NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — It could have been pitch black in the pit area Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway and you still would have been able to see Trevor Catalano’s smile from a mile away.
He had just climbed from his No. 56 Catalano Motorsports Modified after a fifth-place finish during his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut, a result that far exceeded any expectations he had for himself.
It was the culmination of a winter’s worth of work for the Catalano family, who are taking on the colossal task of fielding three full-time entries on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2024 for Trevor and his brothers Tommy and Tyler.
“We came down here hoping to finish 20th and just have a good day and hopefully finish all 200 laps,” he said. “After the first run at the beginning I said, ‘I think we have a car that can run inside the top 10.’ I just needed to get comfortable and figure out what I needed inside the car.
“I think we found it in those last two pit stops. We got stuck a lap down on pit road, but all in all it was an awesome day, and I had a ton of fun.”
Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event marked day two of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, an annual motorsport gathering that draws drivers and teams from across the United States, Canada and occasionally other countries.
For the Catalano family, including mom Amy, the World Series of Asphalt serves not only as the start to what will be an extremely busy 2024 season, but also doubles as a vacation of sorts for the family from Ontario, New York.
It’s become an annual tradition for the Catalano family to pack their bags and head to Florida each February to race at New Smyrna Speedway, where the weather is admittedly much nicer than the conditions they leave behind in New York.
Amy Catalano during night 7 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing event at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Florida on February 17, 2023. (Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)
“It’s a family tradition that my kids carried on,” Amy said. “It started with my oldest (Timmy) and we don’t want to stop the tradition until all the kids get to give it a try. We’ve been coming down here for I think it has been 14 years of us doing this.
“Each one of my boys wants a shot to beat mom. I keep plugging along but each year I threaten I’m going to retire and let the boys take over. I feel bad to take it away from each one of them to beat me.”
You would think a trip to Florida in February would be relaxing, but the Catalano family has a hard time sitting still. That’s why they brought seven cars with them from New York to Florida, including five Modifieds and two Super Late Models.
Each car will see action during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, with Amy and Tommy each driving the Super Late Models while Tommy, Tyler and Trevor will take turns behind the wheel of the Modifieds. A family friend will also wheel one of the Modifieds one night during the week.
“We brought seven cars with us and no backups. So seven cars that we plan on racing,” Tommy said. “Our goal for the week is to try and keep it fun and that sounds entirely crazy to think because how are you going to keep it fun with seven cars? We brought a whole bunch of people with us that love racing and dedicated some time to coming and helping us.
“Hopefully that is going to play out in our favor. As I was telling somebody a little bit ago, part of keeping it fun is staying realistic.”
The addition of a Super Late Model for Amy to the roster of cars during the World Series happened less than three weeks ago. Amy, a former NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series New York State champion, started her career in Late Models before transitioning to Modifieds.
She always wanted to come back to Late Models to close out her career and saw an opportunity to do that this week at New Smyrna Speedway. She made her first Late Model start in more than two decades on Feb. 9, starting 31st and finishing 24th against a stacked Super Late Model field.
Trevor Catalano, driver of the #56 Catalano Motorsports Modified, during the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during night 2 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Florida on February 10, 2024. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
“I actually cut my teeth in Late Model racing,” Amy said. “I had 12 years in Late Model racing. I got a lot of wins and had a lot of fun. Old technology, not the new technology. I always teased that I’m going to get back in my fenders where I came from before I ended my career, so I bought one and I’m trying to be brave enough to get back in there.”
While a lot of the focus during the World Series for the Catalano family was on Amy’s Late Model return and Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event, there is still a lot for the family to look forward to.
That includes fielding Modifieds for Amy, Tommy, Tyler and Trevor on the same night later in the coming week. The working goal is to field all four cars either for Thursday’s 50-lap feature or Friday’s Richie Evans Memorial 100.
“Most people take vacations and they go and do things. We don’t. We go racing,” Tyler said. “We come to Florida and call it a vacation and we go racing for seven days. It’s a blast.
“We all kind of work on everyone’s stuff to get it all prepared and ready to rip. It’s just fun to work out in the shop with our family and come race.”
No matter how the rest of the week goes, the entire Catalano family will leave New Smyrna Speedway happy. Not only did they get to spend more than a week racing together under the Florida sun, they also got to see Trevor finish fifth in his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut.
Anything else would be a massive bonus.
“A top-five, that wasn’t even in the radar when we left home,” Trevor said. “We could have the worst week the rest of the week and I don’t think we’re going to lose faith in this one.”
Once again, the NASCAR Cup Series kicks off the new season with the sport’s premier crown-jewel event, the 66th running of the Daytona 500. The “Great American Race” qualifying format includes two rounds of single-car qualifying, while the Bluegreen Vacations Duels set the 40-car grid.
What time is Daytona 500 single-car qualifying?
