Corey Heim (No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing Upper Deck Toyota) leads a group of cars at turn two during the Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 on March 01,2025 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX.(Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Sam Hunt is trying to do something extraordinary. At 32 years old, he’s attempting to become one of the youngest winning team owners in Nascar Xfinity Series history.

The independent Sam Hunt Racing is managed by Hunt, a former racer himself, who had the foresight that he may not make it as a driver.

“I have always been a realist and reality has never scared me or phased me,” Hunt said. “I was fortunate to race with some really good guys like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. I got to see the level of talent it was going to take to make it all the way. Racing with Kyle Larson was a pretty good indicator.”

Hunt competed in the ARCA Menards Series East from 2012-19 before realizing it’s time for a change. He totaled a trio of top 10 finishes in 34 career starts with a best finish of sixth in 2013. Running the full 2012 campaign, he placed 12th in points, the same year in which Larson won the championship. Additional Cup Series stars Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick and part timer Corey LaJoie were victorious that season.

But Hunt’s passion for the sport, combined with a business degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, propelled him to start his own team in 2019. Slowly, Hunt began fielding an entry for more races in 2020 before going full-time in 2021. His team blossomed, growing to two full-time entries in 2023.

Hunt’s small group has come close to winning on numerous occasions. John Hunter Nemecheck has a trio of top fives for the organization, and Toyota driver Corey Heim also nearly won a few races in Hunt’s equipment. This year, Christopher Bell was contending for a win at Mexico City in Hunt’s No. 24 car until an engine expired.

“We have one step left to be there consistently,” Hunt said of competing for wins. “We’ve covered the bingo card all around victory lane. I want all of the people who have left bigger, Cup-affiliated teams and have gotten on board with what we’re building to be in victory lane.

“I won’t say it’ll be the most special day in my life because I am married, but it’ll be close to it.”

Hunt is currently fielding a single full-time entry with rookie Dean Thompson, while running a part-time second car with numerous drivers. Thompson struggled in the Craftsman Truck Series at times, but is now thriving as a rookie in the Xfinity Series. He has a top five and five top 10s through 23 races.

“His confidence wasn’t at its highest,” Hunt said of when Thompson signed on with SHR. “When he came in, we said he needed to embed himself into our program and be with us every single day. We were going to be hard on him, but we are his family.”

While Hunt does not have an official alliance with Toyota powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing, the small team is succeeding because of JGR equipment. SHR purchases older JGR equipment and leases the team’s engines.

“J.D. Gibbs (one of Joe Gibbs’ sons) was one of the first owners I met when I was younger,” Hunt said. “How J.D. interacted and treated his people and how his people looked up to him was inspiring to me. The entire Gibbs family has always been very welcoming to me, a kid with a big dream trying to start a very improbable business.

“We have to be extremely creative about how we develop as purist racers.”

The journey to get to this point was extremely tough. Hunt moved to Mooresville, N.C. with nothing. He was living in a van outside of the old Robert Yates Racing engine shop until he got some floor space inside.

Now, as Hunt looks to win as a team owner, the most reachable goal at the moment is qualifying for the playoffs. Thompson is 16th on the playoff grid with three races remaining in the regular season, four positions away from the cutoff line and 82 points back. He will likely need to deliver SHR its first win in the next three races to qualify for the postseason. The series has a couple of wild card races remaining, first visiting Daytona International Speedway next weekend.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Athletics has solidified a new multi-year partnership with Grant County Mulch, deeming the country’s largest bulk mulch supplier as the “Official Mulch Supplier.”

WVU Athletics is also excited to announce that Grant County Mulch will be wrapping a WVU themed truck to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the Richmond Raceway on Aug.15. The sponsored truck is owned by CR7 Motorsports and will be driven by Grant Enfinger.

Coverage of the race begins at 7:30 pm EST on FS1.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with WVU Athletics. Both of us—and our parents—were born and raised in West Virginia, so this partnership means more than business to us,” Larry and Janie Berg, founders of Grant County Mulch, said. “It’s about honoring our roots, supporting our home state, and being part of something that represents the pride and spirit of West Virginians everywhere.”

