The National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled Wednesday to amend the L2-level penalties issued to Hendrick Motorsports for unapproved parts modifications entering the March 12 weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
The decision upholds the fines of $100,000 issued to the Nos. 5, 9, 24 and 48 NASCAR Cup Series teams, respectively, as well as the four-race suspensions handed down to the four crew chiefs. However, each team is restored 100 owners points and 10 playoff points. Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman receive the same points back from the initial reduction. NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry drove the No. 9 Chevrolet at Phoenix in place of the injured Chase Elliott and was not penalized as he does not compete for Cup points.
“We are pleased that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel agreed that Hendrick Motorsports violated the rule book,” NASCAR released in a statement. “However, we are disappointed that the entirety of the penalty was not upheld. A points penalty is a strong deterrent that is necessary to govern the garage following rule book violations, and we believe that it was an important part of the penalty in this case and moving forward. We will continue to inspect and officiate the NASCAR garage at the highest level of scrutiny to ensure a fair and level playing field for our fans and the entire garage.”
No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels, the No. 9’s Alan Gustafson, the No. 24’s Rudy Fugle and the No. 48’s Blake Harris are eligible to return to their respective pit boxes for Martinsville Speedway weekend. While the organization chose to appeal the penalties, the team elected to keep its four crew chiefs sidelined for the Cup events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Circuit of The Americas.
“We are grateful to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel for their time and attention,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in a press release. “Today’s outcome reflects the facts, and we’re pleased the panel did the right thing by overturning the points penalty. It validated our concerns regarding unclear communication and other issues we raised. We look forward to focusing on the rest of our season, beginning with this weekend’s race at Richmond.”
NASCAR discovered and confiscated the hood louvers from all four Hendrick cars before practice on March 10, but allowed the teams to practice before taking the parts back to the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further examination. Hendrick replaced the louvers after practice and all four cars passed technical inspection before Byron won the Cup race at Phoenix.
The hood louvers – which you can see on this Next Gen 3D model – are openings or vents in the hood that serve as a release point for ducts that transfer air out of the radiator. The system is intended to decouple engine performance from aero performance, offsetting the practice of teams taping off air intakes and placing undue pressure and heat strain on the car’s engine.
In the initial penalty report, the following sections of the 2023 NASCAR Rule Book were cited: Section 6.1 Time/Manner/Location; 14.1.C,D&Q Overall Assembled Vehicle Rules; 14.5.4.2.A Radiator Duct. The penalties issued were the loss of 100 championship owner points and 10 playoff points to the Nos. 5, 9, 24 and 48; the loss of 100 championship driver points and 10 playoff points to Larson, Byron and Bowman; and a $100,000 fine and four-race suspension to Daniels, Fugle, Harris and Gustafson.
The Appeals Panel members for this hearing were Kelly Housby, Dixon Johnston and Bill Lester.
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Hunter Brown and his younger sister, Haley, used to spend their Saturday nights at the race track helping and cheering on Eddie Humphrey. Now the Jacksonville siblings will race each other for the first time in Saturday’s Spring Duel at New River All-American Speedway.
Hunter Brown, a 26-year-old truck driver for his dad’s company, and Haley Brown, a 22-year-old a procedural room medical assistant, have both purchased Bomber cars and, with the help of Humphrey, are ready to strap in the cockpits of their race cars in the NASCAR-sanctioned division.
The older Brown will be making his second career start just a couple weeks removed from a runner-up finish in his debut after purchasing an Acura Integra previously driven by Wayne Phillips.
“That was wild,” Hunter said. “That was definitely not expected. I wasn’t even planning to race Saturday to be honest with you. We were just shaking the car down. Eddie told me to take the car to the track, we went to practice, car felt good during practice. Then I went out and qualified third and he said, ‘There was one thing to do now is race.'”
When New River All-American Speedway operated under the Coastal Plains Raceway banner in the 2000s and early 2010s, Hunter attended the races to help Eddie Humphrey as Haley cheered Humphrey on.
“Whenever I was younger, I used to help him,” Hunter said. “Just being around it, I wanted to do it. I started building a car, and it was going too slow, so I went and bought one. That’s pretty much it.”
Watching her older brother compete gave Haley the drive and desire to race, as well. Haley purchased a Toyota Celica, which is the most common car in the four-cylinder class in the Eastern North Carolina racing scene.