A random draw on Tuesday afternoon determines the order in which the cars will roll off pit road for single-car qualifying. The qualifying session will begin Wednesday, Feb. 14 (8:15 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Each driver will run one timed lap around the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway. The top 10 fastest drivers in Round 1 will advance to Round 2 to fight for the Busch Light Pole. Then, the two fastest qualifiers will lock themselves on the front row for Monday’s Daytona 500 (4 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The rest of the lineup for the “Great American Race” will be determined by Thursday night’s Duels.
The last 11 Daytona 500 pole awards belong to Chevrolet drivers. Hendrick Motorsports has claimed the last eight of 11 poles. Alex Bowman is the most recent pole winner.
How do the Duels set the starting lineup for the Daytona 500?
The Bluegreen Vacations Duels consist of two 150-mile qualifying races that set positions third to 40th in the Daytona 500. Each duel will be 60 laps long. Lineups for each duel are set from Wednesday night’s single-car qualifying session, with drivers finishing in an odd-position on the speed chart (first, third, fifth, etc.) lining up for Duel 1, and those from an even-position (second, fourth, sixth, etc) racing in Duel 2.
The format is similar for the Daytona 500 itself. The finishing order from Duel No. 1 will make up the inside rows for the Daytona 500. Then, those participating in Duel No. 2 will complete the outside rows for the “Great American Race.” Remember, the starting front row for the Daytona 500 was previously determined via single-car qualifying.
Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 1 is set to get underway Thursday, Feb. 15 (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Meanwhile, Duel No. 2 is tentatively scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Can non-chartered teams qualify for the Daytona 500?
Yes. There are 36 guaranteed spots in the Daytona 500 for the chartered teams in the 40-car field. This means four non-chartered teams will make the race.
In single-car qualifying, the top two fastest non-chartered teams will lock themselves into the Daytona 500. These teams will not have to worry about racing their way in through the Bluegreen Vacations Duels because they can fall back on speed if needed.
The highest-finishing non-chartered team in each Duel race will secure a spot in the Daytona 500. If the highest-finishing non-chartered team already earned a spot in the field from single-car qualifying, then the next fastest non-chartered team from single-car qualifying can lock into the Daytona 500 on speed.
There are 42 entries for the 66th running of the Daytona 500, which means one non-chartered team will pack it up after Thursday night. Drivers that will have to race their way into the main event are seven-time Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson, Anthony Alfredo, BJ McLeod, Kaz Grala and David Ragan.
The top-10 finishers in each Bluegreen Vacations Duel will be rewarded points that count toward the regular season. However, no playoff points will be awarded to the winners of each Duel race.
The winning driver of each Duel race will receive 10 points. Second place will earn nine points and so on down to the 10th-place finishers, who will get one point.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Nothing would have made Justin Bonsignore happier than to open one of the busiest weeks of his racing career with a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at New Smyrna Speedway.
Bonsignore ultimately ran out of laps to challenge defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk for the victory in the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200, yet he could not help but feel a sense of euphoria knowing just how fast his car was.
“This was a good start to the year,” Bonsignore said. “With the final run being 10 laps, it was tough getting back to the lead from fifth. Ron got through traffic pretty quick and was able to build a gap on us. This was a brand new car, so thankfully we’ll get to tinker with it a little more and see what we can do better.”
The defeat carried a sense of déjà vu for Bonsignore, who also opened the previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour campaign with a runner-up finish to Silk at New Smyrna.
Any attempt at usurping Silk this time around required tremendous patience on Bonisngore’s behalf. A prolonged green flag run during the middle portion of the event resulted in several cars going a lap down, but Bonsignore kept himself in contention by managing his equipment while waiting for the right opportunity to pounce.
Debuting a brand new white scheme, Justin Bonsignore battled hard to finish second behind Ron Silk at New Smyrna Speedway to open the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Bonsignore anticipated there would be several short runs to end the night with drivers electing to put on new tires for the final stretch. His suspicion materialized into one caution after another, but fresh tires gave Bonsignore the opening he needed to chase down Silk.
The one factor Bonsignore said could have been crucial to changing the outcome was more green flag laps during the last run. He expressed some frustration about the lengthy cleanup during the final caution flag, but Bonsignore knew Silk was going to be defensive no matter how much time was at their disposal.
“Unfortunately, a lot of caution laps were used up,” Bonsignore said. “Looking back, it would have been nice to have a few of them back because we were slowly starting to catch Ron at the end. It would have been a tough pass for sure, but this was still a good start to the year and we’re happy with it.”
Ironically, Silk is one of the main reasons why Bonsignore is competing in the Daytona ARCA 200 next Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Originally set to take part in ARCA’s Road to Daytona program for capturing the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2023, Silk was unable to make the trip down to Florida in January for the annual pre-race practice, which opened the door for Bonsignore to take part and turn his first laps at Daytona.
A successful two days in Daytona helped Bonsignore build connections with other team owners in the ARCA garage area. Within a few weeks, Bonsignore had put together a deal with Rette Jones Racing to pilot the No. 30 Nationalpolice.org/C&S Construction Services, Inc. Ford at the 2.5-mile speedway on Feb. 17.