“I’ve spent years in Morgantown, tailgating and cheering from the stands at Milan Puskar Stadium. Partnering with WVU Athletics is surreal—it’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid,” Stacey Berg, Sales Manager at Grant County Mulch, said. “This is a full-circle moment for me and our family.”

The partnership will deliver various traditional and digital assets, including in-state use of university marks, football ribbon LED board, basketball center hung lower LED, baseball outfield wall, vehicle display at one football game, and in-game baseball live mention.

The new partnership marks the start of Grant County Mulch being featured in the MSN Radio Post-Game Show for Football and Men’s Basketball through the awarding of “Tough as Mulch” Player of the Game.

“We are very excited to welcome Grant County Mulch as the Official Mulch Supplier of WVU Athletics and to partner with them on the CR7 Motorsports entry in the upcoming NCTS race at Richmond,” Matt Wells, WVU’s Deputy Director of Athletics for External Affairs, said. “Grant County Mulch is a family-owned, West Virginia-based company whose history and brand fit perfectly with WVU Athletics.

“This partnership presents a unique opportunity to highlight our WVU pride in a great way,” Evan Hawkins, General Manager of Mountaineer Sports Properties, said. “We are extremely proud to align with Grant County Mulch, which shares such similar values and roots.”

Grant County Mulch is committed to providing 100% all natural mulch products through its process of composing organic waste. Grant County Mulch specializes in innovation and utilizing cutting-edge technologies to supply the highest quality mulch.

Mountaineer Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college athletics – is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for WVU Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Mountaineers.

About Grant County Mulch

Founded in 1986 by Verlin Larry Berg and his wife Janie, Grant County Mulch (GCM) began on a small hill in the mountains of West Virginia with just the two of them and a simple philosophy: Work hard, treat people right, and have strong faith.

That philosophy laid the foundation for what would become the largest bulk mulch manufacturer in the country, now distributing over three million yards annually. Within six months of opening, GCM hired its first employee and soon relocated to what is now the company’s headquarters in Petersburg, WV. Through decades of dedication and growth, GCM expanded to ten plants and distribution centers across WV, MD, PA, and VA. The company was honored with the WV Small Businessperson of the Year Award and continues to adapt to an evolving marketplace. Despite the changes, GCM’s core values remain unchanged—values deeply rooted in West Virginia pride. As Coach Bill Stewart once said, “It’s Mountaineer pride, nothing cheap, from the heart. Man, I am proud to be from West Virginia.”

About West Virginia Athletics 

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at West Virginia University sponsors 18 varsity sports with more than 500 student-athletes competing in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s indoor and outdoor track, rifle, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, women’s rowing and wrestling. West Virginia University competes in the Big 12 Conference in all sports except men’s soccer (Sun Belt Conference) and rifle (Great American Rifle Conference) and strives in its athletics program for national excellence and prominence.

 

About Learfield

Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.

 

In this week’s Motion Motorsport for InsideTrackNews.com, Dave Mathers catches us up on recent racing news and action from the world of racing, including the local Canadian scene.

It’s been a relatively quiet week in motorsports, but there’s still plenty to unpack. The Formula One stewards decided not to penalize Max Verstappen for his aggressive move past Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian Grand Prix. The FIA concluded that there was no contact and that Hamilton chose not to stay on track, so no further action was taken. Good call.

One of the coolest race-event promotions ever: World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) is offering a WWT Raceway dog collar plus four tickets to the NASCAR Xfinity race on September 6 to the first 200 people who adopt a dog from the shelters of the Humane Society of Missouri or Helping Strays of Monroe County. Everyone wins – especially the pups!

We mentioned the MLB game played on the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. The Atlanta Braves bested the Cincinnati Reds 4–2 before a staggering crowd of 91,032 – setting a regular-season attendance record. Amazing!

At The Glen, Austin Hill reportedly still claims his ill-advised “ramming” of Aric Almirola at Indy was “unintentional.” After receiving a one-race suspension, one has to wonder if he’s seen the replay.