“I sat in the pits when I was younger with Eddie Humphrey when I was 8,” Haley said. “That’s when I first started going to the round track and used to always watch him race. As soon as he won, I would always run up there to be in the winner’s circle with him. [Hunter] went and bought a car, and I saw him finish second, so I decided I was going to be in the winner’s circle, too.”
SCHEDULE UPDATE: We have made a few adjustments to our race day schedule for Saturday.
— New River All-American Speedway (@newriverswy) March 28, 2023
After a runner-up finish on March 18, Hunter is returning to the track with confidence and has his sights set on victory.
“I’m going to go out there and drive the wheels off of it,” Hunter remarked. “I’m going to do everything I can to be back where I was at. It’s going to be fun, have a little competition in the family going on, a little bumping and rubbing.”
Haley has more subdued expectations for her debut, with her focus being on logging laps and finishing the race. She does, however, hope to eventually outrun her older brother.
“Girl power,” Haley said. “We’re going to give it all we’ve got.”
While Hunter wants to win, he also said he will be there to cheer on his little sister if she outruns him.
The two siblings will compete in the 25-lap Bomber feature, which is part of Saturday’s 10-race card at the Spring Duel, which is the third NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event of the season at New River All-American. The Spring Duel is headlined by the season-opening doubleheader for the Grand National Super Series and twin races for Super Trucks and Chargers. Legends, Bandoleros and Champ Karts will also be in action.
Tickets are available online at newriverspeedway.com/tickets and at the gate (cash only) for just $10.
Although he didn’t play a part in Sunday’s high-profile, post-race incident, Ryan Blaney understands all too well the importance of maintaining cordial relationships with teammates and, when necessary, mending them, too.
Following late-race fireworks on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas between Alex Bowman and Trackhouse Racing teammates Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez, the No. 12 Ford driver for Team Penske relayed his thoughts on teammate conflict and the importance of working through any issues that could arise from such tension.
Although tending to certain driver relationships might only require “a nail” of effort, Blaney believes that “you have to mend those fences” regardless. However, when it comes to a teammate, relationships have to be accounted for more succinctly with “screws, wire and maybe even a little bit of glue.”
Such a mindset comes from forging relationships with fellow Team Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano.
“Just because you’re trying to work together, and at the end of the day, everybody is gonna come together, no matter if you’re a teammate, worst enemies, best friends, you’re gonna get into it with everybody, intentional or not, and those things just happen,” Blaney said in a Wednesday teleconference with reporters. “The teammate side, Joey [Logano] and I have had a couple run-ins over the years, me and Austin [Cindric], and you get over that stuff. You talk about it. You get over it, and you move on from it. Those things you have to do, I think, fairly quickly. There is still probably something in the back of your head, but at the same time, you’re a team, and if you’ve got two teammates pissed off at each other, that doesn’t help the camaraderie of the whole organization.
“So, I’m sure those guys got over it, but like I said, I don’t know their business. It’s important to try to set things straight when you and a teammate have a run-in because you can’t be walking around the race shop and crew members, you can’t have them being mad at each other, too. It’s a weird situation between those guys. It’s like, ‘Oh, my driver is mad at the teammate driver. Should we be mad at each other, too?’ Then it’s a weird dynamic in the shop, so those things have to be dealt with quickly.”
The NASCAR Cup Series field will next race at Richmond Raceway on April 2 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Through six races this season, Kevin Harvick has been a consistent factor in a handful even though he has yet to make a trip to Victory Lane. Slipping down the points standings after a tough race at Circuit of The Americas, Racing Insights predicts that the Stewart-Haas Racing ace will get back on track and into the win column at Sunday’s Toyota Owner’s 400 at Richmond Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The 47-year-old veteran has had success at the Virginia short track, collecting four wins and ending his 65-race winless streak last season with an emotional victory.
Including last August’s victory, Harvick has finished eighth or better in three consecutive races at Richmond and 13 of his last 16 starts — an exceptional run-of-form at such a technical short track. But based on other drivers’ success here, as well, there will be plenty of competition on Sunday.
