NASCAR unveils revised 2025 tour schedule, increases purse – short track scene

As part of an expansion with longtime title sponsor Whelen Engineering, the NASCAR Modified Tour will feature increased purses and a planned program designed to spotlight the Tour Type Modified division.

The title sponsorship announcement was made Saturday at Martinsville Speedway ahead of the season finale. A press release states that “the championship’s prize money will be increased by 250 percent” and that “each participant will receive a minimum payout of $2,000 to take part in the race.”

NASCAR says the new prize money structure will be “in some cases more than double the current payout for lower finishes.”

The extension and schedule were co-led by longtime tour director Jimmy Wilson and Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR’s general manager of weekly tours and tours. Both aren’t shying away from vehicle numbers, which currently routinely hover around 20, and when Whelen Engineering approached the sanctioning body about how best to strengthen the series, Dennewitz said the racers came first.

“Racing is expensive,” Dennewitz told Short Track Scene. “It’s no secret, and I think it’s the first time in a decade that a partner has come to us and said, ‘We want to invest here, so tell us the best way to do it,’ and most people think about NASCAR.” I would take the money and run, but we didn’t do that.

“We direct it at the competitors because at the end of the day they are the ones who have to buy tires and fuel, drive up and down the road, get hotel rooms, so there are some things we can control, with the schedule or regulations and some other things.” we can’t.

“But having a partner like Whelen who understands that this community needs a boost of energy and then being able to deliver that package makes me really excited for 2025 to see who comes out to be Ron Silk and to challenge Justin Bonsignore.”

Bonsignore and Silk have been fighting for the championship for two seasons, but from a full-time perspective the tour has lost strong players like six-time champion Doug Coby, reigning champion Jon McKennedy or a popular former contender like Timmy Solomito.

There’s always the dream Tour scenario that NASCAR can bring in one of the Tour-time independent greats like Matt Hirschman to chase a championship, which is also his only missing resume.

Is this a topic of conversation for Wilson and Dennewitz in the halls of Charlotte and Daytona Beach?

“Last year in my new role, I was very fortunate to get to know Doug Coby, who informed me very honestly almost weekly about things that he thought needed improvement,” Dennewitz said. “I really appreciated all of this feedback.

“Tony Glover (long-time crew chief and technical director) is part of our inspection group and constantly tells me how much fun and value he finds in talking to our teams and understanding what they are going through because it helps us make those decisions . Communication is really important.

“I have drivers and car owners calling and texting all week long, asking questions or clarifications and giving feedback, and so on. So what you see here is the culmination of that experience. We’re showing that we’re listening to the teams and doing our best to show that the Modified Tour is the place to hang out and race.”

There are 16 races on the schedule in 2025, which is traditionally the best figure for the division, but also fewer than the last two years when there were 19 and 18, which is also a kind of mean culpa for the teams to get one ensure maximum participation.

The schedule begins again south at New Smyrna as part of Speedweeks and the World Series of Asphalt, with Richmond moving into late summer before the campaign ends again at Martinsville.

The North Wilkesboro date, which has been in vogue since its return, will now take place directly before the Cup Series All-Star Race to showcase that division to as many spectators as possible.

“The benefits and benefits of running in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro are simply the highlight it brings to Tour Type Modified racing,” Dennewitz said. “I like to think that short track racing is experiencing a renaissance.

“I also believe the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour offers some of the best short track racing in the world. Bringing this to a big stage like NASCAR All Star Weekend is a huge opportunity for us.

“Listen, I also think there’s a lot of good that comes out of this outside of the Tour with Justin Bonsignore being able to drive an ARCA and then an Xfinity Series race and that kind of spotlight opens the doors for our racers to to prove that they are just as good as those who now compete in these divisions.

“But at the end of the day, Speedway Motorsports had this vision for North Wilkesboro and the All-Star Race and we were just happy to be able to deliver on it.”

NWMT Schedule 2025