Posted on by Terrin Waack

There’s not much Kyle Busch hasn’t accomplished within the NASCAR Cup Series realm.

Busch is the only active driver with multiple championships, from his triumphs in 2015 and 2019. His 59 career wins top the current leaderboard of those in the garage. And he has won the sport’s All-Star Race (2017) and three crown-jewel events — Southern 500 in 2008, Coca-Cola 600 in 2018 and Brickyard 400 in 2015-16.

The only gem he’s missing there is the Daytona 500.Screen Shot 2022 02 08 At 4.34.59 Pm

“I’ve yet to win that race,” Busch said Tuesday during a Zoom teleconference. “That’s kind of the biggest thing, the last checkbox on my radar, my career that I’ve yet to get.”

DAYTONA 500: At-track schedule | Betting odds | Every winner ever

The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will have his 17th chance at the Harley J. Earl Trophy next Sunday with the 64th running of The Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“That would be nice,” Busch said. “And to do it in the Next Gen car would be fantastic as the first superspeedway race with it.”

The Next Gen car made its debut last Sunday in The Busch Light Clash exhibition at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Busch finished runner-up to Joey Logano by 0.877 seconds. Busch, however, led a race-high 64 of the 150 laps.

“We didn’t have a very good Phoenix test, which is representative,” Busch said. “And so we came out of the box at (the Coliseum) really good I thought and ready to go and the best of our team obviously, so that was really good. That was a little bit of a confidence booster for me and my guys getting into that part of the season, with Phoenix and Martinsville coming up (soon). Hopefully that bodes well. We’ll see.”

CLASH: Race results from the Coliseum | Kyle Busch finishes second

Results from the temporary quarter-mile track NASCAR built inside the Coliseum will translate more to a 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway or 1-mile Phoenix Raceway than the 2.5-mile beast that is Daytona. Phoenix is the fourth race on the schedule, Martinsville eighth. So, pocket Clash notes until then. They, too, will have a different rules configuration than Daytona anyway.

Daytona will require Next Gen cars to have an engine-output target of 510 horsepower and a 7-inch rear spoiler. NASCAR held two offseason tests – one back in September, the other in January – to determine its superspeedway package. Busch wasn’t present at either, but he discussed findings with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, along with brother and fellow Toyota pilot Kurt Busch.

“There was a little bit of tandem effect that they were trying to do that seemed to be a little effective, not as bad as what we saw back in 2010, 2011, whenever that was when we were doing this,” Kyle Busch said. “But I think the other thing of this car is it’s going to react very similar in the draft. You’re going to need majority of cars to go faster than fewer cars, so whichever line has the most power in it is going to be the faster line. I anticipate there being two-wide action. I don’t know how slippery the cars felt while in the draft, especially the buffering effect that get as well as the straightaway looseness that you get when the cars aren’t loaded like you feel when you’re in the corner. A lot of unknowns for me, so I’m needing to get some of that track time, practice time to kind of feel all that out.”

NEXT GEN: Findings from second Daytona test | Watch drafting practice

And he’ll get that extra track time, as practice and qualifying make their return in 2022 after a two-year absence for the most part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are two practices on tap next Tuesday, with single-car qualifying set for the following Wednesday. Next Thursday will then showcase the two Bluegreen Vacations Duels before a third practice Friday and the final practice Saturday.

That’s five days’ worth of work before the Daytona 500 itself.

“It’s a clean slate all over,” Busch said. “I mean, you want to win obviously.”

KYLE BUSCH: Every NASCAR Cup Series win | Victories across all three national series

KYLE BUSCH’S DAYTONA NOTES
— Best Daytona 500 finish: second by 0.138 seconds in 2019 to Denny Hamlin.
— 2008’s fourth-place run marked first Daytona 500 with Joe Gibbs Racing.
— Missed 2015 Daytona 500 due to injury.
— 33 career starts overall; one win in 2008 Coke Zero Sugar 400.
— Exhibition wise: Two Clash wins (2012, 2021) and three Duel wins (2009, 2012, 2016).
Posted on by Kyle Souza

After a shorter offseason compared to past years, Justin Bonsignore and his No. 51 Ken Massa Motorsports team are ready to roll with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season-opener this weekend at New Smyrna Speedway.