It’s hard to mention Richmond without acknowledging Joe Gibbs Racing’s incredible grip on the track, literally and figuratively. The organization leads all teams with 18 victories here and has won nine of the last 14 competitions on the 0.75-mile oval, including having a driver lead the most laps in eight of the last 14. As the next team in line for its first victory of the 2023 season, this race could jump-start their season.
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ONES TO WATCH
DENNY HAMLIN: Hamlin has four wins at Richmond, including last April’s race. He’s nearly a lock to finish in the top 10 and contend for the victory, doing so in 12 of his last 14 at the Virginia track.
KYLE BUSCH: Busch has the best active resume at Richmond with six wins and laps led in 10 of the last 11 races at the track — and he also has 16 of his many wins at short tracks.
TYLER REDDICK: Reddick has surprisingly never finished inside the top 10 at Richmond, but will be aiming to ride his wave of momentum from Circuit of The Americas to a career-best finish.
MARTIN TRUEX JR.: Still searching for an end to his winless drought, Truex should be in the mix at Richmond with three wins and 1,237 laps led over the last 12 races (led in nine) at the track.
AUSTIN DILLON: Don’t write off the driver of the No. 3 this week. Dillon has led 56 laps at Richmond across the last five races, so he has the knowledge to run up front here, finishing top 11 in six of eight.
Projections as of Wednesday, March 29.
RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE TOYOTA OWNERS 400
Newman and Labonte both will be driving for Sadler Stanley Racing, owned by former NASCAR competitor Hermie Sadler and Virginia State Senator Bill Stanley, in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 (6:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).
The race at Richmond marks the anniversary of Newman’s debut with the team. In that event, he qualified fourth, led two laps and finished 13th. He improved upon that result later in the year, winning a non-NASCAR event at North Wilkesboro Speedway and finishing third in the Tour finale at Martinsville Speedway.
Newman believes those results show what the pairing is capable of accomplishing in Modifieds in 2023.
Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)
“We proved at North Wilkesboro and Martinsville that we’re a good combination,” Newman said in January. “Hermie understands the business of racing; he understands being a driver. I can’t say he completely understands being a crew chief, because I don’t know that he ever has, but I think he understands enough about racing that it’s easy to have a conversation with him.
“Senator Stanley is a combination of a race fan and a car owner that lives and breathes it. He’s ultimately just engaged. He’s a behind-the-scenes guy that most race teams don’t have. It’s good to have him being part of it.”
For Labonte, Friday’s race will mark his first time racing a Modified at Richmond. While he never won a race at Richmond during his NASCAR Cup Series career, he did finish second on two occasions.
There’s no reason to believe Labonte won’t be competitive Friday evening.
“I want to go out there and definitely give it my best and learn as much as I can,” Labonte said. “I’m racing against guys who have done this all their lives or some type of short-track racing all their lives, and I haven’t.
“I really feel like the opportunity we have with Sadler and Stanley — we can be competitive everywhere we go. If we’re not, it’s probably going to lay on me as far as what I don’t know about a track or what this car is going to do or things like that.”
Bobby Labonte (top) and Ryan Newman (bottom) pictured during NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour practice at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 27, 2022. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)
After two decades, Tim Connolly is back
The last time Tim Connolly raced in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, George W. Bush was president of the United States.
That statistic will no longer be accurate Friday when Connolly, now 62, makes his return to competition in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. It will mark the first time Connolly has raced with the Tour since 2002, when he competed in three events for PBM Motorsports.
Connolly’s career path almost had nothing to do with racing. During his college years, he was a standout quarterback at New York’s Ithica College. Knee injuries forced him to retire from football before he had a chance to reach the National Football League.
Still needing to scratch his competitive itch, Connolly picked up racing as a hobby. He made his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start in 1988 and won for the first time in 1993 at Pennsylvania’s Nazareth Speedway.
He became a championship contender after teaming up with legendary team owner Bob Garbarino to drive the famous Mystic Missile No. 4 in 1996. Despite going winless that year, the two stuck together in 1997, and Connolly enjoyed a career year.
Connolly won a career-best four times in 1997 with an astonishing nine poles, plus 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. The only driver better than Connolly that year was Mike Stefanik, who scored 10 victories on his way to the Tour championship while Connolly settled for second.
In all, Connolly has won nine times in 187 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts with No. 188 arriving Friday at Richmond.
Tommy Catalano seeking redemption in his return to Richmond
Tommy Catalano (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Tommy Catalano could practically taste the champagne.
