Dominion Raceway’s Dickie Boswell Memorial keeps getting better as a celebration of life and Virginia short-track racing

Posted on March 27, 2024March 28, 2024 by Brandon White

A new season of racing at at Dominion Raceway is set to kick off with one of its newest but most cherished events in the Dickie Boswell Memorial.

Organized in honor of Boswell, a veteran short-track competitor who passed away in 2021, the event includes a full itinerary of racing Saturday evening. Dickie’s son Richard Boswell will be a special guest alongside Chase Briscoe, the NASCAR Cup Series driver for whom he crew chiefs.

Dominion Raceway communications director Brandon Fuller is helping staff put the finishing touches on the track before Saturday’s opener. He looks forward to a night of great racing along with celebrating the life of a competitor that meant so much to the track and its predecessor Old Dominion Speedway.

“We’re excited,” Fuller said. “We’ve been making a few improvements to the facility by painting the walls and getting some new signs up on the backstretch. There’s going to be a few folks from the Old Dominion [Speedway] days chatting it up and sharing stories, so everyone is chomping at the bit to get back into racing.”

Fuller added Dickie perfectly encompassed everything that has made Virginia short-track racing so venerable to fans around the country.

Along with accumulating numerous victories in the region, Dickie ventured into national competition during the 1980s. He scored four top fives in 57 appearances with the modern NASCAR Xfinity Series and entered the Daytona 500 back in 1981, failing to qualify for his lone Cup Series attempt.

Even after he retired from full-time competition, Dickie maintained an active presence within the Virginia short-track community, passing down advice to the current generation of drivers. Fuller said the generosity Dickie displayed to others has made him an endearing figure to everyone at Dominion.

A staple of the Virginia short track community, Dickie Boswell accumulate numerous accomplishments as a driver, but stayed involved in racing after his retirement.

“[Dickie] was a winner, but he was also a people person,” Fuller said. “Everybody called him ‘Honey’ or ‘Boz’ in the pits. He was a racer’s racer and helped other guys in the pits as much as he could, and that goes a long way.

“A very funny guy, and wild, but he could always put a smile on your face.”

Dickie’s passion and hands-on attitude for racing helped shape the identity and tagline of his tribute event, “A race for the racers, by the racers.”

Headlining the festivities is a 200-lap Late Model Stock event that will pay $7,500 to the winner. More than $7,000 in specialty awards for the Dickie Boswell Memorial was raised through donations and sponsorship from the community at Dominion.

Fuller anticipates a strong crowd of competitors for the Late Model Stock race and is optimistic the entry list will include names like Peyton Sellers and defending winner Doug Barnes Jr.

Also on the docket is a 28-lap Legends feature that pays tribute to Jason Theriault, the father of Dominion regular Petr Theriault, who passed away over the offseason. Fuller said Jason was embedded into Dominion’s culture just like Dickie and considers it fitting that both are being honored in the same race.

Rounding out the rest of the Dickie Boswell Memorial schedule are races for Midgets and Bandoleros.

Fuller believes everything is lining up for the Dickie Boswell Memorial to be successful in its sophomore iteration after rain forced Dominion to split the event across two days last year. Regarding the on-track product, Fuller anticipates drivers to be equal parts aggressive but respectful.

“This is the first race of the season, so everyone is likely going to be taking care of their equipment,” Fuller said. “[The winning paycheck of] $7,500 is a decent chunk of change, but it’s not anything crazy. I don’t think these guys will be too wild, but I do expect good racing all around.”

A healthy crowd of Late Model Stocks are expected to show up for the second running of the Dickie Boswell Memorial on Saturday. (Photo: Dominion Raceway)

No matter how Saturday’s racing action unfolds, Fuller is already brainstorming with the rest of Dominion’s staff on how to make the Dickie Boswell Memorial more special than it already is.

The ideas range from more pre-race entertainment to having an expanded roundtable session with people who were close with Dickie. Fuller is also hoping a scenario can be formulated in which Cup Series competitors can make the one-hour trip from Richmond Raceway to participate in the event.

“I want us to continue aligning [the Dickie Boswell Memorial] with the Richmond [Cup Series] race,” Fuller said. “We coordinated to get Richard Boswell at [Dominion] with his family, so maybe we can get a few more Cup drivers for an autograph session or in the actual race.”

