Any time the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour runs as a companion event to the NASCAR Cup Series, there’s always a little bit of Cup Series flair, but nowhere is that more evident than at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. That’s definitely the case for this weekend’s Whelen Manufactured in America 100 on Saturday evening.

One name on the entry list that might surprise fans is that of “Super Shoe” Corey LaJoie. The Concord, North Carolina native may be best known for driving the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series, and most recently his near-win this past Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but there’s Modified racing in his blood.

LaJoie is the son of four-time Stafford Motor Speedway SK Modified winner and two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Randy LaJoie. He’s also the grandson of Don LaJoie, the all-time leading feature winner at the old Danbury Fair Race Arena in Connecticut. But on top of all of that, Corey LaJoie is also a Modified winner himself. He went to victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race 12 years ago in 2010. However, Saturday’s race will be the first for LaJoie at New Hampshire and the first in a Modified since 2015.

LaJoie is not the only driver with NASCAR Cup Series connections on the entry list for Saturday's event. 

2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Ryan Preece, returns to the Tour for the first time since the season-opener at New Smyrna Speedway in February. The Stewart-Haas Racing reserve driver is fresh off a win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Nashville Superspeedway a few weeks ago, and he’s also the most recent winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Modified Tour.

Making his first start this season and first since this race last year is Hampstead, New Hampshire native, Andy Seuss. The two-time champion of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour is now the car chief for the Kaulig Racing No. 16, which will be driven by AJ Allmendinger. Even though he’ll have to juggle driving responsibilities for his family-owned No. 70 machine with his day job, you know Seuss will never give up a chance at getting that first win at NHMS in a Modified.

Only six of the drivers on the entry list for this week have ever visited victory lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including the previously mentioned Preece.

Two-time champion Donny Lia has won twice at NHMS. Those wins both came in his two championship seasons of 2007 and 2009. The Jericho, New York native is looking for a third win this weekend driving the legendary Boehler “Ole Blue” No. 3 Modified.

Current points leader Ron Silk has seen New Hampshire’s victory lane on three different occasions in 2009, 2011, and 2019. A win on Saturday would be perfect timing for Silk as he’s currently winless on the season while chasing his second Tour championship.

No driver has been more dominant at New Hampshire Motor Speedway over the last eight years than Bobby Santos III. The Massachusetts’s native has six victories at NHMS dating back to July of 2014, including a span of three wins in a row from July of 2017 to July, 2018. Amazingly, Santos led less than 10 laps in four of those six victories. He led 10 laps in the September, 2017 race, and he led 24 laps en route to winning the 2020 Musket 200. You won’t see Santos’ black No. 44 car up front all race, but it’ll likely be there when it matters most.

The only driver that has come close to Santos’ number of wins at New Hampshire over the last decade is six-time Tour champion, Doug Coby. The Milford, Connecticut native has four victories at NHMS dating back to 2012. Coincidentally, all four of Coby’s victories came in a back-to-back fashion. He won in September of 2012, and then July of 2013. He then won in September of 2015 and July of 2016. Even though it’s been six years since his last New Hampshire victory, Coby will be one to watch on Saturday in Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s, No. 7NY, a car that Coby has piloted to two wins already this season at Riverhead Raceway and Lee USA Speedway.

And finally, the three-time and defending champion, Justin Bonsignore, has been to the winner’s circle at NHMS on two occasions throughout his career. Bonsignore scored his first New Hampshire win in September of 2016. He also scored a win in the 30-lap All-Star Shootout exhibition race in 2018. Bonsignore has two victories so far this season (Richmond, Monadnock), and a third would go a long way in helping him continue to rebound in the standings. He currently sits 35 points behind Silk as he chases a fourth championship.

The complete NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Whelen Manufactured in the USA 100 entry list can be found here.