ARCA was far from Bonsignore’s mind when he debriefed with his team following 200 grueling laps around New Smyrna Speedway. Once he unwinds by enjoying the Florida weather with his family, Bonsignore’s attention will turn to 200 intense miles around Daytona surrounded by 39 other cars.
The only aspect Daytona shares with any track Bonsignore has competed at during his career is the draft that is prevalent in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Despite this, Bonsignore intends to lean heavily on the team around him to learn as much as possible before the green flag.
“The draft at [New Hampshire] with our cars is so extreme,” Bosnignore said. “From the little bit I got at the Daytona test, [the draft] is a slow process. We’ve got an hour of practice and a really great spotter in Freddie Kraft. Hopefully the learning experience gets expedited through Freddie and Mark, but I’ll try to study as much as I can to make sure I’m up to speed.”
While Daytona International Speedway is outside of Justin Bonsignore’s comfort zone, he enters his ARCA Menards Series debut with plenty of confidence and determination. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Once he does find a comfort zone within the draft at Daytona, Bonsignore believes he can continue a streak of success that has followed Rette Jones Racing at Daytona in the last decade.
Co-owner Terry Jones led a race-high 25 laps at Daytona in 2017 before settling for second behind eventual ARCA Menards Series champion Austin Theriault. The 2019 edition of the event saw Grant Quinlan avoid trouble all afternoon to claim a third-place finish for Rette Jones Racing.
Even if he were to best previous performances from past Rette Jones Racing competitors, Bonsignore currently does not envision running anymore ARCA events. His commitment is to continuing his legacy in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, where he is fourth on the series’ all-time win list.
For now, Bonsignore plans to cherish this sidestep in his career while also displaying the same grit and determination at Daytona that has yielded so much success in a Modified.
“[The Modifieds] are my home and where my heart is,” Bonsignore said. “You want to win every Modified Tour race, especially when a guy like Ron Silk beats you. [Winning] Daytona would be a dream come true and it’s something people would talk about for a while.
“I’m looking forward to enjoying the experience and taking it all in.”
Justin Allgaier has long been in pursuit of his maiden NASCAR Xfinity Series title. He has amassed 23 career wins and has routinely made deep playoff runs in the Xfinity Series. Not only has Allgaier qualified for the playoffs for a record eight consecutive seasons, but he also has the most Championship 4 appearances in the series. However, the cards never seem to fall his way come the title race.
Much like Denny Hamlin, Allgaier has been on a career-long chase for his first championship.
In ‘NASCAR: Full Speed’ Hamlin’s career title hunt shifted back into focus and will be a growing story line to keep an eye on this year after his prominent role in the Netflix series. But a spotlight should also be shined on Allgaier, whose career story mirrors Hamlin.
Last week, Allgaier talked about how he was focused more on his offseason training and acknowledged his postseason struggles.
“I’ve also done a much better job of being prepared for the year,” Allgaier said in a media teleconference. “Just physically, mentally, I feel like that’s been a big part of, you know, coming off of two years in a row now where I just feel like we’ve been kicked in the gut a little bit at the end of the year of at Phoenix and didn’t feel like it went the way that we wanted it to.”
Undoubtedly, he would like to quickly wash out the sour taste of how last year ended and respond with a hot start this year. What better place than Daytona International Speedway to start the campaign? Allgaier has notched a win and four top fives in his last five visits to Daytona. And a hot start to the season could be crucial in an Xfinity filled with talent all over the grid, where points will come at a premium all season long.
“I feel like this is the most competitive group of cars that we’ve seen in a long time,” Allgaier added. “I look down the list and I’m like, you can be first or 20th in points pretty easily. And, you know, I look at the drivers that I feel like are capable of winning races. And I’m like, man, we have 15 or 20 guys every week that I legitimately feel like have the opportunity to win races.”
More than the championship glory, Allgaier feels winning the Xfinity Series championship would be the perfect way to repay the many people who have helped him throughout his career.
“I enjoy the trophies when they’re sitting on the mantel,” Allgaier said. “But at the same time, it’s about the people and the relationships and just the experiences I’ve had in this sport.”
Chasing that first elusive title will be difficult in a crowded field, but you can never count out Allgaier among all the unpredictability. He’s remained the only constant with so much turnover in the Xfinity Series. Only time will tell if he’s ready to reach the mountaintop.
Wach Allgaier in the Xfinity Series season opener this Saturday, Feb. 17 (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
One of the busiest and most storied weeks in short-track competition arrives the week of Feb. 9-17 with the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, located just a short drive from Daytona International Speedway.
For an event that will play our over nine consecutive nights, many of the best drivers across the United States will descend upon the half-mile paved oval with the goal of joining names like Richie Evans, Dick Trickle, Ted Christopher, Ryan Preece, Sammy Smith and others as a World Series of Asphalt champion.
