NASCAR Whelen Series Director Excited About Bristol Venue

BRISTOL, Tenn. – As the second-year race director of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series northern division, Brian Vance hears constant feedback from fans and drivers.
One topic has surfaced often during the past few months, and it has little to do with rules and regulations for the tradition-rich open wheel series.

“Everybody has been talking about Bristol,” Vance said. “The modified series has a very strong following in the Northeastern states, but folks can’t wait to come south for this race. In fact, the campers started coming over the weekend.”

Vance has another reason to be enthused for Wednesday’s inaugural University of Northwestern Ohio Perfect Storm 150. He lives just 10 minutes from the speedway.

“Having the race here at home is going to be awesome,” Vance said. “I’ve bragged to everybody that I’ll get to sleep in my own bed for this event.”

Vance, 38, is a familiar figure to racers in the Mountain Empire. 
From 1999-2000, he served as the race director at famed Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. Vance worked as the general manager of now defunct Kingsport Speedway from 2000-02, then served as the technical director of the touring United Auto Racing Association late model series for five years. Vance also won a regional title in the old NASCAR Weekly Racing Series as a driver in the Street Stock series.

“I’m from the South and have a late model background, so the modifieds were a different breed of race car for me,” Vance said.

It didn’t take long for Vance to become enamored by the sound and speed of the wide and low-slung mods.

“These guys battle like dirt late model racers,” Vance said. “They run side-by-side, move each other up the track and just put on an exciting show. I was pleasantly surprised when I started this job.”

From Thompson International Speedway in Connecticut and New Hampshire Motor Speedway to famed Riverhead Raceway in New York, Vance has seen plenty of gripping shows involving modified stars, such as defending series champion Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy and legendary Mike Stefanik.

“Racing a modified is comparable to putting a V-8 motor on a go-kart,” Vance said. “These cars are just super fast, and they have unreal G-forces.”

Christopher generated a national buzz when he posted a lap of 14.479 seconds during a Feb. 24 test at BMS. That mark unofficially bettered Ryan Newman’s track record of 14.908 at 128.709 miles per hour set in 2003.

Another test involving 19 drivers, including Stefanik and Sprint Cup regular Kasey Kahne, was held June 8 at BMS. Newman, who has also competed in modified races at New Hampshire and New Smyrna Beach, will compete tonight in what he hopes to be the first leg of an historic 1,100-mile four-race marathon this week at BMS.

“The [modifieds] are an absolute blast to drive,” Newman said during a press conference at BMS last month. “They remind me so much of my old Silver Crown and Sprint cars, with the power-to-weight ratio and the tires. With the banking here, the [modified] car really hauls the mail.”

Newman did not participate in either of the test sessions at BMS, but another driver did test his car.

According to Stefanik, the BMS challenge will require much more than subtle changes for drivers and crew chiefs.

“Bristol is like going to a road course as opposed to a short track,” Stefanik said. “It’s that different than all the short tracks that we go to.”

In addition to using a speed-controlling restrictor plate similar to the one used at New Hampshire, teams will compensate for the unrelenting demands of BMS by using stiffer springs, heavier wheels, power steering valves and different hubs to handle the loads.

“It’s quite an expense, but we want to try to alleviate any possible problems,” Stefanik said.

Vance is confident that the mod squad will survive the rock and roll ride of BMS.

“A lot of the drivers had never seen Bristol before the test session, but they really enjoyed it,” Vance said. “And the fans at Bristol are going to love watching these guys race.”

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What: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour UNOH Perfect Storm 150

When: Tonight at 6:15 p.m.

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway

Fast Fact: Qualifying for the 36 car field will be held at 2:50 p.m.

Notes: Forty-two drivers submitted entries. The list of entrants from the Southern tour includes Jay Foley (Stuart, Va.), George Brunnhoelzl (Mooresville, N.C.), Burt Myers (Walnut Cove, N.C.) and Bobby Hutchens of Lexington, N.C. … The race will be televised on a tape-delayed basis beginning at 7 p.m. on the Speed channel.