Posted on February 8, 2022 by FloRacing

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour kicks off its 38th season Saturday at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway with the running of the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 live on FloRacing.

A new season usually means changes, and this year there’s been plenty of change ahead of the upcoming campaign. But never fear, race fans. You’ve come to the right place to get caught up.

It’s race week for the Mod Tour

Pit Box for @newsmyrnaspdwy is live.

: https://t.co/hCPenZzafD #NWMT | @WhelenMTRS

— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) February 7, 2022

New streaming partner

The first big change was mentioned above, and that is all NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events will be streamed live on FloRacing.

For the last couple of seasons, these races were streamed on NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass and before that on FansChoice.TV. However, on Dec. 2, NASCAR and FloSports announced a new multi-year partnership that will see the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the ARCA Mendards Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series events and tracks all broadcast live on FloRacing.com.

More than 280 races are expected to be streamed live as part of the new agreement.

Big money

OK, we know that in Modifieds circles, “Big Money” is usually referring to Matt Hirschman, but we’re talking about the payout for each of the 16 races on the calendar this year. In 2021, the winner of each race took home at least $10,000, and that number will rise in 2022.

As part of the previously mentioned new streaming contract with FloRacing, there will be a new awards bonus for finishing positions 1-20. The race winner will take home a $1,500 bonus from FloRacing, while second place will receive $1,000. The third-place finisher will receive $900, fourth place will receive $800, $700 for fifth place, and $600 for sixth. Positions seven-10 will take home $500. Positions 11-15 will take home $300 and $200 will go to finishers in positions 16 through 20.

In 2021, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour awarded more than $1.3 million to competitors.

That number will in 2022

More info: https://t.co/5T04wfc5N6 #NWMT pic.twitter.com/N8PchT11uI

— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) February 2, 2022

Familiar voices in new roles

NASCAR announced recently that the Modified Tour will have full-time announcers. Those announcers are none other than the legendary Ben Dodge and Joe Coss, two names of which Modified fans and racing fans from New England are already very familiar.

Dodge has long been the voice of Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway, as well as the voice of the Modifieds at New Smyrna Speedway’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing every February.

Coss’ voice has been heard reverberating from the speakers at tracks such as New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway.

Now, fans at each race track the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visits will hear their voices, as well as the fans watching from home live on FloRacing.

Joe Coss, Ben Dodge named voices of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for 2022

Story: https://t.co/Lg7xonJC1L #NWMT pic.twitter.com/aRTxPjjsIH

— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) February 3, 2022

New home for Silk and Moran

Ron Silk and Phil Moran have been around the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for quite some time and have each reached the pinnacle of success with the Tour. Silk won the championship as a driver in 2011, and Moran won the championship multiple times as Doug Coby’s crew chief.

Now the two are paired together with a team new to the series. Tyler Haydt and Joe Yannone are the owners of the new Haydt Yannone Racing team for which Silk and Moran will race the whole season together.

Coby steps back

Speaking of Coby, fans of the Modified Tour won’t be seeing as much of the six-time champion as we’re all used to.

Coby recently announced that his team currently has just four Modified Tour events on their calendar. The first of those events will be the race on July 16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also will be at Thompson Speedway on Aug. 17 and Oct. 8, and he’ll also be competing in the season finale for the Modified Tour at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 27.

The 2022 season will be the third campaign for Coby’s new Doug Coby Racing team. Coby will have John McKenna as his crew chief, someone with whom he’s already very familiar. Coby and McKenna won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship together in 2012, the first of Coby’s six titles.

The tracks

The 16-race schedule has plenty of tracks that have been on the schedule before, but also plenty of new and different events.

It starts off with a 200-lap race at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 12. The Tour-type Modifieds are not strangers to the half-mile oval that sits about 10 miles south of Daytona International Speedway, but this week marks the first time that the track will host a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.

New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway will see a visit from the Tour in May. While the track has hosted the Tour before, it hasn’t since Ed Flemke Jr. won back in 1998.

Another New Hampshire track will also be returning to the calendar after a lengthy time away. That track is the third-mile Claremont Speedway in Claremont, New Hampshire. Claremont has hosted the Modified Tour twice in its history, once in 1985, which was won by Richie Evans, and again in 2007, which was won by James Civali.

Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park will host two races in August and October. Thompson was absent from the 2021 calendar.

This year marks the first time since 1988 that Stafford Motor Speedway will not host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Press Release

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race, at Martinsville Speedway will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24.

“The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is a tradition at Martinsville Speedway that brings the racing community together for the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race,” said Martinsville President Clay Campbell. “We are grateful to our long-time partners at ValleyStar Credit Union for their continued support to bring the best Late Model racers together to compete on the most storied short track in motorsports.”

Added Mike Warrell, ValleyStar Credit Union CEO: “The ValleyStar Credit Union team is honored to be a part of such a celebrated and distinguished race. The excitement that comes from this NASCAR event is felt throughout our communities, across Virginia and well outside the Commonwealth. This partnership between ValleyStar Credit Union and Martinsville Speedway gives us the chance to drive economic growth and highlight the amazing place that we, our families, friends and fellow businesses call home.”

it’s the , and most NASCAR Late Model Race.#ValleyStar300

— Martinsville Speedway (@MartinsvilleSwy) February 8, 2022

Landon Pembelton, the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Southeast Region Rookie of the Year, won last year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300. The 16-year-old from Amelia, Virginia, won in his debut at Martinsville Speedway.

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will be a 200-lap feature race will include three segments: 75 laps, 75 laps and 50 laps. Additional details on the format of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will be announced.

Tickets for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 are $30 and unreserved. Youth 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Parking is free for the event. Tickets are available for purchase at the ticket office, via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.

Click here more information on the ValleyStar Credit Union 300.