Headlining the grueling schedule is the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season-opener on Saturday, Feb. 10, the second night of World Series action. The Modified Tour was added to the New Smyrna Speedway festivities a couple years ago, when four-time World Series Modified champion Matt Hirschman took home the checkered flag.
Other notable events set to take place during the week include the ASA STARS National Tour Clyde Hart Memorial 200 (Feb. 13), the John Blewett III Memorial (Feb. 14), the Richie Evans Memorial and Hart to Heart 100 (Feb. 16), and the Orange Blossom 100 (Feb. 17).
Every race during the 2024 World Series of Asphalt can be streamed live on FloRacing. Tickets are available here.
Below is everything to know about the 2024 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, including the schedule and entry lists.
What channel is the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway on in 2024?
Live coverage of the 2024 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway will begin each night at 7:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing, the streaming home for all NASCAR Roots properties.
The World Series of Asphalt will not broadcast on a traditional television network.
Below is the complete schedule for the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing coverage on FloRacing.
Modifieds in action during Night 4 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 13, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
2024 schedule
There is no shortage of on-track action across the duration of the World Series of Asphalt. Along with the feature events, each division has both practice and qualifying sessions on the docket prior to their respective green flags.
Below is the complete on-track schedule for the 2024 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway.
Friday, Feb. 9
9 a.m.
Pit gates open
10 a.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
11:45 a.m.
Drivers meeting
12:30 p.m.
Practice begins
3:15 p.m.
Super Late Model tires released
3:30 p.m.
Super Late Model pre-qualifying tech
4:15 p.m.
Pro Late Model tires released
4:30 p.m.
Pro Late Model pre-qualifying tech
6 p.m.
Qualifying begins
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: Sportsman (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Super Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Pro Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Florida Modifieds (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Bomber A (20 Laps/15 Minutes)
Saturday, Feb. 10
7 a.m.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour credentials open
8:30 a.m.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour garage open
10 a.m.
New Smyrna pit gates open
10:30 a.m.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver/spotter/crew chief meeting
11:30 a.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:30 p.m.
New Smyrna drivers meeting
1 p.m.
Practice begins
5 p.m.
Qualifying begins
6:30 p.m.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver autograph session
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (200 Laps), Pro Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Sportsman (50 Laps/45 Minutes), Bomber A (20 Laps/15 Minutes)
Sunday, Feb. 11
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
11 a.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:15 p.m.
Drivers meeting
1 p.m.
Practice begins
6 p.m.
Qualifying begins
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: Super Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Florida Modifieds (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Pro Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), 602 Modifieds (25 Laps/20 Minutes), E Mods (30 Laps/25 Minutes)
Monday, Feb. 12
9 a.m.
ASA STARS hauler parking
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
10 a.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
10:15 a.m.
ASA STARS crew chief meeting
10:30 a.m.
ASA STARS pre-tech begins
12:15 p.m.
Drivers meeting
1 p.m.
Practice begins
6 p.m.
Qualifying begins
6:45 – 7:15 p.m.
ASA STARS final practice
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: 602 Modifieds (25 Laps/20 Minutes), Modifieds (50 Laps/45 Minutes), Pro Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Florida Modifieds (25 Laps/20 Minutes)
Tuesday, Feb. 13
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
12 p.m.
ASA STARS garage opens
12 p.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
1 p.m.
Drivers meeting
2 p.m.
Practice begins
2 p.m.
ASA STARS pre-qualifying tech
4:15 p.m.
Modified pre-qualifying tech
4:30 p.m.
ASA STARS qualifying
5:15 p.m.
Modified qualifying
6 p.m.
ASA STARS last chance qualifier
6:30 p.m.
ASA STARS autograph session
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: ASA STARS National Tour Clyde Hart Memorial 200 (200 Laps), Modifieds (50 Laps/45 Minutes)
Wednesday, Feb. 14
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
12 p.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.
Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.
Practice begins
5 p.m.
Super Late Model/Modified pre-qualifying tech
6 p.m.
Qualifying
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: Pro Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Florida Modifieds (35 Laps/30 Minutes), 602 Modifieds (66 Laps/60 Minutes), Super Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Modified John Blewett III Memorial (76 Laps)
Thursday, Feb. 15
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
12 p.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.
Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.
Practice begins
5 p.m.
Super Late Model/Modified pre-qualifying tech
6 p.m.
Qualifying
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: Florida Modifieds (75 Laps/60 Minutes), Pro Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Modifieds (50 Laps/45 Minutes), Super Late Models (35 Laps/30 Minutes)
Friday, Feb. 16
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
12 p.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.
Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.
Practice begins
3:45 p.m.
Pro Late Model tires released
4 p.m.
Pro Late Model pre-qualifying tech
4:30 p.m.
Modified pre-qualifying tech
5:45 p.m.
Qualifying
7 p.m.
Vintage Car hot laps
7:15 p.m.
