PIT BOX: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads down south to Langley Speedway

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is venturing away from its roots in the northeast for another trip down south on Saturday, as the series visits Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia, for just the third time in its history.

Since opening its doors in 1950, Langley has hosted races for a plethora of different divisions, ranging from the now-defunct NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour all the way to the NASCAR Cup Series from 1964-70.

Both previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visits to Langley took place during the 2010s. Timmy Solomito won the inaugural event during the 2017 season, while 2013 series champion and part-time NASCAR competitor Ryan Preece won the most recent event at the facility in 2018.

RELATED: Follow the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour all season long

With neither Solomito nor Preece on the entry list for Saturday night’s CheckeredFlag.com 150, a new driver will find his or her way to Victory Lane at Langley and add to the track‘s storied history that spans over seven decades.

Below is everything you need to know about the CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Langley Speedway.

CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Langley Speedway

What to watch for:

The battle for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship became heated during last week‘s Phoenix Communications 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

Ron Silk and Jon McKennedy, who had established themselves as the clear frontrunners during the summer, came together on two different occasions. The second accident between the two carried significant points implications, as the damage Silk sustained forced him to ride around and settle for a 12^th-place finish.

McKennedy now holds a five-point advantage over Silk in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, but both competitors find themselves on even ground at Langley with neither driver having recorded a start there.

Should McKennedy or Silk struggle on Saturday evening, veteran Eric Goodale could find himself in an ideal position to inch closer towards the championship battle.

Fresh off a strong second-place showing at Thompson, Goodale excelled in both NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Langley. He finished second to Solomito in 2017 before following that performance with a fifth during the 2018 edition of the event.

The three championship contenders must still deal with the usual suspects in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. They include six-time champion Doug Coby, who returns to the No. 7NY for Tommy Baldwin Racing less than a week after being involved in an accident with his teammate Jimmy Blewett during the closing laps of the Phoenix Communications 150.

Coby dominated the inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Langley in 2017, as he led 134 laps before late misfortune relegated him to 15^th. He will attempt to avenge that loss Saturday evening and claim his third win of the 2022 season.

Other notable entries for the CheckeredFlag.com 150 include Jake Johnson in the familiar Ole Blue Modified, along with Gary Putnam in a car prepared by Mike Curb, as well as long-time series veteran Jamie Tomaino.

The complete entry list for the CheckeredFlag.com 150 can be viewed here.

RACE FACTS

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Fastest 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 CheckeredFlag.com 150 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 four (4) tires, any position.