After a more than month-long break following the opening round of the 2022 season in February, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour kicks back into action Friday night.

This time the Tour invades Richmond Raceway for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. It’s the second straight season the tour has visited the popular Richmond oval, but this year the event is being held in April instead of September. The Mods race Friday will kick off a weekend of racing that includes the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday.

This will mark the 12th time the Modified Tour has invaded the 0.75-mile track, with 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece emerging as the winner last year in the Tour’s return to the track after a nearly 20-year hiatus.

With Preece not competing this year at Richmond, the door is wide open for one of the approximately 30 drivers entered to earn a trip to Victory Lane on one of the Tour’s biggest stages.

Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway

What to watch for:

A strong entry list featuring an anticipated 30 cars for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 includes some of the top modified drivers in the country, headlined by defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore.

Bonsignore, back in his familiar No. 51 for team owner Ken Massa, will be looking to get his season pointed in the right direction after a disappointing start at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. An overheating issue dropped him out of the New Smyrna race after just 32 laps, meaning Bonsignore has a lot of work to do if he hopes to stay in the hunt for his fourth series championship.

Among the most notable entries is Donny Lia, who is making his return to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for the first time since 2017. Lia will pilot the Ole Blue No. 3 fielded by Boehler Racing Enterprises on Friday in the first of an expected six-race schedule this season.

Jon McKennedy, who finished second last season at Richmond behind Preece, will hope to improve by one position this year. He is in a different car this time around, as the veteran from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, has taken over the No. 79 entry owned by Tim Lepine.

Making his first start of the season with the Tour is 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Bobby Santos III, who returns to the same No. 44 owned by Lawney Tinio that he drove in four races last year.

Other notable entries include two-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss, Jimmy Blewett in Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7 and Max McLaughlin in Mike Curb’s No. 77.

The complete entry list for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 can be found here.

RACE FACTS

Schedule: Garage opens at 8:30 a.m. ET … Final practice from 1 – 2:15 p.m. ET … Single-car qualifying (two laps) at 4:15 p.m. ET … Race at 6:30 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is six (6) tires, any position.