Parade Laps with Modified Reunion
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: Pro Late Model Hart to Heart 100 (100 Laps), Modified Reunion, Modified Richie Evans Memorial 100 (100 Laps), Trucks (25 Laps/20 Minutes), Super Stocks (20 Laps/15 Minutes), Bomber B (20 Laps/15 Minutes), Vintage Cars (20 Laps/15 Minutes)
Saturday, Feb. 17
10 a.m.
Pit gates open
12 p.m.
Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.
Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.
Practice begins
4:15 p.m.
Super Late Model tires released
4:30 p.m.
Super Late Model pre-qualifying tech
5:30 p.m.
Qualifying
7:30 p.m.
Racing starts: Florida Modifieds (35 Laps/30 Minutes), Trucks (50 Laps/45 Minutes), Mod Mini (50 Laps/45 Minutes), Super Late Model Orange Blossom 100 (100 Laps), Super Stocks (50 Laps/45 Minutes), Bomber B (20 Laps/15 Minutes)
A general view during Night 4 of the World Series of Asphalt at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 13, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Entry lists
The World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway always draws a massive list of competitors, and the 2024 running is no different.
As of Jan. 23, nearly 30 Modified teams had already filed entries. Among them are four-time and defending champion Matt Hirschman, as well as NASCAR Cup Series star Ryan Preece.
Four members of the Catalano family (mother Amy and her children Tommy, Tyler and Trevor) are entered in the Modified class. Defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk is entered, as are fellow Tour regulars Patrick Emerling, Craig Lutz, Eric Goodale and Timmy Solomito.
The Super Late Model division also has a strong field of cars, including defending track champion Brad May. Two-time World Series champion Derek Griffith has his sights set on a third championship, and the Rackley W.A.R. team has entries filed for Gavan Boschelle and Dawson Sutton.
Toni Breidinger, Katie Hettinger, NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race competitor Diogo Moscato and brothers Luke and Jack Baldwin are among those entered across the other divisions.
Below is the full list of drivers entered for this year’s World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway. (The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour entry list will be released at a later date.)
Modifieds
2 J.R Bertuccio. Centereach, NY
2B Joe Bertuccio III. Statesville NC
4 Tim Connolly. Endwell NY
7 Rich Parker. Forked River NJ
8 Cam McDermott. Canterbury CT
9 Tom Martino Jr. Red Bank NJ
11 Norman Newman. Kincardine ON
12 Brian Sones. Sandy Valley PA
14nc Bobby Measmer. Concord NC
14 Patrick Emerling. Orchard Park NY
16 Ron Silk. Norwalk CT
20 Eddie McCarthy. Brick NJ
20nj Ryan Maher. Neptune NJ
24 Andrew Krause. Freehold NJ
25 Brian Robie. Sunapee NH
27 Adam Licicero. Lavallette NJ
32 Tyler Rypkema. Owego NY
36 David Sapienza. Riverhead NY
40 Ryan Preece. Berlin CT
42 Spencer Davis. Dawsonville GA
46 Craig Lutz. Middle Island NY
50 Ronnie Williams. Lebanon CT
54 Tommy Catalano. Ontario NY
55 Teddy Hodgdon. Danbury CT
56 Amy Catalano. Ontario NY
56 Trevor Catalano. Ontario NY
58 Eric Goodale. Riverhead NY
60 Matt Hirschman. Northampton PA
64 Tyler Catalano. Ontario NY
73 Bobby Geiger. Galloway NJ
74 Jonathan Laureigh. Ship Bottom NJ
76 Jimmy Blewett. Howell NJ
92 Anthony Nocella. Woburn MA
98 Landon Huffman. Claremont NC
02 Joey Coulter. Trotman NC
07 Patrick Emerling. Orchard Park NY
09 Christopher Hatton. Ormond Beach FL
158 Timmy Solomito. Islip NY
179 Anthony Bello. Newtown CT
Super Late Models
0 Ryan Walters. Holiday FL
7 Mitch Haver. West Bend WI
9k Derek Kraus. Stratford WI
9 Brad May. Oviedo FL
11 David Weaver. Plantation FL
12g Derek Griffith. Hudson NH
14 Austin Nason. Roscoe IL
15 Gabe Sommers. Plover WI
17 Danny Knoll Jr. Amherst NY
20 Kris Wright. Wexford PA
22 Giovanni Ruggiero. Seekonk MA
23f Dave Farrington JR. Sabattus ME
23 Billy VanMeter. Indianapolis IN
24 Brent Crews. Denver NC