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Nick Giffen

The 2022 NASCAR season is here, and with it comes plenty of change. New tracks, reconfigured tracks and driver changes will shake up the competition.

NASCAR has even made tweaks to the practice and qualifying format as the evolution of on-track activity continues since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But when it comes to NASCAR betting, these changes have comparatively little impact relative to the biggest change of the 2022 season.

This year, NASCAR is introducing a new race car, dubbed the Next Gen car. The goal of the Next Gen car is multi-faceted.

NASCAR wants to:

Improve the on-track product
Increase the safety of the car
Add in new technologies
Reduce costs to the teams
Attract new manufacturers to the sport

Despite trying to meet several goals, the Next Gen car is meant to be more of an evolution of the previous car (the Gen-6 car), rather than a revolution.

However, the changes are still significant enough to yield many questions. How will this car race? Which teams and drivers will benefit?

How does it compare to previous cars? Which past seasons will be most similar?

These are all questions we don’t have the answer to yet.

In the face of many unknowns, we need to figure out how to approach NASCAR betting in 2022.

As someone trained in mathematics and statistical modeling, I’m here to show you how I’m going to approach NASCAR betting to account for the increased uncertainty and refine that approach as we become armed with in-season data.

How to Bet on NASCAR in 2022

Relevant Data

The first place to start is by figuring out which data is relevant. Because we don’t know how this car will perform, or which drivers will benefit, I believe using all NASCAR loop data since its inception in 2005 will be important.

This will help us capture all sorts of conditions that the NASCAR Cup Series has raced under. This gives us the widest base to work with and captures the most uncertainty.

That doesn’t mean all data since 2005 will be relevant in the long run, but it’s a good starting point. If we just look at the statistic driver rating and how it predicts performance, we can get an idea of how quickly we can hone in on relevant data.

My modeling has shown that since the inception of loop data, about 90% of the correlation between driver rating and finishing position can be explained just by averaging the previous six races.

This differs year by year.

In some years, predictive power is a bit slower. In others, it may take just four or five races to reach the 90% benchmark. Regardless, it means we can quickly determine which cars will be faster over the course of the season. It also means that I’ll be able to quickly calculate which previous seasons better correlate with 2022, and adjust my model’s weights accordingly.

With that said, early in the season it is important to be open-minded. As an example, track history may only get us so far.

As the season progresses, we could find that track history matters much less if the car behaves in an entirely different manner from the Gen-6 car. On the flip side, track history could be increasingly important if there is more consistent performance from this car.

We just don’t know.

So to start the season, I will start building my models with all data since 2005. This allows us to capture the variables that matter most under the widest variety of conditions.

Statistically significant data will be refined as the season progresses.

Practice and Qualifying

Another change to the 2022 season involves practice and qualifying. For 2022, the vast majority of races will feature a short practice session followed by qualifying.

After the COVID-19 pandemic started, NASCAR scrapped practice and qualifying at nearly every race.

To determine starting order, NASCAR used a formula based on the prior week’s finishing position and fastest laps, as well as owner points. That means on-track activity from the current race wasn’t used to determine starting order. With qualifying back in place, starting position may become a more statistically significant factor than it was the last two years. In a similar vein, practice speeds may once again matter. There’s a bit of a wrinkle here, though.

Prior to the pandemic, NASCAR often featured multiple long practice sessions. That gave us plenty of practice data to work with. This includes single lap speeds, long-run speeds and overall practice lap averages. With a single short practice session for most races, practice data is reduced. At this point in time, I’m not sure how teams will approach practice.

What is certain is that there will be far less relevant practice data, so don’t rely too heavily on practice times.

Four NASCAR Betting Tips for 2022

It’s always good to be cautious at the start of any NASCAR season. Even without significant rule or car changes, some teams hit on improvements, while others miss.

Because of NASCAR’s changes in 2022 additional caution is warranted. Thus, we must adjust our betting approach to accommodate increased uncertainty.

We can then adjust as the season progresses. Here are four actionable items I can recommend.

1. Reduce your bet sizes

This one is pretty straightforward. You don’t want to be making large bets when you are more uncertain of the outcome. As uncertainty increases, the range of outcomes in the result becomes wider.

In head-to-head bets, that means more overlap in the finishing-position distributions of each driver. In turn, the probability of winning the head-to-head is reduced.

We can quantify this mathematically as well. As the expected edge of our bet decreases, a smaller portion of the bankroll should be risked to achieve bankroll growth.

Formulae like the Kelly criterion can help us quantify that amount. In simple terms, reducing your unit size or number of units placed on each bet early in the season is a prudent move.

2. Reduce your betting volume

This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip, but it’s also good to be pickier with the bets you make. Bets with small or medium expected value are reduced to marginal, or even losing bets, if we expand the error bars.

Instead, find lines that in prior years would be considered significantly mispriced. These bets that traditionally have large edges are the ones to go after.

Even then, our confidence should be reduced. On the low end of the confidence interval, these bets may only yield a small-to-moderate long-term return. Increased uncertainty reduces the total number of bets we can have statistical confidence in to produce a positive return on investment (ROI).

3. Take a few long shots

One of the benefits of uncertainty is that it applies in both directions. While some drivers will end up on the low end of their distribution, others will fall on the higher side. A wider distribution results in higher upside.

The Action Network’s PJ Walsh highlighted this principle in two separate betting articles (here and here) for last weekend’s Busch Light Clash. In both instances, there were multiple reasons to believe that with these unique circumstances, each driver had a good chance to reach the upper end of his increased range of outcomes.

4. Adjust quickly

As I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t take many races for predictive data to develop. Even on the longer side, it may only take seven or eight races to get 90% of the way there.

You’ll want to pay special attention to how specific teams and manufacturers are performing. Are certain teams achieving higher average speeds relative to the field than in years past? Are others lagging behind?

This played out last year, especially on the larger ovals, where Stewart-Haas Racing was slow out of the gate and never really caught up.