It’s great to see the revival of the previously dormant International Hot Rod Association (IHRA). Since the passing of its previous savior, Bill Bader, it’s encouraging to see new leadership carrying the torch. I’d love to have attended their recent races at Milan, but like many Canadians, I’d rather avoid border crossings right now. Maybe after the midterms on November 3, 2026?

Did you hear about the tow-truck driver who tried to cross the track mid-race at Full Throttle Motor Speedway in Varney? He ended up taking out a race car. You couldn’t script that!

NASCAR Cup Series: At Watkins Glen, teenage phenom Connor Zilisch broke his collarbone after falling from his car during his Victory Lane celebration ([Reuters][4], [The Washington Post][5]). That one hits close to home – I once had a similar mishap back in 1979 when I was Race Director at Delaware Speedway. I got hit by a car in the pits, ending up in a sling – but I was back in action in under a week. Zilisch shouldn’t be out long.

Ryan Blaney (Ford) took the pole over Shane van Gisbergen (Chev) and Chase Briscoe (Toyota) – parity indeed! Zilisch was set to start 25th but was withdrawn, leaving 39 cars: 17 Chevs, 13 Fords, 9 Toyotas, and no Mopars. Stage 1 went smoothly – Chris Buescher won that one. Josh Berry spun on lap 28 in corner 5, though there was no yellow – that came later for debris. During the pit stops, Chase Elliott’s gas man collided with the tire carrier, costing track position. Blaney took Stage 2. Stage 3 stayed clean, and SVG scored his fourth win of the season over Bell and Buescher. Only one caution – impressive!

In the standings, William Byron now leads Chase Elliott by 42 and Denny Hamlin by 81.

Next up: Richmond, Saturday at 7:30 P.M. on TSN 5.

Xfinity Series: At Watkins Glen, retired series director “Put It Out” Wayne Auton was named honorary starter – a nice touch. In qualifying, points leader Connor Zilisch nabbed the pole (tied with Justin Allgaier, who qualified 9th), ahead of SVG and Taylor Gray. Field: 38 cars – 26 Chevs, 5 Fords, 7 Toyotas. SVG signed a multi-year extension with Trackhouse Racing – good news!

Stage 1 went to Allgaier. Zilisch won Stage 2. Lap 52 saw Sheldon Creed wrecked after being hit. Then on lap 65, Zilisch spun SVG – his car was done – no black flag given. Lap 74 saw Austin Hill collect Michael McDowell and half the field into the wall – red flag time. After repairs, green with four to go – and Zilisch took the win over Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith. Back in Victory Lane, he fell off the car during his celebration and broke his collarbone, confirmed afterward.

In the points, Zilisch (still just 19) now leads Allgaier by 7 and Mayer by 24.

Next race: Daytona, Friday, August 22.

Craftsman Trucks: Loved hearing the Canadian anthem ahead of the U.S. – Watkins Glen always does it right. The emotional tribute to Stewart Friesen hugging his son was a highlight. Corey Heim (Toyota) grabbed the pole over Christopher Bell (in Friesen’s truck) and Sammy Smith. Field: 36 trucks – 16 Chevs, 11 Fords, 9 Toyotas.

Stage 1 went to Heim. Lap 37 brought the second caution when Jack Wood slammed the wall. Stage 2: Ben Rhodes. Lap 60 saw debris from Toni Breidinger’s smoking truck; lap 65 – Majeski and Gray tangled. Lap 69, Rhodes lost a wheel and hit the wall, triggering NASCAR Overtime. A spin by Connor Mosack caused another Overtime, then a nearly identical spin forced yet another restart. At the finish, Heim got his sixth win of the season, followed by Daniel Hemric and Ruggiero. Bell finished 4th in Friesen’s ride.

Heim’s lead in the points now stands at 178 over Layne Riggs and 186 over Chandler Smith. Regular-season champion?

Next up: Richmond, Friday at 7:30 P.M. on CTV Speed.

Formula One: The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on Sunday, August 31 – F1 is on its summer break.

