NASCAR
FMS: Martinsville Speedway preview
Martinsville, VA---The excitement of NASCAR's only open wheeled touring series, the Featherlite Modified Tour, returns to Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, September 30 for the Goody's Body Pain 200. This event at Martinsville ...
Edited: Dec 22, 2003, 6:03 AM
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Martinsville, VA---The excitement of NASCAR's only open wheeled touring series, the Featherlite Modified Tour, returns to Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, September 30 for the Goody's Body Pain 200. This event at Martinsville Speedway is the 17th of 18 races for the tour in 2000. Drivers have vied for the championship throughout the northeast and Virginia with Jerry Marquis currently leading Reggie Ruggerio by only 21 points for the championship with only four races remaining in the season. The tour will go to New Hampshire this weekend and Stafford Motor Speedway the weekend before the Goody's Body Pain 200. The tour will end the season at Thompson Speedway. Celebrating its 16th season, the Featherlite Modified Series traces its roots all the way back to NASCAR's inception in 1947. The concept of a touring series, created in 1985, was just another step in the evolution of Modified racing. The Featherlite Modified Series has evolved over the last 16 years and the series today is very different from the 1985 version. During the early 1990's the series moved to superspeedways and in the middle of the decade added the road course at Watkins Glen to the schedule. Yet the vast majority of the races are still held on tracks under a mile. A half-mile speedway like Martinsville continues to be an ideal venue to showcase these 600 horsepower rockets. When the series races at Martinsville it allows fans a chance to see just how much the division has changed since the early days of Modified racing. Teams used to travel up and down the east coast chasing precious NASCAR points. Martinsville was one of the tracks drivers would migrate to in the spring and fall. Today the best in Modified racing again gathers at Martinsville. With the touring series concept, fans are guaranteed to see the best in Modified racing at every series race. The drivers are a mixture of cagey veterans and up and coming young drivers. For many years the Featherlite Modified Series has been a source of talent for NASCAR's national series: Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck. Jimmy Spencer, Steve Park, Mike McLaughlin and Mike Stefanik all have their racing roots deep in Featherlite Modified Series history. While the drivers that have moved on provided fans with a chance to see ultra competitive racing, today's group continue that tradition. During the first half of the 2000 season the series had 6 different winners in the first 8 races. At the halfway mark Jerry Marquis, Reggie Ruggiero, Tim Connolly, Rick Fuller and Tommy Cravenho were locked in one of the closest point races in series history. From the first NASCAR Modified Champion Red Byron, to defending Featherlite Modified Series Champion Tony Hirschman (who clinched his third championship last season at Martinsville) every champion has shared one common element. On the way to the championship they were challenged by some of the finest drivers in the country. Martinsville's next racing action this year is the Taco Bell 300, the richest race for NASCAR's Late Model Stock cars, with $15,000 to win at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 24. Time trials for all positions for the Goody's Body Pain 200 will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 30 following second round Winston Cup qualifying. The Goody's Body Pain 200 will get the green flag at 3 p.m. The NAPA AutoCare 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race follows on Sunday, October 1 at 1 p.m. Tickets for the Taco Bell 300 and Goody's Body Pain 200 are unreserved. Excellent reserved seats still are available in the towers and concrete areas for the NAPA AutoCare 500 from $40-$65. They may be ordered by calling toll free at 877-722-3849 or 540-956-2151. Tickets also may be ordered online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
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