the best of Shane van Gisbergen out of the bus stop section to take his lone victory in 2024. Van Gisbergen will be the clear favorite to score his fourth victory of the season, but Buescher will be in the mix Sunday and for the rest of the regular season as he also owns victories at Richmond and Daytona International Speedway.
We’ve reached the point in the Cup Series schedule when a single victory can change the entire complexion of the season — both for the winning driver, and for every other name on the bubble with their eye on that ever-shifting elimination line.
After last Sunday’s race at Iowa, there are now just three dates left on the regular-season calendar: Watkins Glen (road course), Richmond (short track) and Daytona (superspeedway). Each has its own specialists — hello, SVG — and those who show up more at one track type than the others. But the common thread is must-win pressure, as a mere three playoff spots remain unfilled, and no one wants to leave their championship fate up to the point standings on the night of the final cutoff.
In other words, anybody who hasn’t won a race yet this year (and that’s all but 13 drivers) has their sights set on a checkered flag in these last three regular-season races. So let’s fire up our race forecast model — which uses rolling projected driver ratings by track type to simulate each race thousands of times — and track which currently winless drivers have the best chance to barge their way into the playoffs the not-so-easy way.
Because in roughly 70% of our simulations, at least one new winner emerged from below the playoff elimination line over the next three races — throwing the postseason picture we thought we knew into complete disarray.
Tyler Reddick (12.1% chance to win at least one remaining race)
Standings situation: 14th, +122 points to the elimination line
No driver can ever feel fully safe without grabbing a W to secure their playoff berth, but Reddick can sleep easier than others on the bubble. Not only does he have a healthy 122-point margin over No. 17 Ryan Preece in the standings if it comes to that, but he’s also going into a situation with as good a chance to win his way in as anyone. While he’s no Shane van Gisbergen, Reddick is among the best road racers in the sport, with an average Driver Rating of 92.7 (seventh-best) on those tracks this season, his fourth straight year with a rating above 90. Even with the spectre of SVG hanging over the field, The Glen is arguably Reddick’s best shot at the playoff-clinching win. If not, he heads to a short track — a type where he’s usually merely good, not great, though he has finished top 10 in consecutive races at Richmond. And finally, it might be down to rolling the dice at Daytona, where Reddick has either finished top five or outside the top 24 in all 12 races he’s run. (Talk about high variance!)
Alex Bowman (11.7% chance)
Standings situation: 15th, +63 points to the elimination line
It feels like the winning breakthrough is coming soon for Bowman, who’s finished 11th or better in seven of his past eight races, including three straight top 10s. And why not this week? Similar to Reddick, the driver of the No. 48 car is among the better road-course drivers in Cup, with the eighth-best average Driver Rating (86.4) on that type of circuit in 2025. That boosts his odds to win on Sunday — even though Watkins Glen hasn’t necessarily contributed as much to Bowman’s record in that regard as other tracks. If not, Bowman is merely OK at short tracks, though he is a former Richmond winner. And for whatever it’s worth, he is consistently competitive on drafting tracks, even if he’d prefer not to rely on that path to the playoffs. In roughly 30% of the simulations, Bowman gets at least two more top 10s, which would improve his chances to get in on points, but the win is a safer option.
Ty Gibbs (11.2% chance)
Standings situation: 19th, -87 points to the elimination line
Gibbs benefits from a couple of factors here. First, he’s been in his best form of the season recently — as evidenced by his win in the In-Season Challenge two weeks ago at Indianapolis. While merely average the past few weeks, Gibbs had a Driver Rating in the triple-digits four times in six races before that, after breaking that barrier only once in the preceding 15 races. Second, Gibbs is on the short list of drivers who could actually win over SVG at a road course; his average rating on the twisty tracks is 93.5 this season, fourth-best in Cup. Gibbs finished fifth at Watkins Glen two years ago, so this weekend will be his best shot at winning his way into the playoffs — otherwise, he’ll be relying on Richmond (where his record is nothing special) and Daytona (where his plate-racing skills are mediocre). Look for him to have it all ride on The Glen.
Chris Buescher (9.7% chance)
Standings situation: 16th, +23 points to the elimination line
Buescher is an interesting comparison for Gibbs, because the former is ahead of the latter in the standings (well ahead, in fact), but both are relying heavily on a road-course victory if they’re going to win their way into the playoffs instead of sweating out the bubble. As the defending winner here, Buescher can absolutely do it again — we’ve seen him do the incredible and pass SVG on the final lap at a road course, and he remains a solid road racer this season (even if his rating on those circuits is down to 10th-best in the series). But Buescher is not as strong on short tracks and superspeedways in general, which cuts into his chances in the statistical model. One note, however, is that in Buescher’s career year of 2023, he won both the Richmond and Daytona summer races, so the general data may be underrating the magic he’s hoping to pull off again this year.