The driver from Ontario, New York was fewer than a dozen laps away from what would have been his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory last season at Richmond.
Unfortunately for him, Justin Bonsignore spoiled the party.
Catalano, who led a race-high 69 laps last year at Richmond, settled for a career-best second during the 2022 edition of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. He lost the lead to Bonsignore with 11 laps remaining as he struggled to navigate slower traffic.
It was a heartbreaking result for everyone in the Catalano family, who were on pins and needles in the pits as they watched the 25-year-old Catalano come agonizingly close to his first Tour victory.
The good news is Catalano is heading back to Richmond this Friday to see if he can do one position better.
That could be bad news for the rest of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour field considering how good Catalano was last year a the 0.75-mile, d-shaped oval.
Notes:
Two drivers will be making their NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut appearances Friday night. Cory Dimatteo will pilot the No. 17 for team owner Michelle Davini, and Bryan Narducci will wheel the Ole Blue No. 3 for Boehler Racing Enterprises.
Matt Hirschman will race at Richmond Raceway for the first time thanks to a partnership between PeeDee Motorsports and Baker Racing.
A familiar face was a late addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour entry list for Friday’s race at Richmond. Max McLaughlin, the son of six-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner Mike McLaughlin, is scheduled to pilot the No. 77 entry owned by Mike Curb.
Through seven decades of NASCAR competition, Richmond Raceway has not only been a fan-favorite facility but resoundingly one of the competitors’ preferred places to race and win. And the list of those that have hoisted a Richmond trophy reads like a NASCAR Hall of Fame reunion.
In Virginia’s capital, in the heart of the traditional NASCAR landscape, Richmond Raceway has featured some of the most important events in the sport’s history, from Lee Petty’s 1-lap victory over the field in the inaugural NASCAR race there in 1953 to his son’s historic 13 wins spanning three decades; to a modern-day place setting NASCAR’s playoff lineup (2004-18), to now playing a role as a spring and summer venue helping to establish which drivers will vie for the sport’s most cherished trophy.
History is synonymous with the city of Richmond. And NASCAR has contributed plenty of high-speed, dramatic chapters in its milestone 75 years there.
Although its earliest roots are a half-mile dirt track named “Strawberry Hill Raceway,” the Richmond track’s big-league NASCAR history began with Lee Petty’s 1953 win – by a lap – over Dick Rathman in the first NASCAR Grand National Series race at the Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds, as the facility was known by then.
Petty’s son Richard – NASCAR’s “King” – would go on to become the winningest driver in Richmond history with 13 victories — double the tally for any other driver. Ever. And although Richard Petty holds that same top honor at many of the sport’s venues, his work at Richmond is particularly impressive.
Between 1965-1969, Petty and fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer, the late David Pearson, won eight straight races; Petty three and Pearson five.
From 1970-73, Petty won seven consecutive Richmond races, his streak broken in 1974 with Bobby Allison’s victory in the spring 500-lapper. Petty resumed winning the very next race and in all, between 1970-1975, won nine of 10 races, a feat unheard of in today’s NASCAR.
Petty not only “owned” the track for much of his racing days, but in 1988 he actually got behind the wheel of a bulldozer to ceremonially move dirt when the track was transformed into the D-shaped .75-mile track that has annually hosted a pair of important NASCAR Cup Series races ever since.
The best in the sport have traditionally been best at Richmond, its short-track door-to-door competition on a racer’s ideal smooth, wide surface has provided some of the most noteworthy events in NASCAR’s history. NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart earned his first win there in 1999, and NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick – who is retiring at the end of 2023 — earned his most recent, a 60th trophy at Richmond last season.
Two-time series champion Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with six wins, and that includes a modern-day feat of four straight in the spring race between 2009-12, with his most recent coming in 2018.
This weekend’s Toyota Owners 400 (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the first in a back-to-back-to-back stretch of NASCAR’s best in short track racing — also including the half-milers at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 9 and then Martinsville Raceway on April 16.
A large part of what makes a track like Richmond so uniquely popular is the combination of rich history and modern-day action at the track appropriately nicknamed the “Action Track.”
