The Valenti Modified Racing Series has plans for a 14-race schedule in 2017.
Story By: VMR SERIES MEDIA
Photos By: DICK AYERS / RACERSGUIDE.COM
CANAAN, NH- November 5, 2016- Over the last month, questions have been circling the New England modified community about the potential plans of the Valenti Modified Racing Series for the 2017 racing season.
Some have said that the series would fold and completely shut down, while others have been saying that there is a possibility that the tour would roll on at full capacity — much like it has since 2004 — for their 14th annual season.
With the addition of the Modified Touring Series to the schedule for next season in New England, modified dates will be at a premium because of the jam packed schedule that will come with the recently-announced NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour merger.
But VMRS series founder and president Jack Bateman said on Thursday that the series will be going forward with its 2017 season as originally planned, with more than half of the series schedule already locked in.
“We have 14 races on the schedule and nine of them have already been confirmed,” Bateman said. “We have another five races that we are just waiting on some calls back to us (before we confirm them).”
When asked if Bateman thought that the Modified Touring Series would be competition against his tour next season, he said he didn’t know the answer to that question as of yet.
“I’m not really sure,” Bateman said. “The first race they had was a failure. They didn’t get the cars they said they were going to and they didn’t pay what they said they would.”
MTS has already put out a four-race schedule for 2017, including three races at Monadnock Speedway and one event at Seekonk Speedway, with series founder Gary Knight working on adding more races to the schedule.
Bateman also stated that Tim Bennett, who was the VMRS Race Director for a portion of the 2016 season, will remain in the role for next season.
“Tim did a great job for us this year,” Bateman said. “As a series, we just have to go out and do our job the best we can. We are going to be honest and do what we know how to do.”