The New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 will mark the first time the Whelen Modified Tour season begins in Florida, and also will be the first points-paying event to be contested in the Sunshine State.

MORE: Join FloRacing to watch Mods at New Smyrna

Bonsignore won the last two series titles and three of the last four. With 31 career wins to his credit, he’s looking forward to trying to add the half-mile to his tour win list, while opening the chase for a fourth championship with a strong run.

“It’s a huge step forward for our series to open our season during Speedweeks at New Smyrna, it’s special,” Bonsignore said. “All of the eyeballs will be on us. It’s an honor to be part of it. We’re just going to take this one race at a time, but our goal each year is to contend for the championship. We want to get off on the right foot. We want to try and win the race, but if we can’t, come home with a good top-five finish and get things rolling for the year.”

The Holtsville, New York, native does have previous experience around New Smyrna as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in the Tour-Type Modifieds. The half-mile hosts a nine-night racing spectacular which will also include the ARCA Menards Series East, Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, Tour-Type Modifieds and more from Feb. 11-19. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event will headline action on Saturday, Feb. 12.

“Never been there with Ryan Stone setting up the car and I’m confident with what Ryan brings to every track,” Bonsignore said. “We’ve had some success in the years we went down to New Smyrna and we used it as testing for our program. I’ve won there before and we are familiar with the track. It’s a long race, multiple pit stops and the Tour drivers… so it will be different but we’re confident.”

The day begins with the only practice session from 2-3:20 p.m. ET, followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 5:45 p.m. ET. The New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 is scheduled to take the green flag at 7:30 p.m., live on FloRacing.

Posted on by Staff Report

Eleven up-and-coming drivers will compete for 2022 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors across NASCAR’s three national series.

In the Cup Series, Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland will battle for the accolade.

Cindric, the 2020 Xfinity Series champion, amassed 13 wins, 62 top fives and 89 top 10s in four full-time seasons driving for Jack Roush and Roger Penske. A perennial contender at the Xfinity level, Cindric was tabbed to fill the seat of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford this season alongside teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Cindric made seven Cup starts a season ago.

No stranger to battles with Cindric, Burton also moved up in the ranks to become the youngest driver to ever run a full-time season for Wood Brothers Racing. Burton spent two seasons in the Xfinity Series, highlighted by a four-win campaign in 2020.

Gilliland jumps up to the top level after 93 starts and a pair of wins in the Camping World Truck Series, earning a spot in the two-car operation for Front Row Motorsports. He will drive alongside Michael McDowell.

RELATED: Full Cup Series schedule | Silly Season tracker for Cup

Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill and Jesse Iwuji are each vying for the title in the Xfinity Series.

Creed and Hill both begin their first full-time seasons at this level after multiple years of success in the Camping World Truck Series. Creed and Hill will both pilot entries for Richard Childress Racing, with Iwuji making his full-time debut in NASCAR after collaborating with Emmitt Smith and others to form his own team — Jesse Iwuji Motorsports.

RELATED: Full Xfinity Series schedule | Jesse Iwuji, Emmitt Smith partner with Chevrolet

Jack Wood (GMS Racing), Dean Thompson (Niece Motorsports), Lawless Alan (Niece Motorsports), Corey Heim (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and Blaine Perkins (CR7 Motorsports) are this season’s contenders in the Camping World Truck Series.

RELATED: Full Truck Series schedule | Track Truck and Xfinity driver, team changes

The 2022 season kicks off this month with the first points-paying races at Daytona International Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

The New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 #lovensb at New Smyrna Speedway, the first race of the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season and the Tour’s first-ever event at the Florida track, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12, with a start time of 7:30 p.m. ET.

The race will be shown live on FloRacing, the new streaming home for all NASCAR Roots properties.