However, it’s important to not only adjust early but to continually adjust. As an example, let’s say Team Penske misses it out of the gate. You definitely should take note and adjust. This may only be short-term. It’s possible, especially with a new car, that Penske finds something that works that other teams don’t find. If they do, they could make significant gains. Without continually adjusting, betting against Penske could swing from a winning to a losing strategy.

The 2022 NASCAR season should be a fun one. I’ll be here to provide you with the analytics throughout the year.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

Posted on February 8, 2022February 8, 2022 by Tadd Haislop

Nine consecutive nights of motorsports action at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway: There is nothing like the annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

Per tradition, multiple seasons for drivers, teams and series will begin at the half-mile paved oval located about 12 miles south of Daytona International Speedway. The World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing is also the unofficial kickoff to New Smyrna’s schedule as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

The 2022 edition of the World Series of Asphalt features a notable addition to the schedule. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make its debut at the track with its season-opener Saturday, Feb. 12, the second night of World Series action.

As has been the case since 2014, the ARCA Menards Series East also will begin its season at New Smyrna during the World Series of Asphalt with the Race to Stop Suicide 200 presented by Place of Hope on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Other feature events at the World Series of Asphalt include Super Sunday (Feb. 13), the Clyde Hart Memorial Super Late Model 100 (Feb. 14), the John Blewett III Memorial Tour Modified 76 (Feb. 16), Shootout Night (Feb. 17), the Hart to Heart PLM 100 and Richie Evans Memorial 100 (Feb. 18) and the Orange Blossom Super Late Model 100 (Feb. 19).

All of this year’s World Series of Asphalt race action can be viewed live on FloRacing. Tickets are available here.

Below is everything to know about the 2022 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, including the schedule and entry list.

What TV channel is the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing on in 2022?

Race action begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on each night of the 2022 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, and all of that action can be viewed live on FloRacing, the new streaming home for all NASCAR Roots properties.

The World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing will not be shown on a television network.

Below is the complete schedule for World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing coverage on FloRacing.

Date	Event	Start time	How to watch
Friday, Feb. 11	Opening night	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Saturday, Feb. 12	New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 #lovensb (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour)	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Sunday, Feb. 13	Super Sunday (602 Mod 75)	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Monday, Feb. 14	Clyde Hart Memorial Super Late Model 100	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Tuesday, Feb. 15	Race to Stop Suicide 200 presented by Place of Hope (ARCA Menards Series East)	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Wednesday, Feb. 16	John Blewett III Memorial Tour Modified 76	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Thursday, Feb. 17	Shootout Night (FL Modified 75)	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Friday, Feb. 18	Hart to Heart PLM 100 & Richie Evans Memorial TM 100	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing
Saturday, Feb. 19	Orange Blossom Super Late Model 100	7:30 p.m. ET	FloRacing

ARCA Menards Series East racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway (Matt Stamey/ARCA Racing)

World Series of Asphalt 2022 schedule

Each of the nine days and nights of the 2022 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing is loaded with on-track activity. In addition to racing each night at 7:30 p.m. ET, practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled every day at New Smyrna for the divisions competing that night.

Below is the complete track schedule for the 2022 World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway.

Friday, Feb. 11

Time	Event
8 a.m.	Pit gates open
9 a.m.	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
11:45 a.m.	Drivers meeting
12:30 p.m.	Practice begins
3:30 p.m.	Super Late tire release & pre-qualifying tech
4:30 p.m.	Pro Late tire release & pre-qualifying tech
6 p.m.	Qualifying
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Sportsman 35 laps; Super Late Model 35 laps; Intermission; Pro Late Model 35 laps; Modified 35 laps; Bomber 20 laps

(All times ET)

Saturday, Feb. 12

Time	Event
7 a.m.	NWMT credentials open
9:30 a.m.	NWMT garage opens
10:30 a.m.	NWMT driver/crew chief/spotters meeting
11 a.m.	Pit gates open
11:15 a.m.	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:15 p.m.	Drivers meeting
1 p.m.	Practice begins
4:45 p.m.	Qualifying
6:30 p.m.	NWMT driver autograph session
7:30 p.m.	Racing begins (NWMT 200 laps; Pro Late Model 35 laps; Modifieds 35 laps; Sportsman 50 laps

(All times ET)

Sunday, Feb. 13

Time	Event
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
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Super Late Model 35 laps; Modifieds 35 laps; Intermission; Pro Late Model 35 laps; 602 Modifieds 75 laps; E-Mods 30 laps

(All times ET)

Monday, Feb. 14

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Pit gates open
Noon	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.	Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.	Practice begins
6 p.m.	Qualifying
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Clyde Hart Memorial Super Late Model 100; 602

(All times ET)

Tuesday, Feb. 15

Time	Event
8 a.m.	ARCA credentials open
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
5:15 p.m.	Qualifying
6:30 p.m.	ARCA driver autograph session
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Race to Stop Suicide 200 presented by Place of Hope; Intermission; Tour Modified 35 laps; Super Late Model 35 laps; 602 Modified 25 laps

(All times ET)

Wednesday, Feb. 16

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Pit gates open
Noon	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.	Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.	Practice begins
6 p.m.	Qualifying
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Pro Late Model 35 laps; Modified 35 laps; Intermission; Super Late Model 35 laps; Tour Modified John Blewett III Memorial 76 Laps)

(All times ET)

Thursday, Feb. 17

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Pit gates open
Noon	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.	Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.	Practice begins
6 p.m.	Qualifying
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Modified 75 laps; Pro Late Model 35 laps; Intermission; Tour Modified 35 laps; Super Late Model 35 laps)

(All times ET)