For now, Fuller is focused on making the second edition of the Dickie Boswell Memorial a rewarding experience for everyone involved. He plans to listen intently alongside fans to the stories about Dickie and what made him so revered amongst the Virginia short track faithful.

Dominion Raceway will open their gates to fans at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon for the Dickie Boswell Memorial. The first green flag is set to wave at 5 p.m. ET.

Posted on March 27, 2024March 27, 2024 by Adam Fenwick

It’s been more than a decade since Ryan Newman last visited Victory Lane on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

He might have his best shot to end that drought Friday, when the series returns to Richmond Raceway for the running of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 (6:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

Mods at Richmond: Entries | How to Watch

(Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Newman will make his second Modified Tour start of the season Friday evening at Richmond. It marks the fourth straight year the 46-year-old has attempted this race on the popular, 0.75-mile asphalt oval where he won a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2003.

Newman’s first Modified Tour run at Richmond came in 2021, when he started and finished fourth having led six laps.

He ran the race again the next year, starting fourth and leading two laps early before fading to a 13th-place finish.

Newman returned to Richmond for last year’s Modified Tour race and qualified 11th. But a weather-related race postponement to the following day meant he was unable to compete due to a scheduling conflict.

Unlike the last two years, when Newman has driven cars fielded by Sadler-Stanley Racing, the driver from South Bend, Indiana on Friday will pilot the No. 77 entry owned by Mike Curb. It’s the same car that Max McLaughlin drove to a third-place finish last year at Richmond.

This won’t be Newman’s first time driving a Modified owned by Curb. Of his 36 previous starts with the Modified Tour, 19 of them have come in Curb’s cars.

The 2008 Daytona 500 winner already has one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start under his belt this year. Driving the No. 14 Advantage Motorsports entry, Newman finished 14th after starting 10th in the opening race of the year at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.

Newman’s last Modified Tour win came in 2011 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Perhaps his next will come Friday at Richmond.

RELATED: Richmond Raceway profile

Austin Beers (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)

Another round of Beers on tap at Richmond?

One year go, Austin Beers put the entire NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour field on notice with a dominant victory at Richmond.

Not only did the then-20-year-old win the pole for the 150-lap event, but he led more than 100 laps on his way to his first Modified Tour victory.

Beers returns to Richmond this Friday in search of another win as he looks to firmly plant himself as a championship contender alongside drivers like Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore.

Last year, Beers used his win at Richmond as a springboard to a fantastic sophomore season with the series. He added a second win at Lancaster Motorplex and finished the year third in the championship standings while also earning six Mayhew Tool Dominator Pole Awards.

His 2024 season got off to a strong start at New Smyrna last month. He started second, ran near the front most of the night and finished just outside the top five in sixth.

Now he’ll look to become the first driver since Mike Stefanik to win in consecutive events at Richmond.

Marcello Rufrano making Whelen Modified Tour debut

A familiar face to Northeastern racing fans will make his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut Friday evening.

Marcello Rufrano, a regular at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway, will make his series debut aboard the No. 17 entry owned by Michelle and Michael Davini.

Rufrano has enjoyed a successful career in SK Light and SK Modifieds at Stafford. He captured the 2018 track championship in the SK Light division at Stafford and has also earned victories in the SK Modified division at the track.

From North Haven, Connecticut, Rufrano will look to make a name for himself in his first Modified Tour start Friday at Richmond. If things go well, this could be the first of many Modified Tour starts for Rufrano.

At just 23, he still has a long career ahead of him.

NOTES:

Bobby Santos III will make his first start of the 2024 season Friday at Richmond driving the No. 14 entry for Advantage Motorsports, the same team Ryan Newman drove for at New Smyrna last month.
Ron Silk enters Friday’s race as the Modified Tour championship leader after his win last month at New Smyrna. With 23 wins under his belt, Silk sits just three victories behind Cup Series driver Ryan Preece for ninth on the all-time Modified Tour win list.
Carson Loftin, widely considered one of the hottest prospects in Modified racing after a string of recent success in the Southeast, will again join the Modified Tour field at Richmond. He was also in the field at New Smyrna, but a mechanical failure forced him to retire from that event early.
Two-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss will make his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start at Richmond on Friday. He has 60 previous series starts with a best finish of third in 2017 at Myrtle Beach Speedway.