IndyCar: Even before qualifying at Portland, tire concerns loomed with heat forecast at 35 °C. Qualifying went well: McLaren locked out the front row with Lundgaard on pole ahead of Pato O’Ward; Rosenqvist was third. Canadian Devlin DeFrancesco started 14th. The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland – named for a “social gaming platform” – was a mouthful to Google. A six-place grid penalty was handed to Lundgaard (for a fifth Chevy engine this season), along with Santino Ferrucci, Josef Newgarden, and Kyffin Simpson.

Coverage resumed at lap 6 – Ferriuci crashed into the pit wall. At lap 15, Rasmussen nudged Conor Daly off track; Daly later hit the barriers. At halfway, Will Power led, followed by Palou and Newgarden. The finish saw Power win over Lundgaard and Palou. DeFrancesco finished 18th.

Next race: Milwaukee, Sunday, August 24.

IMSA: Next up: VIR, August 24.

Knoxville Nationals: Local racer and 18-year-old Ryan Timms led all 50 laps to win the prestigious sprint-car invitational over Rico Abreu and David Gravel. Knoxville, Iowa and its Sprint Car Hall of Fame are a must-visit for fans.

NHRA: Next race: Brainerd, this weekend.

NASCAR Canada Series: At Three Rivers, 29 cars took part – great turnout. However, Race Center incorrectly displayed “Calabogie Motorsports Park” and “Budlight 250 Valee-Junction, QC August 2, 2025,” with “0/250 laps” and no mention of Three Rivers – still an issue even on Sunday, though it was fixed mid-race. Thanks, REV TV, for live coverage!

On the track, Marc-Antoine Camirand took the pole over teammate Andrew Ranger, both sporting Gilles Villeneuve tribute liveries, followed by Alex Tagliani. Points leader D.J. Kennington qualified 9th. The race saw multiple cautions: Martin Goulet Jr. crashed into the tire wall on lap 7; Ben Couture rolled and stopped on lap 19; Tagliani sprayed oil, drawing another; Simon Charbonneau hit the wall on lap 32; Vittorio Ghirelli’s hood caught fire on lap 43; Alexandre Fortin crashed on lap 50, dropping debris; Sam Fellows crashed with 5 to go – NASCAR Overtime ensued. At the end, Ranger won over Camirand and L.P. Dumoulin. Kennington finished 7th.

Next race: ICAR, Saturday, August 25.

APC Series: Next race: Sauble, Saturday, August 23.

Ontario Sportsman Series: Runaway points leader Conner James grabbed the pole at Peterborough Speedway for the two 50-lap features. He won the first feature, while Brendan Patrick won the second, finishing ahead of James and Shawn McGlynn.

Next up: Flamboro, Saturday, August 23.

Delaware Speedway: Bone Stock class had two features Friday – first, Paul Fothergill won, followed by Colin Willems and Michael Verberne; second, Fothergill again over Mitchell Rawlings and Jo Lawrence. In V/8 Stocks, Barry Watson crossed first but was penalized for exceeding the time limit, giving the win to Jordan Morris. In Late Models, Jesse Kennedy won, followed by Marshall Schrenk and Ray Morneau.
Next features: Late Models, Super Stocks, and Bone Stocks – Friday.

Upcoming local events

Ohsweken Speedway: Community Night, Friday.

Flamboro Speedway: Hall of Fame Reunion, Saturday. Click HERE to view a full report and gallery from last week’s Gold Rush 125 at Flamboro Speedway.

Buxton Speedway: Fan Appreciation Night, Saturday.

Full Throttle Motor Speedway: Kids Powerwheel Racing, Saturday.

Sunset Speedway: Push It to the Limit (L/M, S/S, B/S), Saturday.

Grand Bend Speedway: NASCAR Weekly Series, Saturday.

Grand Bend Motorplex: Points Racing, this weekend.

St. Thomas Dragway: Big Rig Truck Nationals, this weekend.

Toronto Motorsports Park: Canada Heads-Up, this weekend.