Ryan Preece (9.2% chance)
Standings situation: 17th, -23 points to the elimination line
Speaking of career years driving for RFK Racing, Preece is having one of those this season — and if the racing gods are feeling generous, they’ll help him add to it with a checkered flag before the final cutoff at Daytona. Back-to-back top fives at Indy and Iowa have capped off a recent stretch of consistency for Preece that’s seen him finish 15th or better 10 times in the past 12 races, a big part of why he’s close on Buescher’s tail in the points. But the reason he’s not higher here is that he has been less dominant than those finishes would lead us to think (he’s cracked a 90 Driver Rating just twice in that period), lowering his ceiling for that breakthrough first career win. At the remaining three regular-season tracks, Preece has just five career top 10s and two top fives in 24 starts, so he’ll need to improve his upside there in order to claim victory.
Brad Keselowski (8.7% chance)
Standings situation: 21st, -121 points to the elimination line
Of all the drivers who feel a desperate need for a win to extend their playoff chances and have driven well enough to get one, Keselowski tops the list. Unlike Bowman, who could still get in on points even if one new winner emerges from below him, Brad K. has essentially no chance to make up his 121-point deficit — and leapfrog five drivers (including two teammates) on points — over the next three races. So it’s down to a must-win string of races for the 2012 Cup Series champ, who started the year miserably but has shown outstanding progress in recent weeks. Going back to Pocono on June 22, Keselowski has finished top 11 or better in six of his past seven races, and his current rolling projected Driver Rating is the highest it’s been in more than a calendar year. (That includes a 124.4 at Iowa in a race he could have won.) He’s still probably not in good enough road-racing form to win at The Glen, but Brad K. is good on short tracks as a multi-time Richmond winner, and has a Daytona night race win in his resume as well. A playoff-clinching win would seal one of the greatest in-season turnarounds of the playoff era.
Best of the rest: Michael McDowell (7%), Carson Hocevar (6.7%), A.J. Allmendinger (6.1%), Kyle Busch (5.3%), John Hunter Nemechek (4%).
For the first time in five years and only the third time since 2000, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will compete at Watkins Glen International with the Mission 176 at The Glen (Fri., 5 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to start NASCAR’s tripleheader weekend.
Current Xfinity Series championship contender Austin Hill won the previous truck race at the iconic New York road course in 2021, fending off now-Cup Series driver John Hunter Nemechek and Hill’s fellow Xfinity Series regular Sheldon Creed for the trophy. You have to rewind the clocks to 2000 for the previous Truck Series race at The Glen, won from pole position by Greg Biffle.
Returning from a week off, the Truck Series has only two races remaining to set the 10-driver playoff field. Seven drivers have already secured their championship opportunity through victories this season, leaving three positions open to points heading into the weekend.
Tricon Garage’s Corey Heim holds a commanding 143-point lead on Front Row Motorsports’ Chandler Smith for the Regular Season Championship. Grant Enfinger, Kaden Honeycutt and reigning series champion Ty Majeski currently hold the three points positions inside the playoff grid. Majeski is 61 points above Jake Garcia for that 10th playoff entry. A new winner this weekend could certainly dramatically change the playoff outlook.
Front Row Motorsports’ Layne Riggs is coming off his second win in the series’ last three races, claiming the trophy at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park two weeks ago. Heim won the only previous road-course race of the season at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park.
Four Cup Series drivers are entered this weekend, including Christopher Bell, who will drive the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota for the injured Stewart Friesen. Kyle Busch will pilot the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, with Ross Chastain wheeling the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. Chris Buescher, meanwhile, will make his Craftsman Truck Series debut, driving the No. 66 ThorSport Racing Ford.
Kaden Honeycutt, who has driven for Niece this season, will drive the remainder of the season’s races for the Halmar Friesen team, beginning at Richmond Raceway Aug. 15. Honeycutt and Niece parted ways Aug. 4; Connor Zilisch will fill in for the No. 45 Chevrolet this weekend. Zilisch will do triple duty for the first time in his NASCAR career this weekend.
Practice is at 11:35 a.m. ET Friday, followed immediately by qualifying. FS2 will televise both sessions.
Located 30 minutes north of Denver, just off Interstate 25, rests the last asphalt short track in the state of Colorado.