26 Dawson Sutton. Lebanon TN
27k Cody Krucker. Bonita Springs FL
27 Bobby Good. Sanford FL
28 Cole Butcher. Porters Lake NS
29 Hunter Wright. Lebanon TN
36 Ty Fredrickson. Northfield MN
44 Conner Jones. Fredricksburg VA
50 Jett Noland. Groveland FL
54 Tommy Catalano. Ontario NY
57 Gus Dean. Bluffton SC
62 William Sawalich. Mooresville NC
76 James Lynch. Palos Park IL
80 Donald Theetge. Boischatel QC
05 Brandon Turbush. Manorville NY
08 Nicholas Naugle. Dartmouth NS
112 Steve Weaver. Plantation FL
Pro Late Models
0 Glenn Styers. Oshweken ON
1 Toni Breidinger. Mooresville NC
2 John Bolen. Jasper AL
6 Brandon Lopez. Woodstock GA
8 Chad Butz. Greenbay WI
15 Brody Monahan. Waterford CT
15r Christian Rose. Martinsburg WV
17b Hudson Bulger. Fort Valley GA
17f Kevin Folan. N. Attleboro MA
17 Chuck Tuck. Athens AL
18a Jared Allison. Cocoa FL
18 Mike Scorzelli. Feura Bush NY
22 Ryan Phipps. Heyburn ID
24 Dalton Smith. Palm Coast FL
25 Anthony Bello. Newtown CT
26 Dawson Sutton. Lebanon TN
26m Wendall Mobley. Nashville TN
28 Isabella Robusto. Fort Mill SC
29s Tommy Sorem. Northfield MN
29 Hunter Wright. Lebanon TN
31b Kody Brusso. Pensacola FL
31 Billy Braun. Wales WI
32 Nick Jenkins. Brownville ME
33 Tim Laurent. Scottsboro AL
43 Ray Minieri. Bayshore NY
45 Mike Mayberry. Naples ME
47 Dustin Bryson. Covington GA
54 Diogo Moscato. Bahia BA
55 George Phillips. Charlotte NC
61 Kevin Macy Winter Haven FL
71 Katie Hettinger. Huntersville NC
88 Max Reeves. Trinity NC
93 Thomas Karson.
94 Cory Luciano. Beaverton ON
00 Jimmy Renfrew. Candia NH
08 Nicholas Naugle. Dartmouth NS
148 Kenneth Canales. Davenport FL
602 Modifieds
2 Jerry Gradl Jr. Buffalo NY
3 Steve Zaleski. Bayonne NJ
7ny Jack Baldwin. Mooresville NC
7nc Luke Baldwin. Mooresville NC
12b Nick Baer. New Tripoli PA
12j Bobby Jones. Palmerton PA
12 Cody Norman. Lewisville NC
13 Micah Adams. Moscow PA
15 Mike Brennan. Old Bridge NJ
15s Joe Shcmtuz. Galloway NJ
17 Lee Sharpsteen. Waverly NY
18 Eric Hersey. Ronkonoma NY
19 Curt Hatton. Enterprise FL
24 Eric Lane. Howell NY
26 Ray Fattaruso. Huntersville NC
27 Adam LaCicero. Lavallette NJ
28ct George Perreault. Woodstock CT
33 Carsten DiGiantomasso. Jackson NJ
36 Richie Cooper. W. Long Branch NJ
38 Jarret DiGiantomasso. Jackson NJ
48 Tovia Grynewicz. Clyde TX
49 Max Hanley. Medford NY
57 Justin Beecher. Billerica MA
57m Michael Leone. Toms River NJ
66 Mike Albasini. Queen NY
68 Kenzie Adams. Moscow PA
69 Josh Carey. Belchertown MA
69 Tom Turano. Ormond Beach FL
73 Paul Hartwig Jr. Galloway NJ
73 Paul Hartwig Sr. Galloway NJ
74 Jonathan Laureigh. Ship Bottom NJ
76 James Blewett, Howell NJ
88 Jon Hatton St. Augustine FL
94 Paul Flye. Webster NY
02 Ryan Fisher. Atlantic Highlands NJ
04 Chris Hatton Sr. Deltona FL
09 Christopher Hatton. Ormond Beach FL
124 Ron D’Alessandro. Palm Bay FL
Florida Modifieds
1W Wayne Parker. Mt. Dora FL
2H Matt Jarrett. Orlando FL
15 Matthew Green. Orlando FL
15t Tank Tucker. New Smyrna FL
16 Brian Gayton. Orlando FL
18 Jared Allison. Cocoa FL
33 Shain Held. Orlando FL
35 Eugene Tumminello. Debary FL
57 Tim Moore. St. Petersburg FL
66 Jerry Symons. New Smyrna FL
72 LJ Grimm. Seffner FL
Pro Trucks
6 Brandon Lopez. Woodstock GA
16 Dylan Lebeau. Daytona Beach FL
18 Reinaldo Rena. Winter Garden FL
22 Cody Coffman. Live Oak FL
24 Dalton Smith. Palm Coast FL
25m Cody McDuffie. Lakeland FL
25 Taylor Watson. Deland FL
28 Nolan Mesa. Jupiter FL
41 Jeffrey White. Eustis FL
42 Eric St. Gelais. St. Aime-des-lacs QC
55 Palmer Haag. Windermere FL
83 William Roberge. Beaumont QC
97 Dave Koenig Jr. Baldwin NY
00 Jack Hall. Davenport FL
124 Jackson Denton. Port Orange FL
Sportsman
7 Kody Brusso. Pensacola FL
7 Travis Devendorf. Pompano Beach FL
9 Brooke Storer. Pensacola FL
14 Adam Briggs. Lakeland FL
15 Hunter Slayton. New Smyrna Beach FL
25 Timmy Todd Jr. St. Cloud FL
30 Chris Huntoon. Port Charlotte FL
30l Richard LaVance Port Charlotte FL
33 Andrew Whitaker. Guntersville AL
44 Matthew Green. Orlando FL