Can-Am Stock/Super Stock: TMP, August 30–Sept 1.

Empire Dragway (Quick 32 Sportsman, Pro Bike & Sled Series, 5.50 Super Series): August 15–16.

660 Sportsman Nationals, Grand Bend: October 5.

John Scotti NHRA Canadian Championship, Napierville: this weekend.

Shannonville Drags: No Box Bonus Weekend, August 15–17.

Send comments to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or on Facebook Messenger.

NASCAR has released the list of the 40 greatest drivers in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour modern era, beginning with the 1985 season, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

“This list represent the best NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers of the past and also highlights the incredible talent currently on track in the Tour,” said Senior Technical Director of NASCAR Regional/Senior Director of the Whelen Modified Tour Jimmy Wilson.

See the complete unranked list below:

For more information, visit nascar.com/regional.

NBC Sports’ motorsports action is headlined this week by the NASCAR Cup Series’ Cook Out 400 from Richmond, Va., this Saturday, Aug. 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and Pro Motocross from Unadilla in New Berlin, N.Y., this Saturday at 1 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.

NASCAR CUP SERIES: RICHMOND

The NASCAR Cup Series continues this Saturday, Aug. 16, at Richmond Raceway with the Cook Out 400 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. Live pre-race coverage on USA Network begins at 7 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green.

NBC Sports’ broadcast team of veteran motorsports play-by-play commentator Leigh Diffey, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton,and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will call the action. Marty Snider, Dave Burns,and Kim Coon will serve as pit reporters. Marty Snider will host pre- and post-race coverage alongside Burton and Letarte.

NBC Sports NASCAR analysts won at Richmond Raceway three years in a row from 1997 to 1999, with Jarrett winning in 1997 and 1999 and Burton in 1998.

Last weekend’s race in Watkins Glen saw Shane van Gisbergen (25^th, -371 points) win his fourth road course victory of the season after previous wins in Mexico City, Chicago, and Sonoma. Christoper Bell (4^th, -85) finished in second place while Chris Buescher (10^th, -194) took third. Austin Dillon is the defending champion at Richmond Raceway. This is the penultimate race before the Playoffs begin on Aug. 31, with the top 16 drivers at the end of the regular season qualifying for the Playoffs.

The official home of the NASCAR Championship and Playoffs, NBC Sports will present the final 14 NASCAR Cup Series races in 2025 across NBC, USA Network, and Peacock, culminating with the Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2. Click here for more information on NBC Sports’ 2025 NASCAR coverage. Live coverage of practice and qualifying will be presented on truTV this Friday starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

BROADCAST TEAM

• Play-by-Play: Leigh Diffey
• Analysts: Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte
• Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kim Coon

STUDIO TEAM

• Host: Marty Snider
• Studio Analysts: Jeff Burton,SteveLetarte

HOW TO WATCH

• TV – USA Network
• Streaming – NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app

PRO MOTOCROSS: UNADILLA

The2025 SMX World Championship^TM series and Pro Motocross season continues this Saturday, Aug. 16, from Unadilla MX in New Berlin, N.Y., live at 1 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.

450 Class leader Jett Lawrence (412 points) and 250 Class leader Haiden Deegan (418 points) need to finish 50+ points ahead of second place this weekend to clinch their respective 2025 Pro Motocross Class Championships. Lawrence currently has a 47-point lead over his brother and last week’s first-time overall winner, Hunter Lawrence, while Deegan is currently 51 points ahead of Jo Shimoda.

NBC Sports’ Jason Weigandt and SuperMotocross analyst James Stewart,a seven-time AMA champion, will call this weekend’s action. Jason Thomas and Katie Osborne will serve as reporters.

Race Day Live qualifying coverage this Saturday from Unadilla gets underway at 10 a.m. ET on Peacock. All live Pro Motocross coverage, including races and qualifying, plus on-demand replays, will be available on Peacock this season. Click here for more details.