Below is the entry list for the 200-lap race on the half-mile paved oval in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

MORE NEW SMYRNA: Race Center | Preview | Track Profile

Entry list: New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 #lovensb at New Smyrna Speedway

Car No. Driver Organization Crew Chief Manufacturer  Sponsor
1 Melissa Fifield KENNETH FIFIELD Jake Marosz Troyer Pine Knoll Auto Sales
02 Joey Coulter III JOEY COULTER Harold Holley Chevrolet Race fan, Air Shok, Molecule, Simpson
2 J R Bertuccio Jr JOSEPH BERTUCCIO Michael Bologna Chevrolet Gershow Recycling
3 Ryan Preece JAN BOEHLER Greg Fournier Chevrolet Propane Plus, CBYD
5 Kyle Ebersole BOB EBERSOLE Bob Ebersole Ford Ebersole Excavating Inc. Technique Chassis
7 Patrick Emerling JENNIFER EMERLING Jan Leaty Troyer Captain Pips Marina & Hideaway
7 Mike Christopher Jr TOMMY BALDWIN Tommy Baldwin Troyer TBA
16 Ron Silk RON SILK Philip Moran LFR Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes
18 Ken Heagy ROBERT POLLIFRONE Greg Gorman Chevrolet Buoy One Seafood Market and Restaurant
21 Jimmy Blewett JON BERTUCCIO Stephen Kopcik Troyer Gershow Recycling
22 Kyle Bonsignore KYLE BONSIGNORE Cam McDermott Chevrolet Chateau Performance/MTT
24 Andrew Krause DIANE KRAUSE Robert Hyer Chevrolet Supreme Mfg. Co.
26 Gary Mcdonald SEAN MCDONALD Chad Mcdonald Chevrolet Lakeland Landscaping &TRC Electrical
28 PAUL CHARETTE SHAWN BRULE SHAWN BRULE TBA Polar Beverages
29 Spencer Davis SPENCER DAVIS Alex Query Iii Ford Ionx Supreme Lubricants
32 Tyler Rypkema DEAN RYPKEMA Zach Truesdail Chevrolet Musco/Northern Drilling
34 J B Fortin NICOLE FORTIN Kenneth Lechner Chevrolet John’s Fuel, Whip city Jerky, Johns Tree Removal, Golden Jalapeno
36 David Sapienza JUDY THILBERG Tommy Grasso Chevrolet Sapienza Enterprises
49 Chris Young CHRIS YOUNG TBA TBA JH Homstead
50 Ron Williams Jr. PAUL LES Adam Skowyra Ford Empower Financial Advisory & RB Enterprises
51 Justin Bonsignore KENNETH MASSA Ryan Stone Chevrolet Phoenix Communications, Inc.
54 Tommy Catalano DAVID CATALANO David Catalano Chevrolet FX Caprara
55 Jeremy Gerstner DAWN GERSTNER TBA Chevrolet GMP Lawn Care
58 Eric Goodale EDGAR GOODALE Jason Shepphard Chevrolet GAF Roofing
59 Matt Kimball JODY LAUZON Steve Mendoza Dodge BNP Machine
60 Matt Hirschman ROY HALL Matt Hirschman Troyer PeeDee Motorsports
64 Austin Beers MIKE MURPHY Ron Yuhas Jr Toyota Dell Electric, Lumiere Electrical, Andrew James Interiors, AP Marquadt & Sons
70 Dylan Slepian STEVE SEUSS Brian Magee Chevrolet Eastport Feeds
79 Jon Mckennedy TIM LEPINE Dale Hedquist Chevrolet Middlesex Interiors
82 Craig Lutz DANNY WATTS, JR Doulgas Ogiejko Chevrolet Horton Ave Materials/Goodie Racing
120 Edward Mccarthy Edward McCarthy, Jr. William Cole TBA McCarthy’s Marine Sales
Posted on by Staff Report

Los Angeles already experiences its own clash among cultures, preferences and fashion statements. One thing Angelenos do agree on, however, is supporting their sports teams in person.

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum amplified these fashion clashes, placing meticulously planned outfits alongside tried-and-true combinations like a T-shirt and jeans while bringing together generations of fans. First-time racegoers and dedicated fans traveling from track to track alike wore outfits they were proud to be photographed in.