Posted on March 27, 2024March 27, 2024 by Dustin Albino

When Sammy Smith won in the infancy of his 2023 rookie season at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, all was looking great. He scored five additional top-five finishes with JGR the rest of the year.

Smith jumped directly from the ARCA Menards Racing Series, running nine races in the Xfinity Series in 2022 to gain experience for what was to come in 2023. His rookie campaign, however, was eye-opening.

“I learned a lot last year,” Smith told NASCAR.com of his rookie season. “Getting to new tracks for the first time — and I was with a new team last year, too. I think that was a combination of both, and every time we went back to a track for the second time, I feel like we performed better and got the car better. I think I was more prepared going there for the second time.”

Smith was learning rapidly, retaining information like a fire hose. He struggled during the summer months, entering the postseason with seven consecutive finishes of 17th or worse, including a trio of DNFs.

During a playoff surge that nearly saw Smith win his way into the Championship 4 at Martinsville Speedway, JR Motorsports announced he would hop over to the Chevrolet camp for the 2024 season to replace Josh Berry in the No. 8 car. That ended Smith’s four-year run with Toyota.

Smith believed a change of scenery was needed because “it clearly wasn’t working” with JGR.

“A lot of different factors that played into mind of moving over here to JRM and Chevy,” Smith said. “Minus Josh, even last year, Justin [Allgaier] and Sam [Mayer] won a lot of races. Every year, [JR Motorsports] proved to win races. We have a new group around us with Adam Wall (crew chief) and a mixture of guys from last year and some new guys. I have a new spotter for myself.

“Everything is new, and it’s been good so far, so I’m looking forward to continuing it on. There were a lot of things for my future that were better. I wouldn’t pinpoint it as just not working, it was just a combination of a lot of things.”

Smith’s entry into the JRM fold also reunited the team with familiar sponsors Pilot Flying J, TMC Transportation and Allstate Peterbilt, which were a part of the team for five seasons with Michael Annett. Annett has mentored Smith over the years, with his late father Harold helping Smith start his racing career.

“It was really special to be able to welcome Sammy and everyone from Pilot Flying J, TMC and Allstate Peterbilt back to the JRM family,” Kelley Earnhardt Miller, CEO of JR Motorsports, provided in a statement. “We built a great relationship with them going back to when we had Michael here, and they were vital to allowing us to become a four-car operation. To have them return this season is something that we are all extremely proud of, and we can’t wait to see what success lies ahead for Sammy and the entire No. 8 team.”

Smith has leaned on Annett in the past for tidbits and information. But largely, Annett has stayed out of the way and let Smith learn on the fly.

“If I had a little more success, he probably would have leaned on me more,” Annett said of Smith in an interview during the 2023 season. “He’s got a bunch of good people around him that he can lean on that have had great success with where they are and he’s shown that.

“He’s shown he’s got what it takes, and he’s going to get it done.”

Seeing how much success JRM has had in recent years — including a team record 15 wins in 2022, followed by an eight-win season last year — Smith expects to run up front early and often. He’s also been paired with Wall, who previously served as an engineer for Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team in the Cup Series.

“I think the goal every weekend is to go out and win, and we want to do that, but it takes a lot more to get to that goal with processes that you have to do during the week,” Smith added. “For us, it’s a lot different because we don’t really know each other, and it makes it a lot tougher to find that balance of what I need when we show up to the track week in and week out.”

Improvements are visible through the first five events in 2024. Smith is tied with Brandon Jones for the most top 10s within the team (three), while veteran drivers Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer combine to have three such results. Through the first five races in 2023, Smith’s lone top 10 was the Phoenix victory.

MORE: 2024 Xfinity Series schedule | Smith to drive in four Truck races

Smith believes it will be building a process before he finds Victory Lane, but he has high expectations for his sophomore season. Smith’s next opportunity to build on that process will come at Richmond Raceway on March 30 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“As much as we wish we could go out and win right away, it’s probably not going to be like that,” Smith said. “We just have to keep working and I feel like that’s something we can go do, we just have to get into a rhythm.”

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Official NASCAR Release

Mechanix Wear, the leader in high-performance hand protection, extended its partnership with NASCAR on Tuesday to enhance the grip on a relationship that has fortified teams and pit crews since 2002.