15-time AMA champion Ricky Carmichael and nine-time AMA Champion Ryan Villopoto sat down with last week’s race winner, Hunter Lawrence, to discuss his first 450 Class victory, the upcoming races, his love of fixing cars, and much more on the latest episode of the Title 24 podcast here.

BROADCAST TEAM

• Play by Play: Jason Weigandt
• Analyst: James Stewart
• Reporters: Jason Thomas, Katie Osborne
• Race Day Live: Jason Weigandt, James Stewart, Jason Thomas, Katie Osborne

HOW TO WATCH

• Streaming – Peacock (LIVE)
• Audio – SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio – Channel 85

NBC Sports PR

Throughout the season, NASCAR has been celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour modern era, beginning with the 1985 season, by releasing the list of the 40 greatest drivers in the series without ranking. Ten were added to the list during each announcement, culminating in today’s final grouping of drivers released leading into Thursday night’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET).

Previously announced drivers on the list include NASCAR Hall of Famer (Class of 2021) Mike Stefanik, whose 74 wins rank first all time, as do his seven championships. He impressively twice hit double-digit win totals during a season, doing it back-to-back in 1997 (10 wins) and 1998 (13 wins).

Doug Coby is also on the list as one of only two drivers to have won six or more Whelen Modified Tour championships – his six titles ranks second to Stefanik. Coby has tallied 35 Tour victories and had a steak of 13 consecutive seasons with a win (2011 to 2024).

The list also includes Richie Evans, the champion of the first season of the modern era of the Tour – 1985. Evans also tallied eight championships during the NASCAR Modified National Championship era of the Tour, and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

“It’s incredibly important for us to recognize and honor the great drivers who have built the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour into the fan-favorite series that it is today,” said Managing Director of NASCAR Regional Joseph Dennewitz. “These drivers are heroes at their local tracks and have made a name for themselves on a national level. With two NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees on the list, it shows the impact the Tour has had on the sport over the years.”

The final group announced today is highlighted by current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, who will pull double duty this weekend at Richmond. Thursday night he’ll race in his family-owned No. 40 entry while on Saturday night he’ll sit behind the wheel of the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford in the Cup Series race.

Preece, the 2013 champion, started racing in the Whelen Modified Tour in 2007, and has tallied 26 Tour wins, including Richmond in 2021.

The list also adds a family tie with Tony and Matt Hirschman. Tony tallied five championships (1995, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2005), which is third all time, and he recorded 35 wins during his career (tied with Coby for fifth on the all-time wins list). His son Matt won at Seekonk Speedway earlier this season and has 10 career Tour wins.

Including Preece and Matt Hirschman, five drivers on the list, representing a total of 96 wins between them, will be competing Thursday night in Richmond. Justin Bonsignore, the reigning and four-time Tour champion (2018, 2020, 2021, 2024), earlier this season recorded his 46^th Whelen Modified Tour victory and a record 12^th at Riverhead Raceway. He ranks second all-time in wins (behind Stefanik’s 74 victories) and now has at least one win in eight consecutive seasons (and in 14 of the last 15 years).

Patrick Emerling, who has a pair of wins this season, including last week at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, has recorded nine career Tour victories, while Eric Goodale has five Tour wins.

“This list represent the best NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers of the past and also highlights the incredible talent currently on track in the Tour,” said Senior Technical Director of NASCAR Regional / Senior Director of the Whelen Modified Tour Jimmy Wilson. “In addition to seeing five of the 40 Greatest Drivers race on Thursday night in Richmond, they will also be watching up-and-coming drivers on the Tour who may make their way onto the 50 Greatest Drivers list in 10 years.”

Below is the complete listing of the 40 greatest drivers in alphabetical order (drivers entered in the race this week in Richmond are in bold):

The 40^th anniversary season of the Tour continues on Thursday, August 12, kicking off the NASCAR race weekend at Richmond Raceway in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Last year’s Richmond race featured 20 lead changes between five drivers, and fans can expect more of the same excitement again this year as the track regularly produces double-digit lead changes throughout the race.

Tickets are available at www.richmondraceway.com and the race will be broadcast live on FloRacing.

NASCAR PR