Friday, Feb. 18

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Pit gates open
Noon	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.	Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.	Practice begins
5:30 p.m.	Qualifying
7 p.m.	Vintage Cars hot laps
7:15 p.m.	Parade laps with Modified Reunion
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Pro Late Model Hart to Heart 100; Modified Reunion; Intermission; Tour Modified Ritchie Evans Memorial 100; Pro Trucks 25 laps; Vintage Cars 25 laps)

(All times ET)

Saturday, Feb. 19

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Pit gates open
Noon	Tech/fuel/reg/tires open
12:45 p.m.	Drivers meeting
1:30 p.m.	Practice begins
5:30 p.m.	Qualifying
7:30 p.m.	Racing starts (Modified 35 laps; Pro Truck 50 laps; Intermission; Super Late Model Orange Blossom 100; Super Stock 50 laps)

(All times ET)

World Series of Asphalt 2022 entry lists

Simply put: The entry lists for all divisions competing in the 2022 World Series of Asphalt are loaded. The Super Late Models entry list, for example, features a couple names from the NASCAR national series ranks in Erik Jones and Ryan Preece.

Additionally, multiple drivers entered to run in both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race and the ARCA Menards Series East race at New Smyrna are also entered to compete in other divisions during the World Series.

Below is the list of drivers entered for this year’s event. The entry list for the Whelen Modified Tour race at New Smyrna can be found here. The East Series race entry list will be announced in the coming days.

Tour Modifieds

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

1 Chris Ridsdale. Rochester NY
2 J.R Bertuccio. Centerreach NY
7NY Jimmy Blewett. Howell NJ
7 Rich Parker. Forked River NJ
8 Cam McDermott. Canterbury CT
8 Chris Finocchario. Macedon NY
8 Earl Paules. Palmerton PA
9 Tom Martino Jr. Red Bank NJ
11X Dillon Steuer. Bohemia NY
16 Ron Silk. Norwalk CT
17 Mike Christopher Jr. Wolcott CT
19 Anthony Bello. Newtown CT
20 Eddie McCarthy. Brick NJ
20 Kyle Sysco. Toms River NJ
21 Joe Bertuccio III. Statesville NC
22 TBA
24 Andrew Krause. Holmdel NJ
24 Chris Hatton. Deltona FL
25 Brian Robie. Sunapee NH
25nj Chris Andretta. Neptune NJ.
27 Christian LaCicero. Seaside Park NJ
28 Paul Charette. Woodstock CT
28x Jeff Malave. Manchester CT
29 Spencer Davis. Dawsonville GA
32 Tyler Rypkema. Owego NY
36 David Sapienza. Riverhead NY
38 Ricky Moxley. Palm City FL
48 Marcello Rufrano. Northhaven CT
49 Chris Young. Riverhead NY
50 Ronnie Williams. Tolland CT
54 Tommy Catalano. Ontario NY
54C David Catalano. Ontario NY
55x Chuck Zervas. Wesley Chapel FL
55 Jeremy Gerstner. Wesley Chapel FL
55h John Hartwig. Galloway NJ
55 Teddy Hodgdon. Danbury CT
56 Amy Catalano. Ontario NY
59 TBA
60 Matt Hirchman. Northampton PA
64 Tyler Catalano. Ontario NY
70 Dylan Slepian. Lake Grove NY
72 Bud McIntyre. New Smyrna Beach FL
73 Paul Hartwig Sr. Galloway NJ
79 Jon McKennedy. Chelmsford MA
82 Craig Lutz. Miller Place NY
99 Tyler Truex. Truckerton NJ
00 Chris Dewalt. Easton PA
02 Joey Coulter. New Braunfels TX
07 Patrick Emerling. Holland NY
179 Stephen Kopcik. Newtown CT

602 Mods

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

2 Jerry Gradl. Buffalo NY
4 Fred Nees Jr. New Milford CT
11 Matt Ricco. Ponce Inlet FL
16 Ricky Collins. Willow Grove PA
17 Lee Sharpsteen. Waverly NY
17b Bryce Bailey, Waverly NY
24 Christopher Hatton. Ormond Beach FL
26 Ray Fattaruso. Brick NJ
27 Adam LaCicero. Lavallette NJ
27 Evan Rygielski. Wilkes-Barre PA
33 Carsten DiGiantomasso. Jackson NJ
36 Richie Cooper. West Long Branch NJ
38 Jarret DiGiantomasso. Jackson NJ
55 John Gerstner. Wesley Chapel FL
55 Lou Hoguet. Sewel NJ
57 Wally LaCicero. Lavallette NJ
68 Scott Adams. Moscow PA
73 Paul Hartwig Jr. Galloway NJ
73A Paulie Hartwig III. Galloway NJ
74 Jonathan Laureigh. Ship Bottom NJ
92 Darren Cox. Howell NJ
00 Jake Nelke. Manahawkin NJ
02 Ryan Fisher. Leonardo NJ
03 Jaden Brown. Kunkletown PA

Super Late Models

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

1 Todd Stone. Middlebury VT
4 Erik Jones. Byron MI
6 Ryan Preece. Berlin CT
7 Jackson Boone. Franklin TN
7 Justin Crider. Statesville NC
9 Brad May. Oviedo FL
12 Derek Griffith. Hudson NH
12 Justin Drawdy. Ft. Pierce FL
15 Gabe Sommers. Plover WI
21 Jesse Love. Redwood City CA
22 Sammy Smith. Johnston IA
26 Jack Smith. Medina OH
36 Dan Fredrickson. Northfield MN
39 Morgan Hoover. New Smyrna FL
44 Conner Jones. Fredricksburg VA
44 Justin Mondeik. Gleason WI
58 Rich Clouser. Palm Bay FL
58c John Coffman. Live Oak FL
69 Michael Hinde. Hernando FL
93 Austin Thom. Dundee OR
112 Steve Weaver Jr. Plantation FL
148 Max Calles McDonald. Mission TX

