Story By: KYLE SOUZA / JDV PRODUCTIONS – ATTLEBORO, MA – NASCAR, JDV Productions and Lee USA Speedway announced on Tuesday that the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will visit Lee on May 21, 2022 for a 175-lap race.
Set to be showcased as part of a full Saturday afternoon of racing, the Whelen Modified Tour will return to the New Hampshire oval for the first time in over two decades.
The Lee event is yet another piece of a stout schedule planned for the Whelen Modified Tour during the 2022 season. Headlined by historic events, staple venues and some twists and turns along the way, teams will trek across multiple states and tracks in search of the championship trophy during the 37th season of competition.
The Lee event marks the fourth and final that will be promoted by JDV Productions in 2022 — led by Josh Vanada and his group of motorsports professionals. The JDV schedule will begin at Lee, and will continue with events at Jennerstown Speedway on May 28, Monadnock Speedway on June 18 and Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29.
“The Wrenn family has made a significant contribution to short track racing — first as competitors, and now as facility owners. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring the prestige and excitement of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to another one of their venues,” Josh Vanada, owner of JDV Productions, said. “For the first time in over 20 years, Lee USA Speedway will be the playground for NASCAR’s oldest division. The 175-lap event will provide a challenge to crew chiefs and teams, as they try to manage their tires on the abrasive track surface. Race fans are sure to be the beneficiaries on May 21, 2022.”
The Whelen Modified Tour previously visited Lee USA Speedway five times, between 1993 and 1998. In five races — there were five different winners — led by some of the top names in Modified history. Reggie Ruggerio, Jamie Tomaino, Tim Connolly, Rick Fuller and Ed Flemke Jr. all visited Victory Lane. The 175-lap special in 2022 will be the longest race in Whelen Modified Tour history at the track, as the previous distances were all 150 or 100 laps.
Lee USA Speedway holds NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series events through the summer. Their track is headlined by their Division I Rodfather Late Model Sportsman class. Additional information surrounding the event including support divisions, ticket pricing and more will be released when available.
“Any new track on the schedule is definitely a cool thing to see,” Craig Lutz, who will drive full-time for Danny Watts Racing on the Whelen Modified Tour in 2022, said. “A lot of strategy is going to play out during the race. I’m sure you’re going to see a lot of guys who have experience there start off practice well, but the rest of the field will catch up. I’ve never seen the place, but after 10 or 15 laps, you kind of get the hang of what you’re doing out there.”