The facility, Colorado National Speedway, has taken many forms since Gene and Gerta Heffley first conceived the idea of building a race track on what once was 80 acres of farmland at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
Located in Dacono, Colorado, the track opened for business in 1965 as a one-mile dirt oval and was later reconfigured into a high-banked, half-mile dirt track. Colorado National Speedway took its current form in 1989, when the racing surface was again reconfigured and paved to create the current 0.375-mile asphalt oval.
Brian Laurence, who has served as general manager of Colorado National Speedway since 2014, knows better than anyone the challenges that come with running a race track.
One is the constant questioning of the future of the venue, which is the only NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track in the state.
“Having been here as long as I have, I got used to the fact that at least once a month someone would knock on the door and ask if the property was for sale,” Laurence said. “Our former owners (Jim and Sue Nordhougen) would always ask the exact same question: What do you want to do with it? Sometimes it’s condos, sometimes it’s warehouses, sometimes they’re going to store garbage trucks. You never knew what the answer was really going to be.
“The owners’ response was always, ‘Sorry, it’s only for sale to someone who wants to run a race track.’ It’s been here too long, and it’s got too much tradition behind it to just bulldoze it and say goodbye.”
Enter Chad Andersen and Stacy Bivona-Andersen, who took ownership of the facility in 2025 and gave it a much-needed refresh.
Colorado National Speedway opened in 1965 as a one-mile dirt track. It wasn’t paved until 1989. (Photo: Chet Strange/ARCA Racing)
“They have infused some cash into the place, which has allowed us to put in some new bleachers and some new concrete all through the pits and dress that up,” Laurence said. “Everything out here has gotten a coat of paint. Sanded down, primed up and painted up. I don’t want to say it looks brand new, because one of the things they focused on was not destroying the nostalgic value of the place.
“They came to understand no one wants the place to be completely reinvented. What they’re looking for is the same old place they’ve always come to, just fixed up a little bit. That’s been their focus, to bring things back to a level where you go, ‘Boy, they’ve really put some effort into this.’”
The efforts by the new ownership group haven’t gone unnoticed by competitors. Dan Alamaa, who competes in the Late Model class, was once a regular at I-25 Speedway in nearby Pueblo, Colorado.
That track, like all the other asphalt short tracks in the state beyond Colorado National, has closed.
“There are times you want to complain about calls or officiating or this or that, but at the end of the day, this is the only asphalt track in the state now, and you have to embrace it,” Alamaa said. “It’s the only place to be if you’re into this. You’ve got to love it.”
From a driver’s perspective, Alamaa said there is everything to love and nothing to hate about Colorado National Speedway.
“It’s wide enough to pass and race without tearing each other up,” Alamaa said. “They say if you can win up here you can pretty much run anywhere, and I think a lot of guys have really proved that. (Jace) Hansen, (Jerry) Robertson, those kinds of guys that go to different race tracks and they’re a threat.”
Colorado National Speedway typically hosts NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series competition from May through October, with Super Late Models serving as the headlining division alongside a variety of other classes including Late Models, Pro Trucks, Super Stocks, Legends, Bandoleros and more. The track also hosts other events such as annual visits by the ARCA Menards Series West and CARS Tour West, Figure 8 racing and car meets.
A major focus for the team at Colorado National Speedway is to make sure the track and amenities are always family friendly. That includes everything from the cost of concessions to making sure there is a family section in the grandstands.
The goal is simple: Make sure the entire family has fun, and if they all do, they’ll be more inclined to come back.
The ARCA Menards Series West is one of several touring divisions that visit Colorado National Speedway each season to compliment a full schedule of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing. (Photo: Chet Strange/ARCA Racing)
“At the very basic level, my statement to everybody and anybody who has never been here before is this is still a place where a family of four can drive in, park, get in the gate and feed the family of four for $100 or less,” Laurence said. “That’s to get them in the door. Once you’re here, the thing that seems to surprise most people is that it is so family centric. We have a family section that is no alcohol and no smoking.
“My security team feels unnecessarily small until you realize the crowd basically polices itself. The moms and dads all know each other. They all sit in the same seats every weekend. Typically, people that get out of line are basically scolded and put in their place by some of our race moms long before security ever even gets there.”
Despite the challenges that come with operating a race track, Laurence says Colorado National Speedway continues to thrive. There were challenging times, like during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the facility continues to thrill fans and competitors alike on a weekly basis.
The track was repaved in 2019 shortly before the pandemic. That, combined with the upgrades being made by the new ownership group, has Laurence excited to find out what the future holds for the last asphalt short track in Colorado.
“We’re thrilled to be where we are and with where things are going,” Laurence said. “We read the news. We see unfortunately a lot of our sister tracks shutting down. We’re the last ones here in Colorado.