Pro Late Models

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

2 Scottie Lamp. Davison MI
5 Jerry Artuso. Sault Ste. Marie ON
7 Cory Casagrande. Stafford Springs CT
7 Dylan Ward. Walkertown NC
11 David Weaver. Plantation FL
12 Chase Williams. Yorkshire NY
12 Derek Griffith. Hudson NH
17 Kevin Folan. North Attleboro MA
20 Chase Johnson. MT. Juliet TN
21 Tommy Neal. Rural Hall NC
24 Dylan Stovall. Wayland MI
24 William Sawalich. Eden Prairie MN
28 Parker Chase. New Braunfels TX
28 Roger Maynor. Bayshore NY
29 Hunter Wright. Lebanon TN
30 Daryn Miller. West Hempstead NY
38 Ricky Moxley. Palm City FL
44 Conner Jones. Fredricksburg VA
45 Mike Mayberry. Naples ME
48 Sam Fullone. North Collins NY
51 Jean Philippe Bergeron. Terrebonne QC
56 Gus Dean. Bluffton SC
66 James Storey. Burlington WI
69 Michael Hinde. Hernando FL
76 Tyler Johnson. Mooresville NC
77 Ruben Caceres. Daytona Beach FL
80 Toni Breidinger. Huntersville NC
81 Giovanni Ruggiero. Seekonk MA
83 Cory Hall. Jolicure NB
93 Austin Thom. Dundee OR
99 Mathieu Kingsbury. Mirabel QC
07 Colton Nelson. Meridian ID
149 Emiliano Rodriguez. Guadalajara MX
149 Memphis Villarreal. Corpus Christi TX

Florida Modifieds

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

1W Wayne Parker. Mt. Dora FL
4b Alan Bruns. Windermere FL
11 James Humblet. Shiloh, NC
15t Tank Tucker. New Smyrna FL
15 Tim Moore. St. Pete FL
16 David Lebeau. Daytona Beach FL
20 Chris Humblet. Shiloh, NC
24 Bruce Bennett. Orlando FL
26 Bill Burba. Germantown OH
29 Tim Walters Jr. Tavares FL
66 Jerry Symons. New Smyrna FL
75 Bobby Blake. Grand Island FL
77 Hunter Slayton. Richmond VA
79 Joe Aramendia. Seguin TX
81 Terry Fisher JR. Fort Wayne IN

Sportsman

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

7 Travis Devendorf. Pompano Beach, FL
10 Wayne Smith Winter Haven FL
14 Adam Briggs. Lakeland FL
16 Tim Sozio. Davie FL
21 Bryton Horner. Tampa FL
22 Jayson Boyd. New Smyrna FL
25 Timmy Todd. St. Cloud FL
30 Chris Huntoon. Port Charlotte FL
41 James Adams. Edgewater FL
68 Gary McFall. Lakeland FL
69 Michael Good. St. Cloud MN
02 Dodge Carlbert. Palmetto FL
112 Dave Werning. Palm Coast FL

Pro Trucks

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

3 Derek Pugh. West Palm Beach FL
16 Dylan Lebeau. Daytona Beach FL
22 Cody Coffman. Live Oak FL
24 Dalton Smith. Palm Coast FL
25 Taylor Watson. Deland FL
31 Max Martin. Sanford FL
99 Richard Lavance. North Port FL
00 Jack Hall. Davenport FL

Bomber A

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

14 Brandon Monraoe. Orlando FL
21 Todd Latour. Orlando FL
27 CJ Creech. Orange City FL
58 William Ballough. Vero Beach FL
72 Bob Seay. Port Orange FL
76 Leroy Crawford. Deland FL
80 James Partlow. Debary FL
K9 Chuck Rush. Deltona FL

Super Stock

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

1H Matt Jarrett. Taft FL
3 Gage Spears. New Smyrna FL
7 Scott Riggleman. Manchester NJ
15 Tyler Prenesti. Key Largo FL
16 David Gould. Melbourne FL
17 John Hodge, Melbourne FL
17 Shane Sutorus. Orlando FL
17M Brian Millar. Longwood FL
27 Brian O’Shea. Neptune City NJ
30 Don Duval. Edgewater FL
40 Jay Wooldridge. Palm Bay FL
48 Justin Spears. New Smyrna FL
65 Gregory Harris. Riverhead NY
89 William Hindman. Orlando FL

E-Mods

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

29 Tim Walters Jr. Tavares FL

Vintage Cars

(Car No. Driver. Hometown)

1 Chris Hatton. Deltona FL
3 Matt Cohen. Covington GA
12 Scott Hatton. St. Augustine FL
19 Thomas Turano. Suwanee GA
61 Christopher Hatton. Ormond Beach FL
04 Curt Hatton. Jacksonville FL

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Tadd Haislop

As it has every year since 2014, the ARCA Menards Series East in 2022 begins its season at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway as part of the track’s famous World Series of Asphalt.

This year’s World Series at New Smyrna, though, includes a notable newcomer to the nine-day racing schedule: the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

The Whelen Modified Tour will begin its 2022 season with its first race at the half-mile paved oval in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. A few days later, the East Series will take to the track for the ninth consecutive year.

Below is everything to know about New Smyrna Speedway.

Track profile: New Smyrna Speedway

Track	New Smyrna Speedway
Location	New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Opened	1967
Layout	Oval
Surface	Asphalt
Length	Half-mile (600-foot straights; 720-foot turns)
Width	60-foot straights; 70-foot turns
Banking	23 degrees (turns)

Clyde Hart and his family opened New Smyrna Speedway, titled Daytona Raceway at the time, as a dirt track in 1967. Six months later, the track surface was paved for the sake of competitive racing.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Renamed with the surface update, New Smyrna Speedway has hosted the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing — now a nine-night series of racing featuring late models, tour modifieds, the ARCA Menards Series East and more — every year since it was paved. The tradition takes place each year during Daytona Speedweeks.

