New Southern Modified Tour championship trophy unveiled at Bowman Gray
Winston-Salem, NC — Officials with NASCAR and Whelen Engineering were on hand Saturday night at Bowman Gray Stadium as the new championship trophy for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour was unveiled.
“The trophy is an effort on our part to show our dedication to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour,” said Phil Kurze, vice president of motorsports for Whelen. “We’re very partial to the history of the history of not only the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour but also to the history of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. When you sit down and look at it, we’re making history with every NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race that is held.
“This is just the beginning of trying to create some history that is going to be around for a long time along with this new trophy. To be able to unveil the trophy here at such an historic track as Bowman Gray Stadium is very fitting.”
Whelen, the Connecticut-based manufacturer of safety lights, is in its third year of a long-term sponsorship of the Southern Modified Tour. It also sponsors the northern-based NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
George Silbermann, NASCAR’s managing director of racing operations, said that he too was excited about the new trophy that has an engraved crystal bowl that sits on an approximately three-foot tall black and blue base.
“This is one of the nicest and most unique trophies that I’ve ever seen and I can’t thank the folks with Whelen Engineering enough for all they do to promote racing,” Silbermann said. “I know all the Whelen Southern Modified Tour drivers want to win the championship for the pride of that accomplishment, but I think this new trophy will make the race for the championship even more meaningful to them because this is not just your ordinary trophy.”
The trophy will bear the name of all of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified champions, and a new trophy will be presented on an annual basis to the champion.
Sources: Jason Mitchell/NASCAR WSMT PR