The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Virginia’s Richmond Raceway on Thursday night for the fifth year in a row for the running of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150. Big-name drivers like Ryan Preece, Ryan Newman, and Corey LaJoie are joining the Tour’s best to try to keep four-time champion Justin Bonsignore out of victory lane for the second year in a row.

We’ll start off our entry list spotlight with the four-time and defending champion Bonsignore, because Richmond Raceway has basically been his playground since the Modifieds returned to Richmond back in 2021. That first race in 2021 went poorly for Bonsignore as they fell out of the race early with a broken driveshaft, but since then he’s won two of the three races run at Richmond, including last year’s barnburner. In the last three years he’s finished first, first, and fourth. Bonsignore loves racing on companion weekends with the NASCAR Cup Series regardless of the race track, but Richmond seems to suit him the best.

Only two other drivers have gone to victory lane at Richmond since the Tour returned to the ¾-mile D-shaped oval. Both of those drivers will be in the field on Thursday night.

Northampton, Pennsylvania’s Austin Beers recorded his first NWMT pole and first victory in the same weekend at Richmond back in 2023. Beers absolutely dominated the field that weekend. He led 102 of the 150 laps and won over J.B. Fortin by more than four seconds. But last year Richmond wasn’t as kind to Beers as he was sent hard into the wall in turn three just 13 laps into the race. 

The other driver who has won at Richmond that is in the field is Berlin, Connecticut’s Ryan Preece. Preece is locked in a battle to try to make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with his RFK Racing teammate Chris Beuscher, but that isn’t stopping him from having some old-school Modified fun on Thursday night. Preece is bringing his own personal car to Richmond for the first time this week. His win in 2021 came when he was still driving for the late Eddie Partridge. In fact, that win in 2021 is the only time Preece has raced a Modified around Richmond Raceway, and he has a perfect batting average. One start and one win. We’ll see if that perfect average is still intact following 150 laps on Thursday night.

The entire entry list for Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 can be found below.

While all eyes are on the battle for the win on Thursday, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship battle is heating up with six races remaining. 

Beers leads Bonsignore by just five points heading into Thursday’s race after gaining one point on the defending champion last week at Thompson Speedway. But things tightened up a lot behind them as well. 

Entering last week’s race at Thompson, Patrick Emerling was fifth in the standings, 29 points back of Beers. Thanks to his win, Emerling now is third in points, 19 markers behind Beers. Matt Hirschman, who has not run a full NWMT season since 2011, is also in contention. Hirschman is now fourth in the standings, 24 points behind Beers. Luke Baldwin was unfortunately the big loser at Thompson. He entered that race in a tie for third, 28 points back, but after being caught up in two incidents, one of which being a monster crash in turn one that caused him to drop out of the race, Baldwin has fallen back to sixth in the standings, 46 points behind Beers.

Race fans can watch Thursday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour “Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150” from Richmond Raceway live on FloRacing beginning at 7:10 p.m. ET. Fans can sign up for FloRacing here.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour At Richmond Raceway Entry List