Nine races to air Wednesdays beginning Aug. 4 Official Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The inaugural appearance of NASCAR racing on VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, is set for Wednesday, Aug. 4, with the Riverhead 200 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event from Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.

The Riverhead 200, which will be contested on Saturday, July 31, will be the first of nine telecasts to air on VERSUS between the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours in 2010. These two Touring Series feature short track racing at its best and are the heart of NASCAR racing at the grassroots level.

Riverhead Raceway is a quarter-mile bullring that has been part of the Whelen Modified Tour schedule since the Tour’s inaugural season of 1985. The first Whelen Southern Modified Tour broadcast will be from historic Bowman Gray Stadium. Bowman Gray – located Winston-Salem, N.C. – is the longest continuously sanctioned NASCAR track in the nation.

“NASCAR is excited for the debut of the Whelen Modified Tours on VERSUS,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations. “The premier from Riverhead Raceway along with races from other traditional Modified tracks like Bowman Gray Stadium, Caraway Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway will give viewers a distinct impression of what NASCAR Modified racing is all about.”

VERSUS first entered its partnership with NASCAR in 2009 with Quest for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a weekly half-hour series that followed the 12 drivers competing in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. In September 2010 the network will launch NASCAR – Next Generation, a series which will profile some the future stars of the Sprint Cup series. In addition to its NASCAR offerings, VERSUS is also the exclusive cable television home of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Now in its second year of coverage, the network has seen 24-percent growth in viewership for its live races as compared to last year.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman, who has competed in selected Whelen Modified Tour races in recent seasons, is among many who see the tremendous value in having VERSUS on board as a broadcast partner.

I’ve been asked ‘why do you do this,’ and it’s all about having fun,” Newman said of his participation in Modified races. “With VERSUS on board to telecast the races, the whole nation will now be exposed to what those of us on the East Coast already know – Modifieds produce a very exciting type of racing.”

Kevin Manion, the 2010 Daytona 500-winning crew chief, came through the Whelen Modified Tour on his way to his current career in the Sprint Cup Series, and is owner of the Modified team that Newman competes for.

“As a Whelen Modified Tour alum, I see great value in the VERSUS package,” Manion said. “Those of us who have been a part of it know the passion of the teams and fans in Modified racing, and it’s great for the Tours to get national exposure.”

VERSUS’ nine-race schedule will premiere with one-hour race telecasts airing on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET. All races will re-air the Sunday following the initial telecast.

VERSUS Race Schedule
Tour Venue Race Date Premiere Date Re-Air Date

NWMT Riverhead Raceway July 31 Aug. 4, 7 p.m. Aug. 8, 11 p.m.
NWMT Stafford Motor Speedway Aug. 6 Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Aug. 15, 11 p.m.
NWSMT Bowman Gray Stadium Aug. 7 Aug. 18, 7 p.m. Aug. 22, 11 p.m.
NWMT Thompson International Speedway Aug. 12 Aug. 25, 7 p.m. Aug. 29, 12 a.m.
NWSMT Caraway Speedway Aug. 28 Sept. 1, 7 p.m. Sept. 5, 11 p.m.
NWSMT Langley Speedway Sept. 4 Sept. 8, 7 p.m. Sept. 12, 11 p.m.
NWSMT Tri-County Motor Speedway Sept. 15 Sept. 29, 7 p.m. Oct. 3, 11 p.m.
NWMT Stafford Motor Speedway Oct. 3 Oct. 6, 7 p.m. Oct. 10, 11 p.m.
NWMT Thompson International Speedway Oct. 17 Oct. 20, 7 p.m. Oct. 24, 11 p.m.

Schedule subject to change

NASCAR, Whelen Extend Relationship Extends Sponsorship To 2019 For NASCAR Modified Tour, NASCAR Southern Modified Tour And NASCAR All-American Series Official Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Whelen Engineering, Inc., have announced an extension that will see Whelen remain as the entitlement sponsor for three of NASCAR’s developmental series through the 2019 racing season.

“During the last five seasons, Whelen has been an invaluable partner for NASCAR in advancing both grassroots racing and key regional tours,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations. “The commitment that Whelen has made to the future of these series is unprecedented, and it is a partnership that will continue to flourish for many years to come.”

The extension means Whelen, which became an entitlement sponsor in 2004, is the longest running current entitlement contract for any of NASCAR's series.

"Whelen understands the value of short track racing, both to the future of NASCAR and the fan. Short track racing is the foundation of NASCAR and it provides affordable and exciting entertainment for racing fans of all ages in their local neighborhoods,” said Phil Kurze, Whelen vice president for motorsports. “Whelen is proud to be associated with local short track racing and the Modified Tours and as long as fans continue to support Whelen we will continue to support the most entertaining racing in all of motorsports. NASCAR short track racing has a friend and a sponsor for the decade."

The NASCAR Whelen Modified and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tours are the only two open-wheel series under the NASCAR banner. The Whelen Modified Tour traces its roots back to the very first NASCAR race, held in Daytona Beach, Fla. in 1948. Many of the early NASCAR race cars were “modified” and the division evolved from there. Today, these unique race cars remain wildly popular along the Eastern Seaboard. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competes primarily in the Northeast while the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour races throughout the Southern states.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is comprised of a network of more than 50 race tracks across North America. NASCAR-sanctioned short track races are held on dirt and asphalt tracks of all shapes and sizes. A national championship is awarded, along with U.S. state and Canadian province championships, rookies of the year, and track championships.

Whelen Engineering is the leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and public emergency lighting and warning systems, including the caution lights on the track and pace cars at all levels of NASCAR events. Whelen has plants in Chester, Conn., and Charlestown, N.H., and is the only U.S. manufacturer of emergency warning equipment to still produce its products entirely in the United States.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tours have expanded television coverage in 2010. SPEED and VERSUS will combine to broadcast 16 races, highlighted by a same-day broadcast of the combination race between the two Tours at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Aug. 18 by SPEED.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will open its 2010 season opens this weekend at Thompson. Activities for the Icebreaker will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, April 10 and the 150-lap race is slated for Sunday, April 11.