Apart from its World Series, New Smyrna Speedway hosts weekly grass roots racing on Saturday nights from March through mid-November as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The venue also features a handful of special events on its schedule.

New Smyrna Speedway has been a staple on the East Series schedule since it was added as the season-opener for the 2014 season. Todd Gilliland, who won the East races at New Smyrna in 2016 and 2018, respectively, is the only driver who has scored multiple victories at the track in the series.

Max Gutiérrez won last year’s East Series race at New Smyrna in dramatic fashion with a three-wide pass for the victory on the final stretch. The history of East Series racing at New Smyrna is listed below.

FOLLOW NEW SMYRNA: Facebook | Twitter

ARCA Menards Series East racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway (Matt Stamey/ARCA Racing)

ARCA Menards Series results at New Smyrna Speedway

Year	Date	Series	Race Winner	Complete Results
2021	Feb. 8	East	Max Gutiérrez	Results
2020	Feb. 10	East	Sam Mayer	Results
2019	Feb. 11	East	Derek Kraus	Results
2018	Feb. 11	East	David Gilliland	Results
2017	Feb. 19	East	Ronnie Bassett Jr.	Results
2016	Feb. 14	East	David Gilliland	Results
2015	Feb. 15	East	Austin Hill	Results
2014	Feb. 16	East	Daniel Suarez	Results

Posted on February 7, 2022February 11, 2022 by Zach Sturniolo

A new season is here for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. What better way to start the year than with a new venue?

For the first time in tour history, modifieds will hit Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway for an official race during the track’s World Series of Stock Car Asphalt with its season-opening event on Saturday, Feb. 12, the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200.

Don’t mistake this as the first time tour-type mods have circled the eastern Florida short track, though. These vehicles have been racing around the high-banked, 0.48-mile bullring during its World Series since 1976, with its feature event being the Richie Evans Memorial 100 in honor of the late nine-time champion of the tour.

Three-time tour champion Justin Bonsignore, winner of each of the last two series titles, highlights a stacked entry list along with a multitude of talented competitors ready to fight for the first checkered flag of 2022.

New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 #lovensb at New Smyrna Speedway

What to watch for:

New Smyrna is ready to host a 200-lap contest around its high-banked, 0.48-mile oval that is sure to feature close-quarters racing and plenty of nerf-bar contact. The facility’s website boasts a telling quote from Evans, the NASCAR Hall of Famer: “If you can win at New Smyrna Speedway, you can win anywhere in the United States.”

Three-time World Series winner Matt Hirschman, who has won three of the last four WSOA modified titles, returns to the tour in the No. 60 entry in the 2022 season-opener. Meanwhile, fellow three-time WSOA champ Ryan Preece moves back to car owner Jan Boehler and the blue No. 3 modified, a ride in which Preece won three races from 2008-09.

Ron Silk, a two-time winner on the tour in 2021 and 2014 WSOA victor, shifts from the No. 85 car into the No. 16 Haydt-Yannone Racing machine for the 2022 campaign, headed by co-owners Tyler Haydt and Joe Yannone. Another former WSOA mod winner, 2008 victor Jimmy Blewitt will be back at New Smryna in the No. 21 car.

Bonsignore returns in the familiar No. 51 car for the 2022 campaign chasing his third straight tour title and fourth overall. His main rival for the 2021 championship, Patrick Emerling, returns in the No. 07 car to hunt down a tour victory at New Smyrna.

Additionally, Tommy Catalano is back on the circuit in a full-time effort with his family’s storied No. 54 car out of northern New York. Craig Lutz heads to Florida to compete in the No. 82 machine this season.

The complete entry list for the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 can be found here.

New Smyrna Speedway

RACE FACTS

Race	New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 #lovensb
Date	Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022
Track	New Smyrna Speedway
Layout	Half-mile paved oval
Location	New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Start time	7:30 p.m. ET
Laps	200
Posted awards	$115,800
Tickets	NewSmyrnaSpeedway.org
TV channel	USA (Delayed: TBA)
Live stream	FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Garage opens at 9:30 a.m. ET … Final practice from 2 – 3:20 p.m. ET … Single-car qualifying (two laps) at 5:45 p.m. ET … Race at 7:30 p.m. ET

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 New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 #lovensb is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is twelve (12) 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. To utilize the fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) change tires, the team will have to take a practice tire purchased at New Smyrna Speedway and turn in by the conclusion of practice.

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Press Release

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — JDV Productions and Whelen Engineering announced today the new Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup that will debut in 2022. The three-race series will cover three of the four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events that JDV Productions will promote during the new racing season.

All three events as part of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup will be in the state of New Hampshire. The first is set for Saturday, May 21, as the inaugural Granite State Derby will take place at Lee USA Speedway. The second includes a stop at the high-banks of Monadnock Speedway on June 18, while the finale will take place at Claremont Motorsports Park on Friday, July 29. The winner of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup will be crowned at Claremont. All additional details surrounding the Cup will be released at a later date.

The Cup will be just one more of many incentives for Whelen Modified Tour teams to chase during the new season, and will also continue to welcome local drivers who compete at the New Hampshire tracks weekly to enter the race.

“Whelen’s commitment to motorsports is matched only by their commitment to providing high quality, American-made products. We are grateful for their partnership and commitment to our three New Hampshire races through the “Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup” in 2022,” Josh Vanada, owner of JDV Productions, said. “We are excited to work with them to elevate these three events on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and provide the local short track racers with even more incentive to contend with the Tour regulars.”

Whelen Engineering, a global leader in the emergency warning industry, has been trusted to perform since 1952. Whelen designs and manufactures reliable and powerful warning lights, white illumination lighting, sirens, controllers, and high-powered warning systems for Automotive, Aviation and Mass Notification industries worldwide. They have also been the title sponsor of NASCAR’s Modified Tour since 2005. To learn more about Whelen Engineering, visit Whelen.com, where you can search to find your local distributor.

