The Board of the Modified Tour, Inc. met Wednesday to finalize plans for the 2009 Banquet and Awards Ceremonies and to discuss the schedule for the 2010 season.
The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour will close the books on the 2009 season on Jnauary 30. The Banquet and Award Ceremonies will be held at Big Daddy’s Speed Center, 139 Gasper Road, Grove City, PA. Once again, the event will be a covered dish social, and guests are asked to bring an entre and a side dish or desert. “It will be a festive affair, as usual,” said President Ray Baselj. Guests are encouraged to call ahead to 724-458-6465 to ensure that sufficient tables and seating are in place. The fun will start at 6:00 p.m.
At the Banquet, the Modified Tour will distribute its point fund and contingency prizes to the top 25 drivers. “Desite the turbulent economy and despite losing four races to inclement weather, we finished the year stronger than ever,” Baselj reported to the Board. “The tracks, our sponsors and our Board stepped up to make sure that there would be no diminution in the payoff to our loyal competitors,” he added. Rex King, Sr. will take home the lion’s share, of course, in recognition of his third Modified Tour championship.
Baselj apologized to the Board for getting a bit behind in formulating the 2010 schedule. “By the end of December last year, we had our schedule done; but this year my health slowed me down,” he explained. However, while in a wheelchair recovering from off-season hip surgery, Baselj was working the crowd at the annual Parts Peddler show in Syracuse and he has been burning up the phone lines, all on behalf of the Nodified Tour. “I really need to thank Lou Long, Bill Bauer and Rick Hall for jumping in to help me with the 2010 schedule,” he said.
The Board was briefed on the status of the 2010 schedule. “We have confirmed race dates for Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (May 29), Sharon Speedway (September 18) and Tri-City Speedway (July 4), and other dates are still in negotiation with each of those tracks,” Baselj said. “Gary Risch, Jr. (Track Manager at Lernerville Speedway) has assured me that there will be at least one Tour stop at the Action Track, and we are working toward another program,” he added. Race dates for Lernerville will be confirmed after Risch returns from the DIRTcar Nationals in February. Baselj informed the Board that a return engagement to Expo Speedway is anticipated, but the race date must be approved by the Trumbull County Fair Board and that will not occur until about a month before the race.
Baselj also reported to the Board on the loss of two anticipated race dates. Mercer Raceway Park changed its opening event from the Modified Tour to a UFo Late Model program. However, efforts are still underway to secure a Modified Tour date later in the Park’s 2010 season. Eriez Speedway declined to renew its place on the Modified Tour schedule, citing the difficult economy and a plan to cut back on the number of special events the track will hold in 2010. “Eriez remains interested in the Modified Tour and, hopefully, it can return to the fold in 2011,” Baselj noted.
“We also expect to make some exciting announcements about new programs at new venues and we hope that the pieces will fall into place by the time the Banquet rolls around so that a formal release can be made.”
The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour would like to thank the following series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Race Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Bilstein Shocks, Keizer Racing Wheels, Landrum Spring, ISC Racerstape, Wrisco Aluminum, Fast Axle LLC, Smokeys, Ray’s Racing Collectibles, Approved Toilet Rentals, Inc., Hall’s Safety Equipment, Engles Trucking, Big Daddy’s Speed Center, King Brothers Feed and Supply, Oyler Action Photos, McCool’s Signs and Graphics, Hometown Pharmacy, Wedge Motorsports, Red Bear Hand Cleaner, Motorsports World, and Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP.
The Modified Tour, Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area the opportunity to compete for higher purses and for a seasonal point fund. Started in 1998 by Tim Engles, Lon and Pam Baker, and Randy Myers, the Modified Tour has had great success at bringing the local cars together at the area racetracks.