So many of the sport’s indelible moments have come at Richmond. From the famous 1986 on-track duel between a pair of NASCAR Hall of Famers, Darrell Waltrip and the late Dale Earnhardt — Kyle Petty avoided the melee and won the race to become the third Petty Richmond winner – to the 1992 photo finish when Bill Elliott’s win over Alan Kulwicki in what is still the closest finish in the track’s history. Add to that a wide assortment of modern-day incredible door-to-door last-lap battles in pursuit of a NASCAR playoff position.
Six of the eight former Richmond winners entered this week – Busch, Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski — have won multiple times there.
This weekend’s race comes on the heels of a dramatic road course race that tested patience, called for talent and roughed up emotions; similar descriptions of what is always reasonable to expect at a short track such as Richmond.
And exactly why Richmond Raceway is a still-vital part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, one of the most popular spots on the NASCAR schedule – generation after generation.
CHICAGO — Today, NASCAR welcomed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) as a founding partner of the first-ever Chicago Street Race Weekend. The partnership was unveiled as part of a press conference at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois headquarters in downtown Chicago that overlooks the footprint of the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street course.
As a founding partner, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will have official presenting, marketing and promotional rights for the Chicago Street Race Weekend including the Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 races in downtown Chicago over Fourth of July Weekend, July 1-2. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois joins McDonald’s as the first two founding partners of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race Weekend.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is part of the fabric of Chicago and Illinois. The NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend is taking place on the doorstep of our headquarters building and we expect it to be an exciting addition to Chicago’s sports legacy,” said Stephen Harris, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “NASCAR has demonstrated its commitment to Chicago beyond the races — which aligns with our commitment to help improve the health and wellness of people across Illinois. We ‘DRIVE ACCESS’ to care and will work to drive access and opportunities for people from around Chicago to be part of the excitement surrounding the event.”
This builds on the legacy of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois supporting the city and its people. BCBSIL was the first and remains the only insurer to consistently offer individual and family coverage in every county across Illinois. The company opened three Blue Door Neighborhood Centers on Chicago’s South and West Sides to help improve the health of those communities and opened a service center in Morgan Park that created nearly 500 jobs. Those investments represent a force multiplier – showing others the benefit of what can happen when people come together to invest in and support our neighborhoods and provide opportunities for residents.
To download the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinoisand Chicago Street Race logo, click here.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois brand will have a visible presence throughout the Chicago Street Race Weekend with on-course branding in a dedicated founding partner section as well as the historic start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain, fan entrances, concert stages, wayfinding, and additional locations throughout the event’s footprint.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has been making a positive influence in the health and wellness of families for generations, so we are proud to partner on the NASCAR Chicago Street Race to expand our united impact in the community,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race president. “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois’s downtown Chicago headquarters overlooking the footprint of the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street course, so we welcome them as a new NASCAR partner.”
“The Chicago Street Race is one of the most anticipated events in NASCAR’s 75-year history and we are grateful to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois as a Founding Partner,” said Matt Lawson, vice president, national sales, NASCAR. “Like NASCAR, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is an organization that is committed to making a positive impact on the community. We look forward to introducing NASCAR to new fans and communities through partner activation that drives access and opportunities for all.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and the Chicago Street Race have committed to share future announcements on the organizations’ collaborative support for programs that will have a positive and lasting impact in the Chicago community.
Chicago Street Race
As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the first-ever Chicago Street Race Weekend will feature the NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 competing on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course, along with full-length concerts by The Chainsmokers and Miranda Lambert with the support of The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett over Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2.
General admission and reserved tickets are on sale for the Chicago Street Race. Two-day general admission ticket start at $269 and reserved tickets that offer an array of opportunities including reserved seating and a wide variety of premium experiences start at $465. To purchase tickets, fans can log onto NASCARChicago.com or call 1-888-629-7223.
The Grant Park 220 will be nationally broadcast on NBC on Sunday, July 2 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT and The Loop 121 will be broadcast nationally on USA Network at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT.
To stay up to date with the Chicago Street Race, fans can subscribe to receive exclusive Chicago Street Race emails, follow @NASCARChicago on Twitter and Facebook and download the NASCAR Tracks App for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event.
As NASCAR celebrates its 75th anniversary season in 2023, the sports oldest division continues to thrive.
