PIT BOX: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opens another season in style at New Smyrna Speedway

A long offseason for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will end Saturday night when the series makes its second visit to New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, for the running of the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200.

While Modifieds have raced at New Smyrna for years as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, last season marked the first time the track hosted a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.

The inaugural Tour event at New Smyrna was dominated by Matt Hirschman, who led 112 of 200 laps to claim his only Tour victory of the season. A full field of Modified drivers are expected for Saturday’s 2023 opener, and all will be looking to make their own mark at New Smyrna and leave with the 1948 Cup, a special trophy honoring the legacy of NASCAR and the Modified division.

Below is everything you need to know about Saturday’s New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 at New Smyrna Speedway.

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New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 at New Smyrna Speedway

What to watch for:

There is nobody better in a Modified at New Smyrna than Hirschman. The driver from Northampton, Pennsylvania has been racing Modifieds at the half-mile paved oval since 2009, and in that time he has won a whopping 14 times.

Thirteen of those victories have come during World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing events, with the lone exception being the Tour’s New Smyrna debut last season. It’s not unreasonable to presume that if someone is going to earn a trip to Victory Lane on Saturday, he or she will have to go through Hirschman.

“The key is how good is Matt Hirschman that day,” said Doug Coby, who is returning to the Tour this year with Tommy Baldwin Racing. “I know there are like 30 other drivers to worry about, but if you’re talking about what does it take to win a race, it’s going to take beating Matt.”

Coby is one of several drivers to watch in Saturday’s opener, as is defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Jon McKennedy. The reigning champ is back with the same Tim Lepine-owned squad as he looks to begin his title defense on a strong note at New Smyrna.

Also entered are the three drivers McKennedy battled last season for the Tour championship. Justin Bonsignore, Eric Goodale and Ron Silk will all be in action as they look to open the 2023 season on the right foot.

Other entrants include 2023 race winners Craig Lutz, Jimmy Blewett and Anthony Nocella, as well as Tour regulars Tommy Catalano and Kyle Bonsignore. Patrick Emerling, who is set to compete in the ARCA Menards Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 19, is also entered.

A handful of drivers, including Chris Hatton Jr., Anthony Bello and Justin Brown, will also be making their NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debuts Saturday night.

The complete entry for the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 can be viewed here.

RACE FACTS

Schedule: Saturday, Feb. 11 … Practice from 1 – 1:45 p.m. ET … Final practice from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 5:30 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 Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) 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.