“Whelen Engineering takes pride in our long-standing involvement in motorsports,” said Peter Tiezzi, III, General Manager of Motorsports for Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. “We are very excited to partner with JDV Productions for the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup at three iconic short tracks in New Hampshire with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.”

The 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule includes 16 events, beginning in Florida on Saturday, February 12 at New Smyrna Speedway and ending at Martinsville Speedway on Thursday, October 27. The four JDV Productions events will play a crucial role in the race for the championship. Just one week after the Lee USA Speedway event on May 21, JDV will promote the second annual Jennerstown Salutes event at Jennerstown Speedway on Saturday, May 28. The Monadnock Duel at the Dog 200 (June 18) and Clash at Claremont (July 29) will wrap the 2022 season for JDV Productions.

For more information on JDV Productions, visit JDVProductions.com and follow the group on social media channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Posted on February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 by Sean Montgomery

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Less than one year after joining forces, U.S. Navy veteran Jesse Iwuji and Emmitt Smith announced Chevrolet as their team’s manufacturer for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series season. It was also revealed on Monday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame that the car number will be 34 (a tribute to Wendell Scott) and Jason Houghtaling will be the team’s crew chief.

Courtesy Jesse Iwuji Motorsports

“Wendell Scott, back in the day, he had the 34 and it meant a lot because he was the first African American to win a Cup Series race,” Iwuji said. “With everything he did to pave the way for African Americans in the future, we just felt like it would be fitting.”

Though the NASCAR Hall of Famer and legendary pioneer of the sport is an enormous source of motivation, Iwuji is ready to blaze his own path to success at the national level.

“We’re building together a team of people who are on the same mission and we’re grinding for it every single day,” Iwuji said. “There will be good days, there will be bad days but if everyone just stays together, continues to unite, we’re all about sharing the dream and sharing the moment.”

The newly formed Jesse Iwuji Motorsports organization will run a full-time schedule in 2022, something that neither co-owner has ever done. But this unique partnership offers Iwuji the best opportunity of his racing career, alongside an athlete who is well known for being dominant at his craft — and someone who sees the same determination in Iwuji.

“Once you got a chance to know this young man and spend time and discipline to understand his process and the way he thinks, not to mention the service he has provided to this great nation, all of those things became part of something I could get behind,” Smith said.

Sean Montgomery | NASCAR Digital Media

“Our mission is to not only go out there and compete but also to inspire others to (reach) their level of greatness.”

Iwuji is still an active member of the U.S. Navy and has been an ambassador for both the military and community outreach.

But he’s also no stranger to pushing for greatness at the Xfinity Series level.

Iwuji made his series debut with Carl Long in 2020 at Road America, moving on to complete three more races that season driving for B.J. McLeod at Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. He then raced for Mike Harmon in 2021 at Pocono Raceway.

Jesse Iwuji Motorsports plans to compete in the entire 33-race schedule this season, making it eligible for the playoffs in Year 1 — a big step for a new organization looking to gain traction.

As for any fear of the unknown, the team has a solid game plan for hurdling obstacles.

“Change creates opportunity for us to get better,” Smith said. “And to embrace it is the way that I look at it. Embrace change. I’m proud of this man and in order to go through the fire, you’ve got to be willing to do it and he’s built for it.”

The Xfinity Series season gets underway at 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

We can't wait to get the season started with you guys!

🔊🆙 for @Jesse_Iwuji and @EmmittSmith22 pic.twitter.com/tj8HSY9QBf

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 7, 2022

Posted on February 6, 2022February 7, 2022 by Zack Albert

LOS ANGELES – History seemingly happens only so rarely, but Los Angeles makes it a regular thing. The Super Bowl comes to town next week, a big deal the city has rallied around in the days-long run-up. Still, it has happened here seven times before.

NASCAR within the city limits, though, and in one of the crown-jewel settings – had never happened. Ten-years-ago NASCAR fan you would’ve told present-day you it never would. A mid-race break for an Ice Cube concert? Absolutely not. A quarter-mile track inside an Olympic-quality venue with a century of history? Saywhatnow.

Sunday, those things happened in the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, stirring up a buzzy Super Bowl atmosphere in a previously untapped part of town in front of a host of first-time attendees.

Nearly every logistical challenge the event may have posed was met. The Clash entered the realm of the trending on social media, with new eyeballs seeing the sport for the first time. And Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon, who may have had reason to be disappointed in finishing 2-3 behind race winner Joey Logano, capped the day with high-fives for NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell outside the locker room-turned-press room.

“I think it goes back to what I said, people having fun, getting back to going out there and racing. Today was what we’re all about, really the whole weekend,” O’Donnell said. “If you look at what the drivers have done for the sport over the offseason, really getting out there and help promoting us, this is a big market for us. It was important for us to come out here and look like we’re having fun, even if we weren’t. That wasn’t the case. I think everybody was really enthusiastic, ready to go, they wanted to win this race. I think that showed.

“High-fiving us is more we’re doing the same because they delivered, put on a great race for us.”

That started in the preliminaries, and the use of heats and last-chance qualifiers seemed tailor-made for this year’s version of the Clash. Several big names came perilously close to missing the feature, and former champs Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski were among those going home early. The tempers, fender-fraying and roughhousing that was semi-expected came to be, and the new Cup Series car that made its competition debut along with the track took its share of lumps.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

A host of California legends from all walks of sports made for an impressive list of grand marshals, and Vallejo’s own Jeff Gordon was front and center among them, lighting the Olympic flame, giving the command.