This multiyear partnership reaffirms Mechanix Wear’s reputation as the Official Glove of NASCAR and the brand that embodies the sport’s relentless pursuit of quality and performance.

“The adrenaline-pumping world of NASCAR has been an incredible partner over the years, trusting us to pioneer advancements that safeguard and empower hardworking hands in the garage and at home,” said Jesse Spungin, Mechanix Wear CEO.

Through various channels, Mechanix Wear and NASCAR will continue to spotlight the work of NASCAR teams and pit crews to raise awareness and provide visibility for the brand’s product.

“It’s a testament to our shared vision and mission of innovation, safety, and performance,” said Spungin. “By extending our partnership and reaffirming our commitment to the deeply passionate NASCAR community, we’re not just protecting the working hands in the sport; we’re sharing their awe-inspiring stories where they resonate most.”

With this partnership renewal, Mechanix Wear also returns to the NASCAR Mexico and NASCAR Canada Series via their contingency programs. The expansion signifies a renewed commitment to racing in North America that aligns with the continued growth of the brand throughout Canada and Mexico.

“Through our longstanding partnership, Mechanix Wear has been synonymous with best-in-class products, safety and innovation in NASCAR,” said Michelle Byron, NASCAR senior vice president of partnership marketing. “As they’ve done for more than 30 years, we’re thrilled that Mechanix Wear will continue to play a leading role in safety and performance at NASCAR events in the United States, Canada and Mexico each and every weekend.”

From the inception of its game-changing Original® glove back in the 1991 Daytona 500 to today’s wide-ranging line of hand protection and other PPE products, Mechanix Wear stands as the gold standard of innovation and performance in its industry. This renewed partnership ensures that as NASCAR continues to redefine the limits of motorsport, Mechanix Wear will remain firmly centered at the crossroads where future technology, safety, and exhilarating storytelling come together.

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Zack Albert

Through six races last season, Alex Bowman was enjoying a tidy three-week run as the NASCAR Cup Series points leader. He won the Daytona 500 pole, led laps in the first three events and rode solid consistency (five top 10s) into that prime perch.

Things did not go up from there. A slight tapering-off led to a more dramatic fall with Bowman’s four-week absence after he suffered a back injury in a sprint-car crash that April. His return to Cup Series competition was a shaky one that yielded just one top-five finish in the 23 races that followed, and his playoff hopes were dashed in his first winless campaign since 2018. Teammate Chase Elliott’s season followed a near-parallel line with a six-week injury pause and a postseason miss, while fellow Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson marched to multi-win seasons and Championship 4 appearances.

Six races into this campaign, Bowman has responded to the pressure to perform — both with his elite teammates and the rest of the Cup Series field as measuring sticks — with some early signs of a positive turnaround. The 30-year-old driver registered his second consecutive top-five result in Sunday’s road-course contest at Circuit of The Americas, providing some stability to the rough edges of the season’s start.

While it’s premature to label Bowman as all the way back — a win would do that — the No. 48 Chevrolet driver has modest early indicators in his favor. The steep expectations that stem from being part of one of NASCAR’s powerhouse teams, Bowman says, are just the price of business.

“You look at last year, we started the year really strong, and then after I broke my back, we struggled the whole rest of the year. Yeah, you have to shoulder a lot of that, even when there are things that are outside of your control going on,” Bowman said last week at a Hendrick Motorsports preview for the team’s 40th anniversary celebration. “So that’s just part of racing. As a driver, your name’s always on the door, so you’re always going to have to shoulder that, but this is a high-pressure environment, right? Two of our teammates really thrived last year, and the other two of us struggled more than we would have liked. It’s our job to turn it around and get pointed in the right direction.”

At last season’s pivot point, Bowman noted the daunting nature of pressing “send” on the phone call to inform team principals Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon about his injury. The message on the other end, he said, was one full of support. “It wasn’t like, ‘Gosh, I can’t believe you did this to yourself,’ ” Bowman recalled. “It was like, ‘How can we help you? And what do you need, and we’ll do everything we can to help you and help you heal and get better as quick as possible.’ ”

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR.com

But last year was also a fragmented breaking-in period for Blake Harris, in his first season as the No. 48 crew chief after moving over from Front Row Motorsports. Harris was suspended for four races just a month into the season for L2-grade penalties across Hendrick’s four-car fleet. He was back for just two races before Bowman was sidelined, and he shifted gears to work with short-track vet Josh Berry, a capable substitute now driving full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing, over a four-week span last spring.

