Daytona Beach, FL – The 25th season of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour concluded with Donny Lia hoisting the championship trophy in late October at Thompson International Speedway. The following is a look back at the 2009 season, from green to checker.
Preseason
From the time Ted Christopher celebrated his 2008 title, until the green flag dropped on the 2009 campaign, there was plenty to talk about surrounding the Whelen Modified Tour. The addition of a date at Bristol Motor Speedway had the Modified community abuzz, and in late February six drivers participated in a Hoosier Tire test at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” with all but one recording times faster than the official track record.
Leading the silly season news was the return of Donny Lia to the No. 4 “Mystic Missile” after a one-year absence following a 2007 championship run in the same car. It was also announced that Woody Pitkat had unofficially won the “Don King Gong Show” and would pilot King’s No. 28 Modified full-time. Another driver change saw Erick Rudolph tabbed to take over for Matt Hirschman in Ed Bennett’s No. 59. The offseason also saw the retirement of Rick Fuller, a 24-year veteran of the Whelen Modified Tour, and its champion in 1993.
Continue reading ’2009 In Review: Whelen Modifieds’