58 Steve Barnes. Orlando FL
61 Kyle Case. North Point FL
88 Dylan Lebeau. Daytona Beach FL
E-Mod
4 Michael Mark. Deland FL
6 Tony Newsome. Deland FL
16 David Lebeau. Daytona Beach FL
16L Michael Luberda Jr. Au Gres MI
35 Eugene Tumminello Jr. Debary FL
52 Hank Baker. Oak Hill FL
Super Stocks
7x Scott Riggleman. Manchester NJ
12h Shawn Held. Orange City FL
15 Tyler Prenesti. Key Largo FL
25 Ricky Locklair Jr. Darlington SC
26 Brandon Johnson. Orange Park FL
37 Steven Metts. Port Orange FL
56 Cody Whitley. Osteen FL
58 Gage Spears. New Smyrna Beach FL
66 John Lozyniak. Green Cove Springs FL
08 Paul Boundy. Bowmanville ON.
Mod Mini
22 John DeGeorge. Titusville FL
Bomber A
3 Eddie Evans. Edgewater FL
5 Michael Austin. Palm Bay FL.
12 Jimmy McKinley. Parma OH
14k Brandon Gaither. Port Orange FL
14 Brandon Monroe. Orlando FL
15 Joseph Warren. Ridge NY
17 Timothy Soares. Palm Bay FL
28 Kris Lawrence. London ON
28t Wayde Thorne. Waterford ON
55 Jim Snyder. Edgewater FL
57 Stevo LaCicero. Brick NJ
69 Devin Dorton. Deland FL
72 Charles Friddle. Cocoa FL
76 Richard Monroe. Belleview FL
77 Joe Sunday. Cocoa FL
80 James Partlow. Debary FL
99 Corey Edelman. Walnutport PA
08 Tyler Vickery. Orlando FL
Bomber B
14 Brandon Monroe. Orlando FL
23 Zac Curtis. Palm Bay FL
24 Randy Strehle. Deland FL
26 Lucas Johnson. Orange Park FL
27 James Strehle. Deland FL
57 Stevo LaCicero. Brick NJ
66 Chase Symons. New Smyrna FL
80 Kenny Roth. Deltona FL
80 Jesse Veltman. Crystal River FL
89 William Hindman. Cocoa FL
Ground Pounders
0 Scott Cutter. Titusville FL
4D Frank Pelkey. Melbourne FL
19 Luke Kavanah. Sanford FL
61 Curt Hatton. Enterprise FL
X9 Ron D’Alessandro. Palm Bay FL
World Series of Asphalt champions
Since Tom Pistone won the first World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing championship in 1968, some of auto racing’s best and brightest have emerged as champions of the racing marathon held each season at New Smyrna Speedway.
Among the champions in the headlining Super Late Model division are drivers like Daytona 500 winner Pete Hamilton, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, legendary short-track ace Dick Trickle, Florida racing legend David Rogers and current NASCAR stars Zane Smith, Ty Majeski, Harrison Burton and Sammy Smith.
In the Modified class, which began crowning champions in 1976, top names like Maynard Troyer, Richie Evans, Ted Christopher, Reggie Ruggiero, Tom Baldwin, Steve Park, Ron Silk, Ryan Preece and Matt Hirschman have taken home championships.
Below is a complete list of World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing champions in the Super Late Model and Modified divisions.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Ron Silk used a skillful level of aggression to beat rival Justin Bonsignore in last year’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season-opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.
He used a similar brand of boldness on another championship-caliber rival, Austin Beers, to win Saturday night’s New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200. The defending Modified Tour champion now has consecutive New Smyrna wins on his resume.
The triumph was fitting for a driver who loves to race at this particular half-mile oval.
“I love this place. It’s my favorite race track, so it feels good to back up the win last year,” said Silk, the 39-year-old from Norwalk, Connecticut. “Hopefully we can keep it rolling.”
Silk noted his win was a team effort, and strategy played a massive role in the result. When the field took the green for the final restart of the race with 10 laps to go, Silk lined up third behind Beers and fellow Modified Tour veteran Doug Coby.
Contact between Beers and Coby entering Turn 1 on the restart allowed Silk to slide into second. A couple laps later, Silk found himself diving under Beers and taking the lead. He was able to do so forcefully thanks in part to tires that were about 20 laps fresher than those of Beers.