Each year, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour brings together polished veterans like Doug Coby, Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk and others to race alongside the rising stars of Modified racing, most of whom cut their teeth in the Northeast. This season, the Tour schedule features 19 races, with the opener at New Smyrna Speedway in February, won by Silk, already in the books.
The series returns to competition Friday, March 31 at Richmond Raceway, and the entry list for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is padded with talent. As the season hits full speed again for Round 2, it provides a chance to review the Rookie of the Year lineup heading into 2023.
Whether drivers have come from Legends cars, Late Models, Super Late Models, Quarter Midgets or even SK or Crate Modifieds, each of the competitors in the rookie class of 2023 has taken a different path to reach the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Some of them will run full-time this season and chase the Josten’s Rookie of the Year honors, while others will sprinkle starts throughout the season to gain experience. The battle for the Rookie of the Year is one to watch during the season, and for many of these drivers, it’s their ultimate goal.
Jake Johnson, driver of the No. 3 Propane Plus Modified, during the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Jake Johnson
For a driver who cut his teeth racing in Legends cars, Jake Johnson has moved up the ladder quickly in the Northeast. The Massachusetts driver went from winning a Legends car championship to full-bodied Late Models, then Super Late Models and now Modifieds.
He competed in select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events in 2022, driving for the famed Boehler family in Ole Blue No. 3. Although he struggled in his first start at Riverhead, Johnson quickly came out of the gate at Lee USA Speedway in his next start, winning the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole, leading three laps and finishing fifth. In five starts that followed Lee, Johnson finished eighth or better in four of them.
Entering a new year, Johnson will be the driver of the Boehler Racing Enterprises entry for more than half of the events on the diverse 2023 schedule. After capturing his first victory in a Modified last year at Star Speedway in New Hampshire, Johnson will continue to try to score his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win, but he will also sit behind the wheel of Late Models, Super Late Models and an Open Modified in competition for his family team again this season.
Bryan Narducci
Bryan Narducci will sit behind the wheel of one of the most historic cars in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2023, joining Johnson to fill out the schedule for Boehler Racing Enterprises in the Ole Blue No. 3.
Narducci’s first Tour start, and those that come after, will be the next steps in his already successful short-track Modified career. His first race will come at Richmond on a weekend when the Tour joins NASCAR’s national series divisions.
Narducci is a two-time NASCAR Division III National Champion (2018-19), and at just 23, he has multiple wins in SK Light Modifieds and SK Modifieds in New England. Narducci has won at two of Connecticut’s toughest tracks — Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Stafford Motor Speedway — and is a threat every time he climbs behind the wheel.
The Colchester, Connecticut, native competed in the Legends cars, Limited Late Models, SK Light Modifieds and SK Modifieds prior to making this step.
His planned NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts in 2023 include events at Richmond, Lancaster Motorplex (Aug. 5), Langley Speedway (Aug. 26), Oswego Speedway (Sept. 2) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 26).
Justin Brown, driver of the No. 46 Riverhead Building Supply Modified, looks on before the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Justin Brown
With Goodie Racing returning to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time this season, and their team based on Long Island in New York, it’s only fitting that they selected a Riverhead Raceway driver to wheel the car.
Justin Brown, driver of the No. 46 for Goodie Racing, started his career at Riverhead in 2012 and has been racing there since. He won races and championships in the Champ Karts at multiple tracks to start his career in 2012, and then moved to the 602 Modified class at Riverhead in 2017, winning nine races before moving to the Modified class, Riverhead’s top division, in 2020.
He won his first Riverhead Modified feature in 2022, and when Goodie Racing made the call to put him on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Brown is teamed with crew chief Douglas Ogiejko, who was on the box for Craig Lutz during three of his four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins, all of which came with Goodie Racing.
Brown has a crew chief on his side who has experience, and as he continues to learn the ropes of touring with the Whelen Modified Tour, expect his finishing position to improve.
Brian Robie
This New Hampshire standout made his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start in 2022, competing in all three races during the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, promoted by JDV Productions. His best finish was eighth, showing he’s a quick study when it comes to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at his local short tracks.
Robie won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series New Hampshire State championship in 2020, winning track championships at Monadnock Speedway, Claremont Motorsports Park and Hudson Speedway – all in the same season.