RELATED: See more fashion photos from Busch Light Clash

2022feb8 Clash Fashion 1
Cherokee M. and Seana M. enjoyed the opportunity to walk the track ahead of the Sunday race. Credit: Jade Bolton | For NASCAR

Vintage revival and the resurgence of Y2K fashion were fan-favorite trends. Brightly colored jackets, retro and bold car graphics, and checkered-flag patterns were in full force. Some opted for matching color schemes with luxe fabrics or dressed representing their favorite driver or track. Attendees that chose to dress up for the event did so for both Saturday’s qualifying sessions and the main event on Sunday. With the LA Rams in the Super Bowl this Sunday, fans displayed their allegiance by incorporating Rams merchandise into their race-day looks.

2022feb8 Clash Fashion 2
Deegan L. and his father Timothy L. enjoy spending a day at the track together. Credit: Jade Bolton | For NASCAR

Students at the University of Southern California are well acquainted with the process of attending a football game at the Coliseum dressed in head to toe in Trojan Cardinal and Gold. However, most have less experience in dressing up for a day at the NASCAR race track, making for a fashion experimentation playground. Many of those who attended the race were seated in a designated student section or alongside family members who came back to California to see the race, and of course, visit their child.

Celebrities have a long history of getting dressed up for a particular sporting event and mirroring that event’s particular style. On past race days, they donned jackets representing the NASCAR brand or the colors of their favorite driver’s team. At this event, many opted for leather accents or jackets paired with a simpler look of a T-shirt and jeans to offset the mid-afternoon heat. Others took the leather look a step further, blending it into a more elevated ensemble or pairing it with NASCAR merchandise.

2022feb8 Clash Fashion 3
Ally Brooke, singer of the national anthem, rocks a leather and velvet ensemble. Credit: Jade Bolton | For NASCAR

Before race day, fashion was already front of mind thanks to the FaZe Clan and NASCAR limited-edition merchandise collaboration. FaZe Clan is an esports organization competing across the globe against other esports teams. The collection features vintage-inspired merchandise that mirrors some of the Y2K racing graphics other fans sported.

The majority of fans photographed said this race was their first, or a friend or family member that went with them is the reason they came to Sunday’s event.

Patrick Rogers, NASCAR Vice President of Marketing Services and Project Lead for the Clash at the Coliseum, noted that 70% of all ticket sales came from first-time NASCAR attendees. That rate signals a potential demographic shift in the average NASCAR fan, with younger individuals curious to see what a race is like.

The event’s debut stoked great excitement surrounding both the LA market and the proximity to college students, many of whom were picking a driver for the first time and exploring a new sport. The Clash also provided an opportunity for many Los Angeles residents and USC students to experience a new sporting event, as NASCAR opened the door to welcome in new fans.

Jade Bolton is a communications student in her senior year at USC.

RELATED: See more fashion photos from Busch Light Clash

Posted on by Staff Report

What a wonderful week for Joey Logano and wife Brittany as they welcomed a third child to their family, a girl named Emilia Love whose birth was announced Tuesday. This happy arrival, of course, came on the heels of Logano winning the Busch Light Clash last Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The couple announced back in July a girl would join the family that already includes sons Hudson and Jameson — and the two boys revealed the gender news when they put the pedal to the metal in a toy replica of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

Please join us in congratulating the Loganos after they revealed the big news on social media.

 

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Kyle Busch revealed Tuesday which NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race will be his first in 2022.

The full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota confirmed he will run the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 on March 4 (9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The rest of his part-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is still to be determined.

“We’re working through that,” Busch said during a Zoom teleconference. “We had a couple sponsorships sold that wanted particular races and then they kind of backed out, so now it’s not sold. I’ll just say here, I mean, the first one is going to be Vegas for sure. Obviously, a hometown run would be conducive to what I enjoy. And that’ll be our first race of the year.”

RELATED: All of Kyle Busch’s NASCAR national series wins

Busch will run for his own NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team — Kyle Busch Motorsports. He won in two of his five starts last season, bringing him to an all-time high 61 victories total in 160 starts.