Bonsignore mounted a charge at Silk over the final couple laps but couldn’t catch the No. 16, settling for second.
“He got through traffic and had an eight car-length gap on us,” Bonsignore said of Silk. “I was giving it everything I had, but I was still too tight on that set of tires. Coming to the white flag, I found something in Turns 3-4. I wrapped the yellow line, and it hooked really good. It was just too little, too late at that point.”
Coby ended up third despite his slide with 10 laps to go. Patrick Emerling salvaged a fourth-place finish after an incident on Lap 127, and Trevor Catalano landed fifth in his Whelen Modified Tour debut.
Beers, Tyler Rypkema, Andrew Krause, Jake Johnson and Matt Hirschman rounded out the top 10.
There was a point in the second half of Saturday night’s race when Krause appeared to have the best car in the field. He stormed to the lead on Lap 115, passing Silk to get there. All was going well until a pit-stop error cost Krause his track position.
Craig Lutz, who set the fastest time in final practice and qualified on the pole, was the car to beat through most of the first half of the race. However, he lost the lead to Silk on Lap 80, and despite getting back to as high as second, he was never able to return to the lead. Lutz scored a 12th-place finish.
The New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 was slowed by seven cautions, the last of which resulted in a red flag as officials cleaned up fluid on the track after a Tyler Catalano spin.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour gets a lengthy break before its second race of the 2024 season, a visit to Richmond Raceway on Friday, March 29.
The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season saw a field chock-full of talent be displayed, spanning from the season’s inception at Daytona International Speedway in February to its November culmination at Phoenix Raceway.
If such excitement from a talented 2023 field trickles over, 2024 could be even better.
And deeper.
One of the leaders of the Xfinity cavalcade will be Austin Hill, who returns to the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after a banner year. 2023 saw the Georgia native tally career-highs in wins (4), top fives (16), top 10s (24), laps led (346) and poles (3) en route to a fifth-place finish in the Xfinity standings, and while the 29-year-old will be a 2024 title frontrunner, the path toward a championship crown will not be without hefty competition.
“There’s a lot of things that have happened in the offseason, obviously a lot of turnover, a lot different drivers going to different teams,” Hill said in a virtual teleconference with the media Tuesday. “Then, you also have some rookies coming in like Jesse (Love), my teammate. So, I think the field is stacked pretty deep, so winning races is gonna be tough each and every week. If you can win a race and go ahead and lock yourself in to know that you’re in the playoffs is gonna be crucial, but we could see a lot of different winners this year.”
To emphasize just how deep the field is, look no further than nine of last season’s 12 Xfinity Series Playoffs drivers returning to the full-time fold in 2024. This competition will have a different flavor to it, too, with three of those nine racing for different manufacturers and teams. Sammy Smith joins JR Motorsports, while Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed — Hill’s former teammate — set up shop under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner. AJ Allmendinger also returns to Xfinity full-time as driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy. Then, there’s Shane van Gisbergen, who will race under the Kaulig/Trackhouse moniker on a full-time basis.
Justin Allgaier — whose 4 wins, 15 top fives and 20 top 10s went along with a runner-up result in last year’s title chase — echoed Hill’s sentiment regarding the field’s top-to-bottom length.
“I mean, I say this every year, but I feel like this is the most competitive group of cars that we’ve seen in a long time,” Allgaier said in a virtual teleconference with the media Tuesday. “I mean, I look at drivers switching teams, I look at drivers coming back to the Xfinity series, I look at drivers getting opportunities to come up to the Xfinity series. I look at the drivers that were here last year, I mean, man, I look down the list, and I’m like, you can be first or 20th in points pretty easily. And, you know, I look at the drivers that I feel like are capable of winning races. And I’m like, man, we have 15 or 20 guys, every week that I legitimately feel like have the opportunity to win races.
“I think we’ve got a really, really talented field of drivers that, you know, I want to win races. But man, I mean, honestly, it’s going to be the tallest task we’ve seen in a long time to be able to win races.”
For Hill, the opportunity to build off a strong 2023 — and simultaneously mentor the 19-year-old Love as he progresses through his first full-time Xfinity season — is one worth tackling in full force. And while the 2023 field proved to be deep in its own right, 2024 could provide newer challenges that could make itself apparent within the season’s first handful of contests.
“I think the depth of field is really deep in the Xfinity Series,” Hill said. “I thought it was last year as well in 2023, so I think that it’s gonna be just as deep, maybe even a little deeper this year, you know, with AJ coming back and a few other guys coming in, and who knows what some of the rookies that are coming in, like Jesse, what’s he gonna be able to do. Is he gonna be a contender each and every week on race wins or not? So, I think until we get, I’d say, past the superspeedway races, and we get into Vegas and Phoenix, I think after Phoenix, you’ll kind of see who the players are and how depth of field it is.”
The Xfinity Series opens its season in one week at Daytona on Feb. 17 (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