As he continues to dip his toes into the Modified ranks and make select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts along the way, Robie is planning to compete in at least five Tour races this season, which began at New Smyrna. He will also run the four JDV Productions events at Monadnock (two), Lee USA (one) and Claremont (one), while chasing the three-race Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup again. Monadnock (May 6), Lee (May 27) and Claremont (July 29) are the three races that make up the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup in 2023.
Robie will look to continue to impress his local crowd but also showcase his name to fans across the country by competing on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour circuit again this season.
Matthew Kimball, driver of the #43 J&M Towing Modified, during qualifying for the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna Speedway on February 11, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Matt Kimball
Similar to Robie, Matt Kimball is another driver who cut his teeth in the state of New Hampshire. Kimball grew up racing at the same tracks – Monadnock, Claremont, Lee USA – and like Robie was a champion. Kimball won the title in the Mini Stock division at Monadnock at 13 years old. Shortly after winning the title, Kimball moved to the Sportsman Modifieds, where he’s been to Victory Lane multiple times.
He’s been focusing on getting up to speed in a Modified the last two seasons and opened his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour adventure at New Smyrna in February, running inside the top 15 before a mechanical failure ended his night.
Like Robie, Kimball is expected to frequent his local New Hampshire tracks with the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup and the second Monadnock date in September, but don’t be surprised to see this rising star compete in some other events along the way as well.
Chris Hatton Jr.
As a Florida native, Chris Hatton Jr. was a competitor in the opening round of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season at New Smyrna Speedway. He started his career at the Florida half-mile, running in the Southern Ground Pounders and then capturing the championship in that division in 2021.
In 2022, Hatton moved to the 602 Modifieds when they became a regular division at New Smyrna, picking up two wins last season and finishing second in the track point standings.
After making his debut with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in February, don’t be surprised to see him at additional events during the 2023 season.
Anthony Bello
Scheduled to compete in select races in 2023, Anthony Bello is one to watch when it comes to the future of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This Connecticut standout won the SK Lite Modified championship at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2021, winning the prestigious Icebreaker to begin the season.
Since then, Bello has also polished his skills at one of the toughest Northeast Modified tracks, Stafford Motor Speedway, winning in their SK Modified division with the help of setup mastermind Stephen Kopcik.
Bello opened the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season with a DNF due to a mechanical failure at New Smyrna. It’s currently unknown when he’ll join the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour next, but when you think about five, maybe 10 years into the future, look for Bello’s name to be near the front of the pack.
These drivers won’t be the only ones during the season who are rookies on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Similar to past years, as the season rolls along, other competitors will throw their name into the ring to see if they can tackle NASCAR’s oldest division and the stout competition that comes with it.
Less than 24 hours after Daniel Suárez’s heated exchange with Alex Bowman and teammate Ross Chastain at Circuit of The Americas, Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to express support for his drivers’ competitive nature.
After a long day of racing around the 3.41-mile Texas circuit, Suárez was positioned at the front on a late restart with a chance to battle for the win. But it quickly went awry when the green flag dropped and cars frantically made their way through COTA’s daunting Turn 1. Bowman jumped to the inside lane and received a bump from Chastain, sending the No. 48 into Suárez, who saw his winning hopes evaporate.
Following the race, Suárez tracked down the Nos. 48 and 1 — something Marks attributes to the heat of the moment.
“There’s a lot of emotion on pit road after the race,” Marks explained on SiriusXM. “Obviously, Daniel was just stewing in his emotions on that cooldown lap and it didn’t stop after he hit the 48. You know, he got out of his car and saw Ross there and knew Ross was a part of that train that was coming in and wanted to express his emotions to Ross. It’s part of the competitiveness of the series.”
Still searching for his first win of the 2023 season, Suárez was looking to bounce back at COTA after a similar incident in Turn 1 during the middle of the 2022 race took him out of contention, as well.
“Daniel had a day that was shaping up for him to be able to have a great race,” said Marks. “He was really focused hard on this race all week in his preparations and felt like he had a real shot at winning and I think he was in a position to contend for it. I think, you know, just compound all that and you’re hot, you’re tired and then it kinda just hits the fan at the end of the race — and we just saw that emotion boil over.”
Despite the teammate tension in Texas, Marks chose to look on the bright side.
“But I’ll tell ya,” Marks said. “I mean, I’d rather have two guys mad about losing than two guys that get out of the car and go ‘Oh, well. We’ll go to Richmond.'”