“To see the excitement and energy of the crowd, I mean that’s what NASCAR racing and great events are all about,” Gordon, now Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman, told NASCAR.com. “I thought top to bottom, NASCAR, everybody at the stadium, FOX just did a fantastic job. We were entertained – it wasn’t just about a race, it was about the whole experience. So I’m very pleased. I know we didn’t have the best result, but the racing was good.

“I was concerned coming here of what were we going to see on track. I felt like if we had a bunch of fans, we could entertain them with Ice Cube and Pitbull and all that, the DJ, but what were we going to see on track. I thought we saw a great race, all through the day – bumping and banging and passing.”

The main event’s finish may not have had the same slam-bang result as the qualifiers, but it had all the anticipation as Logano’s No. 22 Ford ran for its life with rival Kyle Busch in hot pursuit. A Turn 4 villainy not seen here since Zola Budd tripped Mary Decker at the 1984 Games was avoided, and the potential powder keg was defused. After the victory burnouts while Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” blared, Logano’s car rolled harmlessly back to the garage, where even those who placed among the also-rans were soaking in the back end of the day’s vibe.

“I feel like I came in with pretty high expectations, and I think everything was just a little bit better,” said defending Cup Series champ Kyle Larson, who finished fifth. “I think the atmosphere was amazing, just everything about it was really cool. … I hope we can do more of this in the future. I don’t know what the fans think of it, the new fans that are here, but I hope they enjoyed it. That’s the most important part. Just really proud of NASCAR for the effort they put in and what they were able to execute. I felt like this was a really smoothly run event, no real hiccups at all and that’s all you can ask for.”

Ah, the future. The pavement had barely cooled before crews began to deconstruct the track, and the temporary barriers that formed the inner retaining wall were all neatly stacked by the time most Angelenos were done with dinner. Just as quickly as the dream was built, it was being taken apart.

By no means was this easy, but before the weekend was even in full swing, talk centered around potentially doing it again. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of strategy and innovation, had made this event his team’s touchstone. Taking it on the road to new venues — Soldier Field, Wembley Stadium, other international locales — that avenue is now wide open.

“It’s something that I think we’ll certainly look at,” Kennedy said. “Los Angeles, as we’ve mentioned from the start, is really an important market for us. … The Coliseum, USC, have been tremendous partners. That will be certainly an important part as we think about this. But to your point, too, if we can prove this out, a proof of concept, it does open the door to other locations in the future.”

MORE: Clash race results | Busch winds up second

Kennedy said those decisions would likely come sooner than later regarding a potential renewal, but for the time being, the 29-year-old executive was content to share some of the accolades from making the surreal become real, at somehow managing to pull all this off.

The year’s more traditional start comes in two weeks with the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM). That event has traditionally drawn comparisons as NASCAR’s Super Bowl. That type of atmosphere has already happened once this month, complete with a halftime show.

“This is LA, this is a tough market to really make a splash, but it is a great location and venue,” Gordon said, hinting at the possibilities that could emerge. “The weather is right for the winter, you’ve got an iconic, historic venue and location, so what else is out there? I do think there’s some places that if you could put a track in, I think they would draw a great crowd. I think what we can recreate now is you realize, when the cautions come out, you can pump music in, get the crowd involved, you can have a halftime and have somebody come out and put on a concert or whatever.

“I think there’s a lot that was learned from it — all positive. Great way to kick off the season.”

Making history repeat is an LA-centric phenomenon. Sunday may mark the start of it being NASCAR’s calling card, too.

Posted on February 6, 2022February 7, 2022 by Chase Wilhelm

LOS ANGELES — After starting on the pole, Kyle Busch wasn’t able to hold on for a second consecutive Busch Light Clash victory, this time at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Last year in the exhibition race, Busch took advantage of a crash between Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott during the final lap on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. This time around, a hard-charging Busch was unable to get to the back bumper of race winner Joey Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford in the closing laps on the quarter-mile temporary track.

But it wasn’t from a lack of effort as he managed to muscle his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a runner-up result in its Next Gen competitive debut.

“I was being perfect doing everything I needed to do – keep the tires underneath me,” Busch said. “When I got close, I was like OK, I’ve got to try more and pounce at an opportunity and just overheated the tires and smoked them in three laps and that was it. Disappointing, obviously, come out here and win the pole, and lead laps, run up front. The finish goes green and it’s not chaotic and we can’t win, so it sucks.”

While Busch showcased speed throughout the weekend, it may be too early to tell if he’ll be a front-runner to start the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season given how unique the Coliseum circuit is compared to others on the schedule.

Other teams in the Gibbs stable struggled, most notably Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., who finished 23rd and 15th, respectively. For Busch, it was a good base run to move forward with as the organization continues to fine tune the Next Gen cars.

“Felt like coming in here off of the truck we were OK,” Busch said. “Made good speed right away. Even in our house, had a struggle. (No.) 19 (Truex) was way off. Definitely some little, little things on the setup sheet can certainly make for a big difference on the track.”

“The teams I think is the biggest thing, obviously, just car setup, what you can do with the car to make it drive well here, make the tight radius of the turn versus anywhere else really,” Busch added. “Even Martinsville, I think it’s probably pretty different than.”

Another caveat to Busch’s impressive run out of the gate was interim crew chief Seth Chavka, filling in for Ben Beshore due to a one-race suspension for a lug-nut violation carried over from last season’s championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. Chavka also filled in for Beshore last October at Texas Motor Speedway for another lug-nut violation.

Though the Coliseum race might be an anomaly, Chavka, a race engineer on the No. 18 team, believes the strong run still fueled confidence with the new car.

“We just came from the Phoenix test a couple weeks ago and had a couple things we learned there and kind of applied it to the race-car setup package coming here,” Chavka told NASCAR.com. “Seemed to be pretty decent off the truck and made some small adjustments here and there. For the most part, it went pretty smooth. The best part for us team is just the chance to go through tech and go through the new process with the car. See what the officials are looking at and that type of thing.”