



NASCAR’s only open-wheel division set to race on July 31, 2020

NEWTON, Iowa (July 27, 2019) – For the first time ever, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will race at Iowa Speedway in 2020. The 36th season of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will feature a mix of historic short tracks on the eastern seaboard before visiting central Iowa. This marks the first time in history that the unified Whelen Modified Tour will journey this far west.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be in action during NASCAR Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 weekend at Iowa Speedway July 31-August 1. The Whelen Modified Tour is NASCAR’s oldest running division and the only open-wheel class. The tour features a passionate, veteran-laden core of drivers as well as emerging young talent.

"I don’t know that I’ve ever felt this much excitement about an upcoming season," said Iowa Speedway President David Hyatt. "From the fans to competitors and media, it’s industry-wide excitement and we are already looking forward to it.

"The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Iowa Speedway are a perfect match."

Even though the modern era of the Whelen Modified Tour started in 1985, the first recorded NASCAR Modified race was held in 1948 on the sands of Daytona Beach and won by Red Byron, who eventually was crowned NASCAR’s first champion.

"We are thankful for the opportunity to expose fans in the Midwest to the type of racing fans in New England and a few other places have loved for years with the Whelen Modified Tour," said Brandon Thompson, Managing Director, NASCAR Touring Series.

The tour has produced several drivers and crew members who have climbed the ladder to the three NASCAR national series. A few include Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Donny Lia, Mike McLaughlin, Jeff Fuller, Steve Park, Jimmy Spencer and Mike Stefanik are included on the list. Also joining those modified standouts is Ryan Preece. Preece, the 2013 series champion and 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 winner at Iowa Speedway, now races full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Next year will mark 15 years of racing at Iowa Speedway. For the fifth consecutive year, Wide Opening Weekend will feature both the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series on June 12-13, 2020.

The ARCA Menards Series will take the green flag on Friday, July 17. The NTT IndyCar Series will again hit the Fastest Short Track on the Planet for the Iowa 300 on Saturday, July 18, giving fans a full complement of stock car and open wheel racing during INDYCAR weekend.

The 2020 Iowa Speedway racing season concludes July 31-August 1 with another world-class NASCAR doubleheader featuring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series 150 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250.

About Iowa Speedway

Iowa Speedway, The Fastest Short Track on the Planet, is a state-of-the-art 7/8-mile asphalt paved tri-oval racetrack and motorsports facility located in Newton, Iowa. Our 2019 schedule includes three exciting race weekends: June 15-16 (NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series M&M’S 200 presented by Casey’s General Store and NASCAR Xfinity Series CircuitCity.com 250 presented by Tamron), July 19-20 (ARCA Menards Series Fans With Benefits 150 and NTT IndyCar Series Iowa 300) and July 26-27 (NASCAR K&N Pro Series Casey’s General Store 150 and NASCAR Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250). For tickets, call 1.866.787.8946. To learn more, visit www.IowaSpeedway.com, "like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.