If you are a fan of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, or just saw their most recent race on Saturday at New Hampshire, then you already know just how good the racing is in this division. Judging from the excitement of the announcing team, a collection of NASCAR Media members, and a former National Modified champion, Jimmy Spencer, you would come to the conclusion that most of the people involved in the sport are well aware of how competitive the races are, from start to finish, as well. Seems the only ones clueless to all this, in fact, may be the people in charge at the Speed Channel.
Yes, they do throw us Modified fans a few bones during the season. The Bristol, and New Hampshire races. They even sometimes mention them on The Speed Report, but beyond that, it is pretty much up to all of us to check out the action on YouTube, or read about it on blogs like this, or in Area Auto Racing News.
They just don't realize the opportunity they are missing with the two Modified series. A weekly show, much like ESPN's Thursday Night Thunder, featuring the Modifieds would, seemingly, bring the network a bigger audience than some of it's current programming. I'm not even suggesting live broadcasts. How about a one hour show every Tuesday night, during the summer, with an edited version of a race on either the North or Southern Tours. They could just not show the laps run under caution, and still have time to interview the winner.
While I know it takes alot of people and equipment to get one of these races taped for television, the NASCAR Modifieds actually offer the best solution of all the series out there to this problem. With many of the North races run at Thompson, Stafford, and even Riverhead, equipment wouldn't have to be transported long distances. The same is true of the Southern Tour.
Speed Channel could then come up with a schedule of taped events from both tours, to make a weekly television program, even if it was only ten weeks of programming it would still be eight more than Modified fans get now.
You can't tell me a weekly broadcast of Modified racing on the same night, and at the same time each week wouldn't outperform some of Speed Channel's current programiing. Afterall, do we really need a whole week of pre-race shows for the upcoming Sprint Cup race? I am a big racing fan, and I know I don't.
NASCAR drivers rush away from what they are doing to take in the action when the Modifieds are at the same track they are on a particular weekend. Ryan Newman thinks they are the most exciting race cars he has ever driven. NASCAR Media members brag on the racing the division has to offer.
Yet Speed Channel seems to remain, for the most part, clueless. Let's hope they too have finally caught the Modified bug, after this past Saturday's race at New Hampshire. Ask yourself this Speed, wouldn't you like to broadcast the most exciting race of the week, rather than another boring show filled with media members who themselves would much rather be watching the Mods?
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