Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman to race in Modified Tour at North Wilkesboro

A couple of NASCAR icons are lining up at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the Whelen Modified Tour for the penultimate race of the season. Bobby Labonte and Ryan Newman will be competing against the best on the tour.

The Modified Tour is a lot of fun. There are a ton of talented drivers in the series who battle it out on the track throughout the season. We have seen three-time champion Justin Bonsignore make the crossover into ARCA and the national series, as well.

Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte are going to go up against the likes of Bonsignore, Ron Silk, and Patrick Emerling. Those drivers are only separated by 21 points in the championship standings with two races to go.

Newman joins the Modified Tour a few times a year. Labonte usually sticks with the SMART series, based primarily in the south. He’s looking forward to racing North Wilkesboro.

“I’m excited about it,” Labonte said. “We’ve run [North] Wilkesboro a couple of times now, but the repave is going to be different for everybody. With a lot more cars on the racetrack, hopefully, more rubber will be laid down and the groove will move up. Nobody has a clear-cut advantage, but somebody is going to hit on the right combination. Hopefully it’s us.”

There is a lot more to NASCAR than just what you see in the national series. These regional races are the lifeblood of the sport. There is no better place for this series than North Wilkesboro.

North Wilkesboro appearing to thrive

Between the NASCAR Cup and Truck Series, Whelen Modified Tour, and CARS Tour, North Wilkesboro is thriving. Since being revived last year, the short track in the heart of NASCAR country has been embraced by the racing community.

While the track has had issues with weather in the last two years, there has been plenty of great racing. I think that the Truck Series has been very fun at the track. Honestly, the modifieds might put on the best show at this historic venue.

The regulars in the series will be excited to race Newman and Labonte. They are two of NASCAR’s greatest drivers. Getting to go up against them in 2024 when the pressure is on at the end of the season is a great opportunity.

Do you think either of these NASCAR Cup Series stars will be able to win? Bonsignore and Silk are hard for any driver to beat. Let’s see how the legends perform against the full-timers.