“I mean, certainly would have scripted it differently, right?” Harris says in reflection. “But no, I’m super fortunate to be with this group and this company. They’ve got so much depth and so many people behind us that make all this happen. So I take every day as feeling fortunate to be able to be in the position and work with Alex, and I love working with him. I know it hasn’t gone the way that we’ve wanted, and we’ve had opportunities to win races, though. We might not be where we want to be every week, but we’ve had plenty of times we’ve been in the mix, and things just haven’t fallen our way. And when it does click and it does go our way, I think it’ll be fine and we can get on a roll.”

Key to the approach, Harris notes, is the team’s philosophy of resetting after each race, not allowing any frustrations to mount from one week to the next. The No. 48 team persevered after an in-weekend reset at COTA, making forward progress Sunday after a middling 17th-place qualifying effort on the eve of the race.

Those conscious breaks have helped the team navigate those hardships — however big or small — this season. Gordon, Hendrick’s vice chairman, has taken notice.

“I mean, Alex is one of those guys where the bigger the challenge, seems like the better he does,” Gordon said. “I’m going to leave here and try to find more ways to really challenge him even more.”

In whatever shape those in-house challenges might take, the task for Bowman will involve breaking out of a winless drought that spans two-plus years and 67 races back to his last Cup triumph in March 2022 at Las Vegas. He’s a former winner at Richmond Raceway, where the Cup Series pays a visit this weekend for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (7 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Weekend schedule: Richmond

A pair of fourth-place finishes are a start toward re-establishing Bowman’s place among the sport’s — and his team’s — best. Climbing into podium contention is the next step.

“Bowman, yeah, when he gets on a roll, he gets his confidence up, there’s no telling what they’re capable of doing,” Gordon said. “I’m really happy for them. Two top fives in a row. They’d had a couple rough weeks, so they needed this. Hendrick Motorsports is tough, right? Four of the top drivers and teams out there, and there’s a lot of pressure on you. If you’re winning, there’s pressure to continue. When you’re not winning or you’re not at the same level as your teammates, there’s a ton of pressure that you got to get there.

“I’m proud of him and Blake, the way they’ve been working hard together to get some good finishes. Now I can’t wait to see what they do next, as well.”

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Press Release

TURNERS FALLS, Mass. — Mayhew Steel Products, Inc. (Mayhew Tools) is excited to announce their 2024 season sponsorship of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Pole Award for the sixth consecutive year.

This award honors the driver and crew who achieves the fastest time in qualifying. Through this sponsorship, Mayhew Tools will reward each pole-winning driver with a $1,000 check and present the team’s crew chief with a newly released 14-piece Micro Hand Tool Set. This set consists of Mayhew’s most popular micro hand tools, including pry bars, hooks, picks and screwdrivers. Each tool has an ergonomic Nylon 6 handle and alloy steel blade that is heat treated and tempered for hardness and ductility. All tools in this set are made in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty.

The 2024 Modified Tour season began Feb. 10 at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, where Ron Silk started the year with a victory. The season will span 16 races throughout the Northeast, ending at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26.

“Being able to have a consistent presence in the NASCAR community through sponsoring the Whelen Modified Tour Pole Award is an opportunity that we at Mayhew Tools are very proud of,” said John Lawless, President of Mayhew Tools. “We value the chance to support the drivers, crew chiefs and teams that devote their skills to competing in the Whelen Modified Tour, and we look forward to a successful 2024 race season.”

The 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule consists of the following races:

Saturday, Feb. 10: New Smyrna Speedway (FL)
Friday, March 29: Richmond Raceway (VA)
Sunday, April 7: Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT)
Saturday, May 4: Monadnock Speedway (NH)
Saturday, May 18: Riverhead Raceway (NY)
Saturday, June 1: Seekonk Speedway (MA)
Saturday, June 22: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NH)
Saturday, July 20: Monadnock Speedway (NH)
Saturday, Aug. 3: Lancaster Motorplex (NY)
Wednesday, Aug. 14: Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT)
Saturday, Aug. 31: Oswego Speedway (NY)
Saturday, Sept. 14: Riverhead Raceway (NY)
Saturday, Sept. 21: Monadnock Speedway (NH)
Saturday, Oct. 5: North Wilkesboro Speedway (NC)
Sunday, Oct. 13: Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT)
Saturday, Oct. 26: Martinsville Speedway (VA)

Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is renowned for its professional-grade hand tools, which exemplify quality and performance. These tools are sold through an extensive network of distributors worldwide.

