Ryan Newman announces NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule starting at New Smyrna

Ryan Newman announced on Thursday that he would compete in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races in 2025. Newman is a Whelen Tour veteran and competed in the series as recently as 2024. As per his recent announcement, he will return to race in the oldest division in stock car racing, starting at New Smyrna.

Renowned NASCAR influencer, Taylor Kitchen recently shared a post on X where she uploaded Newman's announcement on the Whelen Tour. The post seemed to be a press release from Newman, where he announced his decision.

"We are pleased to announce the start of my NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule, starting February 8th at New Smyrna Speedway. I will pilot the no 8. Car, owned by John-Michael Shenette of Eighty-Two Autosport. I plan to participate in additional Whelen Tour races that will be announced at a later time."

The former Cup Series driver retired from the NASCAR top stock car racing series, the Cup and the Xfinity, at the end of 2023. However, he continued racing in the Whelen Tour series. As he is returning to New Smyrna, here's what he said about the track:

"New Smyrna is a track that introduced me to modified racing in a couple of ways. First as a spectator sitting up in the grandstands with my dad watching the greatest from the Northeast during Daytona Speedweek. Then as a driver when I made my modified debut there. It is a perfect track for the Whelen Modifieds with a good combination of speed, side by side racing and tire fall off."

The Whelen Modified Tour Cars is a modified stock car racing series that is owned by NASCAR. It is the oldest stock car racing, and the only open-wheel racing series under NASCAR. It uses prototype-based stock cars, and the series made its debut in 1947.

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Ryan Newman in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour series

Ryan Newman is a veteran in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour series. He made his debut in the racing series back in 2008, when he was racing in all three NASCAR national series races.

Ryan Newman during the 2023 Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Since Ryan Newman was doing full-time in the Cup, and part-time in the Xfinity, and Truck Series, he found little time to be in the Whelen Tour. Also, at the same time made sure he did not miss a year in the series. Newman had at least one appearance in this discipline straight from 2008 to 2024.

So far, the 47-year-old has claimed four wins in 19 years of Whelen Modified Tour series racing. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the South Bend-born driver racked up 733 races in over 21 years, claiming 18 wins, 51 pole positions, and 268 top 10s.