Martinsville Speedway to Host 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Season Finale on Oct. 26, 2023

Martinsville Speedway expands 2023’s NASCAR Playoff Penultimate Race Weekend to host the season finale of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. This will be seventh time Martinsville will host the Whelen Modified Tour season finale and second consecutive season (1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 2022, 2023).

“For NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, Martinsville Speedway will host the 2023 regular season finale of the competitive NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour,” said Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President. “For the second season in a row the season finale of the Mods will join the fifth consecutive season of penultimate races for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series in the fall.”

Martinsville hosted a modified race in NASCAR’s inaugural season on July 4, 1948. The race was the third NASCAR sanctioned race in history in the Commonwealth of Virginia. NASCAR's National Modified Championship, the predecessor to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, competed at Martinsville from 1960-1984. The modern-day NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour continued to race at the historic half-mile short track from 1985-2002, 2005-2010 and 2021-2022.

Racing Virginia legend Ray Hendrick, who is the career leader in wins at Martinsville with 20, is the all-time leader in modified wins at the track with 13. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans is second with 10. NASCAR Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik, one of the Modified Tour’s 10 greatest drivers of all-time, holds the modern-day record with five wins at Martinsville.

In 2021’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 Whelen Modified Tour race, Ryan Preece set the Martinsville Speedway track record with a 101.768 mph lap in qualifying. The previous record was set in qualifying for a 1986 modified event, Greg Sacks had a one-lap average of 101.014 mile-per-hour.

In the spring, Martinsville will host all three NASCAR national series featuring the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Friday, April 14, 2023, Xfinity Series on Saturday, April 15, 2023, and the Cup Series on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Martinsville has hosted April Cup races in 1952, 1958, 1960-1969, 1971- 2008, 2011-2013, 2016-2017 and 2021-2022. The track has hosted spring Xfinity Series races in 1982-1994 and 2021-2022. Martinsville has hosted spring CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races in 1999-2019 and 2022.

Racing Virginia will be active in the month of April as the Commonwealth will host two Cup Series races in the same month for the third consecutive season as Richmond Raceway will host the Toyota Owners 400 on April 2, 2023.

Martinsville will host the Whelen Modified Tour season finale on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 and penultimate races of the Xfinity Series in the Dead On Tools 250 on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 and the Cup Series for the fourth consecutive season in the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. In an intense short track battle that can only happen at Martinsville, the races will set the field for the respective series for the NASCAR Championships the following week at Phoenix Raceway.

Start times and television networks for the 2023 Cup Series, Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedules will be announced at a later date.

2023 NASCAR tickets are available for purchase via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com. Fans can view the full 2023 NASCAR schedule and purchase tickets at www.nascar.com/2023schedule.

Stay connected to Martinsville Speedway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the NASCAR Tracks App.

NASCAR Playoff Race Weekend

As part of its 75th Anniversary season, Martinsville will host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season finale in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 today at 8:00 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff practice and qualifying on Friday, Oct. 28 at 4:00 p.m., penultimate races of the Xfinity Series Playoffs in the Dead On Tools 250 on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 3:00 p.m. and the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. In short track battles that can only happen at Martinsville, the fall races will crown the Whelen Modified Tour champion and set the field for the Xfinity and Cup Series championships the following week at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR tickets are available for purchase via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.

Stay connected to Martinsville Speedway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the NASCAR Tracks App.