Previewing the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Smyrna

Here is a look ahead to Saturday's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200.

- Doug Coby starts the 2023 season with a quest for his seventh NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title, which would tie him with the late Mike Stefanik. Coby ran 12 times last year and won three races, so we know he’s not missed a beat as he heads into this season.

READ MORE: Coby To Drive Full-Time For Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2023

- The Saturday night show will be 200 laps for the mighty Modifieds. This will be one of the longer races of the season.

- 36 cars are on the entry list leading into Saturday’s 200-lap contest. Last year, there were 31 cars that started the main event.

READ MORE: New Smyrna World Series Once Again Boasts Massive Entry Lists

- Maynard Troyer won the first Modified feature as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna back in 1976. The event was unsanctioned, but Troyer’s name lives on with the Modified chassis. Matt Hirschman took the chassis to victory lane in 2022 in the first-ever NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at New Smyrna, and 12 of the 36 cars are racing the Troyer Chassis.

- Matt Hirschman may not be a full-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor, but he will be one of the favorites on Saturday. He has five career NWMT victories, including a win at Oswego in 2021 and the New Smyrna win in 2022. He has finished in the top 10 in his last 13 starts in the series, dating back to 2020.

- Another one to keep an eye on is Ron Silk. The former Speedweeks and NASCAR Modified Champion has a total of 27 wins at New Smyrna. He knows how to get around the high-banked half mile.

- Justin Bonsignore enters the season with 35 NWMT wins and three of the last five championships. Bonsignore will have a chip on his shoulder, as a 31st place finish at New Smyrna last year really derailed his season. He didn't made it back to the top five in points until the sixth race of the year. With so many races this year, a mulligan is doable, but Bonsignore wants a solid run to start the year.

- The 2023 season will feature 19 races, the most aggressive season for the Mods since 2004. Back in 1985, the first year of the touring series, there were 29 total races.

- Eric Goodale will be one to watch at New Smyrna as he always runs well in the big races. He was second last year in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at New Smyrna, and he’s won the Richie Evans Memorial and the John Blewett, III Memorial in the past.