“People need a place to get away from the real world and enjoy a hobby. So, we’re committed to working like hell to keeping this place here, keep it open and continue making improvements.”
Colorado National Speedway will host its Advance Auto Parts Night at the Races on Saturday, Aug. 9. Full details and ticket information are available by visiting www.coloradospeedway.com.
THOMPSON, Conn. — When the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visited Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park last August, Patrick Emerling led every lap from the Hoosier Tire Pole.
Defending that victory Wednesday evening required Emerling to drive from the rear of the field.
Piloting Geoff Bodine’s iconic No. 1 Big Red Modified scheme in the Thompson 150 presented by FloSports.com, Emerling emulated the legendary competitor by methodically carving his way through the field. With 26 laps remaining, Emerling utilized fresh tires to make the race-winning pass on Jake Johnson and score his second victory of 2025.
Being able to climb from dead last on the starting grid to Victory Lane carried plenty of catharsis for Emerling, especially since he got to celebrate the moment with Bodine himself.
“We battled some adversity there,” Emerling said. “We weren’t running right all day and were tinkering around in qualifying. We qualified really good but were lacking a little horsepower and had a little bit of a stumble. We made some adjustments, started last, came back through and got it done.”
Starting 27th out of 27 cars was not an auspicious scenario for Emerling, but it was also a familiar one.
Emerling was forced to start in the rear for the season-opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. With a record number of cautions befalling the event, Emerling used pit strategy to cycle his way toward the front of the field, which enabled him to overtake Craig Lutz late in the race and begin 2025 with a victory on his resume.
As was the case in New Smyrna, Emerling on Wednesday stayed patient and waited for the right moment to bring his car down pit lane. Staying on sequence with leaders Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore, the two stops from Emerling’s crew were quick enough for him to come out third within his group, though he would still need to negotiate his way around cars on older tires.
With the second half going caution-free, Emerling had all the time he needed to muscle his way around Bonsignore and Matt Hirschman, who were both on the same strategy, and power his way to the front. Even though he only ended up leading a fraction of the laps he led last year, Emerling’s car on Wednesday proved to be just as efficient.
Hirschman could only watch as Emerling’s Big Red Modified carved through lapped traffic with ease. A stack-up between the leaders caused Hirschman to surrender a pivotal spot to Emerling, but he departed Thompson confident that his team had made significant progress toward one day securing a victory at the historic track.
“Only a win is a win, but for this team and our past history at Thompson, this was by far our best performance,” Hirschman said. “We had good long run speed once last October here, but that was the only time. I was going forward, and that got us all the way here to second.
“We’re a work-in progress, but we took a big jump.”
Hirschman did not even place inside the top 10 in the Modified Tour’s first visit to Thompson this year in April, a race that saw Emerling place second to Silk.
Emerling, who had Bodine’s Big Red Modified scheme adorned on his car for that race, as well, knew he was strong enough to win at Thompson that night but was unable to do so. Bringing Bodine’s iconic colors to Thompson’s Victory Lane in the Modified Tour’s 750th race proved to be a more fitting outcome.
After Emerling climbed out of his car, Bodine climbed on top of it like he had done so many times during his own Modified career. Bodine extended his praise toward Emerling for the poise he displayed with turning a poor start into a victory celebration.
“It looked like the old days with the Big Red No. 1 going from the back to the front,” an exuberant Bodine said in Victory Lane. “I don’t know what they did on the pit stop, but they tuned [Emerling] up, and [he] was gone.
“That was awesome. I’ve got to come to more of these.”
During the final laps, Emerling started to wonder whether extraneous circumstances would prevent him from winning in the Big Red Modified. Emerling entered Thompson with the second most laps led of any Modified Tour competitor in 2025 but only had the New Smyrna victory to show for that efficiency.
Nothing stood in the way of a win for Emerling on Wednesday. He continued the legacy of one of Modified racing’s most iconic rides, all while adding onto his own.
“This is a beautiful car,” Emerling said. “I’ve got to thank everyone involved. I was tearing up on that victory lap. We’ve had the best car the past five races or so, but had a lot of inopportune cautions. We got bounced around, but here there wasn’t any caution and not a chance for anything to happen.”
Following Emerling and Hirschman in third was Kyle Bonsignore, with Johson and Eric Goodale completing the top five.
The rest of the top 10 finishers were Matt Swanson, Austin Beers, Justin Bonsignore, Silk and Jacob Lutz.
Next up for the Modified Tour is another midweek showing with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 14. The green flag for next Thursday’s race will wave at 7:30 p.m. ET with FloRacing providing live coverage of the on-track action.