The company offers a broad range of tools, including punches, chisels, pry bars, pneumatic tools, drives, bits, inspection tools, screwdrivers and more. For further information about these tools, their availability, and other details, visit mayhew.com or call 800.872.0037.

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Zack Albert

Goodyear officials have scheduled a NASCAR Cup Series tire test Tuesday and Wednesday on the repaved racing surface at Sonoma Raceway.

The two-day session will help Goodyear representatives determine the proper tire compound and construction for the Cup Series’ June 9 visit to the California road course for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series West will share the weekend bill June 7-9.

Three Cup Series teams — one from each of the tour’s three manufacturers — are scheduled to participate:

No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (driver Ross Chastain)
No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (driver Josh Berry)
No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (driver Martin Truex Jr.)

The full 12-turn, 2.52-mile circuit underwent its first full repave in 23 years during the offseason, and track officials announced the project’s completion on Feb. 29. The Cup Series will race on Sonoma’s 1.99-mile configuration, using the “chute” that connects Turns 4 and 7 on the full layout.

Bay Cities Paving & Grading and ABSL Construction completed the work in 61 days. It’s the second Speedway Motorsports track to get fresh asphalt in recent months, with Sonoma joining North Wilkesboro Speedway among the freshly repaved venues in the company portfolio.

Tuesday’s test will be closed to the public.

Posted on March 25, 2024March 27, 2024 by Adam Fenwick

More than a month after the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opened the 2024 season at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, the schedule resumes with the Tour’s annual trip to Richmond Raceway this Friday evening for the running of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 (6:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

The second round of the 2024 season serves as the 14th visit for the Modified Tour to 0.75-mile asphalt oval. The series made its inaugural visit to Richmond in 1990, when Rick Fuller claimed one of his 20 series victories.

In the years that followed, some of the Modified Tour’s best have visited Victory Lane at the track, including legends like Reggie Ruggiero, Mike Stefanik and Ted Christopher. Other familiar names to visit Victory Lane at Richmond include Tony Hirschman, Ryan Preece, Justin Bonsignore and, most recently, Austin Beers.

Tickets to the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the second of 16 races on the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule.

A pack of cars pictured during the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway on March 31, 2023. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)

Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway

What to watch for:

Based on recent results, no one on the Tour right now is better than reigning champion Ron Silk.

During his championship season last year, Silk earned a career-high five victories and only finished outside the top 10 once in 18 races. He carried that momentum into 2024 by winning the opening race of the season at New Smyrna for the second straight year.

Silk will look to carry that momentum into Friday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond, a track where he had one of his worst races of 2023. Don’t take that phrasing too seriously, though, as Silk finished seventh last year at Richmond.

Amazingly, that seventh-place run was his second-worst finish across the entire 18-race schedule last season. His worst race came at Monadnock Speedway in September, when he finished 12th.

One driver who should be expected to contend for the victory Friday at Richmond is defending race winner Austin Beers, who bagged his maiden Modified Tour victory at the track one year ago. He dominated the 150-lap event, leading a race-high 102 laps along the way.

A pair of familiar faces to fans of the NASCAR Cup Series will also be in the field. Ryan Newman, who also competed in the opening race of the year at New Smyrna, and 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte will both be in action Friday. Labonte will again be in the No. 38 for Sadler-Stanley Racing. Newman will pilot the No. 77 fielded by Mike Curb.

Justin Bonsignore will look for his second Richmond victory in the No. 51 owned by Ken Massa, and 2010 Modified Tour champion Bobby Santos III returns to the series aboard the No. 14 Advantage Motorsports entry. Doug Coby will look for his first victory of the year driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing, and Patrick Emerling will once again pilot the No. 1 Fleetworks Inc. Modified.

Other notable entries include Craig Lutz, Eric Goodale, Andy Seuss, Jake Johnson, Kyle Bonsignore, Carson Loftin, Tyler Rypkema and Tommy, Tyler and Trevor Catalano.

