NASCAR Modified Tour
Beginning in 1985, this regional series became the new format to determine the NASCAR Modified Championship. It would be a set schedule of events at numerous tracks in the northeast. Established New England events like Stafford Speedway’s Spring Sizzler and the Thompson 300 were incorporated into the schedule.
While the NASCAR Modified Championship was considered a national title, today the Modified Tour is recognized more as a regional series. A large portion of the series’ events have been held in southern New England, with Thompson Speedway hosting the most events in the tour’s history (152 through the 2023 season). Stafford Speedway has hosted 135 events. It remains the longest continually operating touring series for modifieds in the northeast.
The tour was originally sponsored Gatorade, and referred to as the NASCAR Modified National Championship Tour until the end of 1986 when it was rebranded as the Winston Modified Tour. Featherlite Trailers became the title sponsor in 1994, and it was renamed the Featherlite Modified Series. Connecticut-based Whelen Engineering became the title sponsor in 2005.
Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik has a record 7 NASCAR Modified Tour Championships (and with his 2 Busch North Series titles, also ties Evans with a record 9 NASCAR championships). Stefanik’s 74 career wins on the tour are also a record. Reggie Ruggiero, whose 44 NWMT wins are second only to Stefanik, finished runner-up to the title 7 times without ever capturing the championship. 6-time tour champion Doug Coby won a tour-era record 4 straight titles from 2014-2017. Tony Hirschman is a 5-time tour champion.
SERIES INFO
| SERIES FOUNDED | 1985 |
| PREVIOUS NAMES | NASCAR Winston Modified Tour, NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series |
| WEBSITE | NASCARRoots |
| facebook.com/NASCARRoots | |
| twitter.com/NASCARRoots | |
| instagram.com/nascarroots | |
| YOUTUBE | youtube.com/@NASCARRoots |
NASCAR MODIFIED TOUR CHAMPIONS
| YEAR | CHAMPION | CAR OWNER | STARTS | WINS | TOP 5 | TOP 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | RICHIE EVANS | Gene Dewitt | 28 | 12 | 17 | 21 |
| 1986 | JIMMY SPENCER | Frank Cicci | 25 | 4 | 17 | 20 |
| 1987 | JIMMY SPENCER | Frank Cicci | 28 | 6 | 16 | 21 |
| 1988 | MIKE McLAUGHLIN | Sherwood Racing | 24 | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| 1989 | MIKE STEFANIK | Sonny Koszela | 26 | 7 | 18 | 20 |
| 1990 | JAMIE TOMANO | Danny Ust | 23 | 1 | 10 | 18 |
| 1991 | MIKE STEFANIK | Sonny Koszela | 23 | 5 | 16 | 22 |
| 1992 | JEFF FULLER | Sheba Racing | 21 | 6 | 15 | 18 |
| 1993 | RICK FULLER | Curt Chase | 17 | 1 | 11 | 14 |
| 1994 | WAYNE ANDERSON | Lenny Boehler | 21 | 1 | 12 | 17 |
| 1995 | TONY HIRSCHMAN JR | Lenny Boehler | 21 | 1 | 9 | 16 |
| 1996 | TONY HIRSCHMAN JR | Lenny Boehler | 20 | 3 | 12 | 14 |
| 1997 | MIKE STEFANIK | Peter Beal & Charlie Bacon | 22 | 10 | 17 | 20 |
| 1998 | MIKE STEFANIK | Peter Beal & Charlie Bacon | 22 | 13 | 20 | 21 |
| 1999 | TONY HIRSCHMAN JR | Gary Cretty | 21 | 6 | 14 | 19 |
| 2000 | JERRY MARQUIS | Mario Fiore | 17 | 5 | 11 | 14 |
| 2001 | MIKE STEFANIK | Art Barry | 20 | 3 | 12 | 16 |
| 2002 | MIKE STEFANIK | Art Barry | 29 | 2 | 7 | 13 |
| 2003 | TODD SZEGEDY | Don Barker | 18 | 4 | 11 | 14 |
| 2004 | TONY HIRSCHMAN JR | Bob Kehley & Tom Kehley | 19 | 4 | 12 | 16 |
| 2005 | TONY HIRSCHMAN JR | Bob Kehley & Tom Kehley | 18 | 5 | 10 | 13 |
| 2006 | MIKE STEFANIK | Eric Sanderson | 16 | 1 | 10 | 15 |
| 2007 | DONNY LIA | Bob Garbarino | 16 | 6 | 11 | 13 |
| 2008 | TED CHRISTOPHER | Eddie Whelan | 16 | 4 | 10 | 13 |
| 2009 | DONNY LIA | Bob Garbarino | 13 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| 2010 | BOBBY SANTOS III | Bob Garbarino | 14 | 4 | 9 | 11 |
| 2011 | RON SILK | Eddy Partridge | 16 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 2012 | DOUG COBY | Wayne Darling | 14 | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| 2013 | RYAN PREECE | Eric Sanderson | 14 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| 2014 | DOUG COBY | Mike Smeriglio III | 13 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| 2015 | DOUG COBY | Mike Smeriglio III | 15 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
| 2016 | DOUG COBY | Mike Smeriglio III | 17 | 5 | 10 | 14 |
| 2017 | DOUG COBY | Mike Smeriglio III | 16 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| 2018 | JUSTIN BONSIGNORE | Ken Massa | 16 | 8 | 12 | 15 |
| 2019 | DOUG COBY | Mike Smeriglio III | 16 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| 2020 | JUSTIN BONSIGNORE | Ken Massa | 9 | 3 | 9 | 9 |
| 2021 | JUSTIN BONSIGNORE | Ken Massa | 14 | 2 | 11 | 12 |
| 2022 | JON McKENNEDY | Tim Lepine | 16 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
| 2023 | RON SILK | Tyler Haydt & Joe Yannone | 18 | 5 | 15 | 17 |
| 2024 | JUSTIN BONSIGNORE | Ken Massa | 16 | 5 | 12 | 15 |
VIEW PRE-TOUR ERA NASCAR MODIFIED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
NASCAR MODIFIED TOUR PHOTO GALLERY