Busch also admitted he will not compete in any NASCAR Xfinity Series race this year. He went five-for-five in 2021 with Joe Gibbs Racing, including victory No. 100 at Nashville Superspeedway. He’s the most decorated driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with 102 career wins in 362 overall starts.

Busch, the 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion, holds the most wins across all three NASCAR national series at 222 victories.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

From meeting NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain to front-row access for a performance by music superstar Pitbull, local Boys & Girls Clubs of America members received an up-close look at what NASCAR has to offer during the inaugural Busch Light Clash weekend at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

A group of 20 youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson, California, spent Saturday experiencing a behind-the-scenes tour of the NASCAR Cup Series garage, meeting leaders with various roles across the industry and the diverse personalities behind them. In January, the same group of kids visited the Coliseum for a private tour of the construction process after designing their own race tracks as part of a NASCAR-themed digital activity. Saturday’s visit allowed them to view the 0.25-mile finished product with many taking in their very first NASCAR event.

RELATED: Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson kids take in the Coliseum

A private meet-and-greet with Trackhouse Racing drivers Suárez and Chastain kicked off the tour, an interactive experience that included a question-and-answer session. The kids inquired about the drivers’ thoughts on racing at the Coliseum for the first time, the science behind being a NASCAR driver and their unique paths into the sport.  

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson kids receiving a tour around the track, which includes touring through the garage area and track walk. Kids interacting with a Cup driver during the tour. at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson chat with Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain. Credit: Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

Jim Clark, president and CEO of the Atlanta-based Boys & Girls Clubs of America, was also on-hand to walk alongside the kids throughout the learning activation. 

“I think what’s really cool about it is these kids were here a month ago to see them building the track out at the Coliseum,” Clark told NASCAR.com. “Now they’re back to see it finished. If you think about what it means for these kids, first of all, most of them have never been to a NASCAR experience or a race.  Second of all, it’s everything else that they’re learning. Getting inspired by things like career opportunities.

“It’s not just about being a race-car driver, but also behind the scenes. They could be a technician, they could be in production, or they could be in some other venue or some other part of the operation. Getting exposure to those job opportunities for kids that are this age – teenagers.” 

After much anticipation, the kids got to lay eyes on the completed temporary asphalt oval inside the Coliseum. The visit in January allowed the kids to witness the installation of the SAFER barriers and the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) involved in the process.  

This time around, their track walk gave them a look at the final preparations made since the last visit, which included painted racing lines on the track, the installation of television cameras to capture the action, as well as track and safety equipment in the infield. 

The track walk concluded with another meet-and-greet event with Rev Racing driver Regina Sirvent, a Mexican race-car driver competing in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series. She was able to discuss the barriers she was able to break as a female driver in the sport and her continued path up the ranks.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson kids receiving a tour around the track, which includes touring through the garage area and track walk. Kids interacting with a Cup driver during the tour. at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson kids check out the L.A. Memorial Coliseum track. Credit: Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

After checking out the track, the kids then received an interactive tour of the garage area, where Kap Houston, a crew member for Trackhouse Racing, demonstrated his role on the team’s pit crew and answered questions. Mamba Smith, who serves as on-air talent for NASCAR’s digital platforms, also spoke to the kids regarding his path into the sport, which included driving late models and working in the Stewart-Haas Racing shop. 

The tour concluded with the kids sitting in the stands to take in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, which served as their first time seeing the new Next Gen car on the race track. 

With 5,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country serving more than four million children, Clark wants to ensure all members receive opportunities like the Carson club’s NASCAR experience.  

“You think about the Clash, I think it’s cool for anybody,” Clark said. “But for these kids especially, I think it represents something they would never be able to do. Then you pile on top the opportunity to learn about a potential career, this is magnificent and really that’s what our partnership with NASCAR is all about.” 

Posted on 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.

RELATED: Watch Whelen Modified Tour action all season on FloRacing

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.

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.

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.

RELATED: Complete Whelen Modified Tour schedule

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 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.”

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.