The complete entry list for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is available here.

A pack of cars pictured during the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway on March 31, 2023. (Photo: Rob Branning/NASCAR)

RACE FACTS

Race	Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150
Date	Friday, March 29, 2024
Track	Richmond Raceway
Layout	0.75-mile asphalt oval
Location	Richmond, Virginia
Start time	6:30 p.m. ET
Laps	150
Posted awards	$122,497
Tickets	Here
How to watch	FloRacing

Schedule: Friday, March 29 … Practice from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. ET … Final practice from 2 to 2:30 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET … Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at 6:30 p.m. ET (FloRacing)

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is six (6) tires, any position.

Posted on March 25, 2024March 28, 2024 by Staff Report

Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150

Richmond Raceway

Posted on March 25, 2024March 25, 2024 by Dustin Albino

AUSTIN, Texas — When the NASCAR Cup Series took to the 3.41-mile Circuit of The Americas road course Saturday morning for practice, Ty Gibbs controlled most categories. His No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the first car to hit the track and sat atop the scoring pylon throughout the extended session until the waning seconds when William Byron jumped to first.

Byron nipped Gibbs in qualifying, and the sophomore driver would start from third position in the 68-lap race. The No. 54 team still believed it was going to be a contender in the outcome of Sunday’s race.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Gibbs raced inside the top five for the extent of the opening stage before his crew chief Chris Gayle called him to pit road from second position, coming to two laps remaining in the stage. With the bulk of the field flipping the stage, Gibbs still earned three stage points by finishing eighth.

Seeing how the race was playing out, Gibbs was called to pit road again late in the second stage, giving up valuable stage points to be in contention for the win in the final stage. Gibbs placed 11th in Stage 2, missing out on stage points by the slimmest of margins.

Throughout the final stage, Gibbs was just a tick off from Byron’s lightning pace. Christopher Bell made a late rally to pass the No. 54 car within the final five laps of the race for second position. Gibbs held on to third at the checkered flag, tying the best finish of his career (Phoenix Raceway, two weeks ago).

It was a solid showing for Gibbs, who’s currently on a streak of five straight top-10 finishes, the longest streak of his Cup career.

“We track these things we call strong performances, right? Which are top fives, leading laps and getting stage points and leading in the last part of the race,” Gayle said after the race. “This was another one for us. We honestly felt like we had a shot to win today. We needed to be a tiny bit better car-wise to pull it off, and you need to flip position and get to the lead, and I think we would have been in an OK spot.

“Long runs, we were better. Short runs, we weren’t quite good enough. It was trading off that. We got the long run but still didn’t quite get there. It’s a good day. Good to be disappointed with a third.”

The frustration was apparent on Gibbs’ face following the event. All that matters to him currently is winning his first Cup race as he remains winless through 57 attempts.

“It was good, but the most important is a win, and that’s what I wish I could have got,” Gibbs said. “It’s a good points day, looking at the big picture.”

Gibbs jumped to second in the regular season championship standings behind only his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. Six races into his sophomore season, he’s a slim five points off the lead. Gibbs’ 7.8 average finish through six races leads the Cup Series.

MORE: 2024 Cup standings | Gibbs’ career stats

Gayle, who has been paired with Gibbs for the last four seasons dating back to the Xfinity Series, has seen his driver mature in great spurts. Nearly every week, the No. 54 car is part of the conversation for the win.

“[He’s] ahead of schedule probably,” Gayle added. “We’re right on pace where he’s doing a good job, but I think we’re going to take two steps forward, and there will be one every now and then we regress on because we’re still ahead of schedule. It’s still early in his career.

“To be this high in points, to have the start to the season that we’ve had, now we’ve got a margin where if that happens we’re still in good shape. I think that’s what is good is we’re in a good position right now.”

With a pair of short tracks on the horizon, the schedule continues to lend itself to the No. 54 team. Gayle believes the team had a car capable of winning last fall at Martinsville Speedway before getting plowed by Joey Logano during the final stage. First up is a 400-lap event on Easter Sunday at Richmond Raceway (7 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), where the team has struggled.

“We need to be a little better than where we are, but we’ve been able to do that at some of these race tracks so far this year,” Gayle said of Richmond. “If we continue the improvement that we did from last year to these first few events, we will be in good shape.”

RICHMOND: Upcoming schedule