The Short Track to Crown 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion in Season Finale on Oct. 27
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 12, 2022) – Martinsville Speedway and Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) announce a renewal of their partnership on the entitlement for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on Thursday, Oct. 27. This year’s race will be the sixth time Martinsville has hosted the Whelen Modified Tour season finale (1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991). The official name of the race will remain the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200.
“As we go back to our roots of racing in our 75th anniversary season with the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season finale, we are proud to welcome back our long-time partners at the Virginia Tourism Corporation,” said Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President. “We value the opportunity to work closely with VTC to promote and develop tourism across the Commonweatlh of Virginia with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200.”
“The Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 is a great way to experience the excitement of motorsports and enjoy the outdoors,” said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Martinsville Speedway is a sought-after destination for racing fans and visitors celebrating at such an iconic track will discover for themselves why Virginia is for Racing Lovers.”
The Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 Whelen Modified Tour season finale is part of the penultimate NASCAR Playoffs race weekend featuring the Dead On Tools 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race on Saturday, Oct. 29 and the Xfinity 500 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race on Sunday, Oct. 30.
Martinsville hosted a modified race in NASCAR’s inaugural season on July 4, 1948. The race was the third NASCAR sanctioned race in history in the Commonwealth of Virginia. NASCAR’s National Modified Championship, the predecessor to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, competed at Martinsville from 1960-1984. The modern-day NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour continued to race at the historic half-mile short track from 1985-2002, 2005-2010 and 2021. This is the second consecutive year the track has hosted the Whelen Modified Tour.
Racing Virginia legend Ray Hendrick, who is the career leader in wins at Martinsville with 20, is the all-time leader in modified wins at the track with 13. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans is second with 10. NASCAR Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik, one of the Modified Tour’s 10 greatest drivers of all-time, holds the modern-day record with five wins at Martinsville.
In last season’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200, Ryan Preece set the Martinsville track record with a 101.768 mph lap in qualifying. The previous record was set in qualifying for a 1986 modified event, Greg Sacks had a one-lap average of 101.014 mile-per-hour. Eric Goodale won last year’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200.
To learn more about Virginia Tourism Corporation, visit virginia.org.
2022 NASCAR Season
As part of its 75th Anniversary season, Martinsville will host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season finale on Thursday, Oct. 27 and penultimate races of the Xfinity Series Playoffs in the Dead On Tools 250 on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 3:00 p.m. and the Cup Series Playoffs in the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. In short track battles that can only happen at Martinsville, the fall races will crown the Whelen Modified Tour champion and set the field for the Xfinity and Cup Series championships the following week at Phoenix Raceway.
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race, will return for an evening of intense competition on Sept. 24.
NASCAR tickets are available for purchase today via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.
Stay connected to Martinsville Speedway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the all-new NASCAR Tracks App.
About Martinsville Speedway
Founded by H. Clay Earles in 1947, Martinsville Speedway is the only NASCAR track to host NASCAR Cup Series races every year since its inception in 1949. At .526 miles in length, the track annually hosts two NASCAR race weekends featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, along with NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in the fall. Martinsville Speedway also annually hosts the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race. For more information about Martinsville Speedway, visit martinsvillespeedway.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
About Virginia Tourism Corporation
Virginia Tourism Corporation is the state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premier travel and film destination. In 2019, visitors to Virginia spent $27 billion, which supported 237,000 work opportunities and contributed $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. To learn more about Virginia Tourism Corporation, visit virginia.org.
Source: Martinsville Speedway/NASCAR Communications
