LANCASTER, New York — The only two drivers to win a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Lancaster Motorplex fittingly placed first and second in Saturday‘s Nu-Way Auto Parts 150.
Austin Beers was the one who prevailed, utilizing strategy during a caution-filled race to gain valuable track position and hold off Patrick Emerling to secure the victory. Not only did Beers defend his triumph at Lancaster from 2023, he also secured his first victory of the 2024 season.
RELATED: Complete results from the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150
Although relieved to break a yearlong winless drought, the first thought on Beers‘ mind in Victory Lane was Evan Canfield, a motorsports photographer who passed away earlier in the week. Beers dedicated his victory to Canfield.
“This one is for the Canfield family,” Beers said. “Evan Canfield was a great guy and we lost him two days ago. He was just an amazing person and I loved seeing him at the race track. I‘m glad to get another victory. It‘s been a struggle this year. I‘ve been kind of distraught myself, but I‘m real happy with how the night went.”
The past year and a half on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has seen Beers blossom into one of the brightest young stars in the series.
Fresh off a two-win sophomore campaign, Beers has come close to replicating his numbers from 2023. Along with earning a pole at Monadnock Speedway in July, Beers also tallied three consecutive runner-up finishes in May and June, yet had been unable to obtain another victory despite his speed.
Finally returning to Victory Lane required patience from Beers. Cautions plagued the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150, creating opportunities for diverging pit strategies, with Beers choosing to stay out alongside his Mud Lane neighbor Matt Hirschman following a caution on Lap 51.
Beers managed to take the lead from Hirschman immediately after the restart, but would have to enter pit road during the next caution flag. A couple more cautions shifted the strategy back in Beers‘ favor after he inherited the top spot when Justin Bonsignore and others came to pit road for tires and adjustments.
A surging Bonsignore was not Beers‘ most paramount concern during the closing laps. Emerling, who was on the same strategy, tried vigorously to find a pathway to the lead, which involved fending off Bonsignore after being briefly passed by him.
Emerling‘s determination did not yield him an overdue first victory driving for team owner Rich Gautreau. Having a Lancaster NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win on his resume gave Emerling confidence, but he commended Beers for driving efficiently enough to keep him in his rearview mirror.
“[Beers] was rotating a little bit better,” Emerling said. “There were a couple of little mistakes we could almost capitalize on, but the whole Fleetworks team did an excellent job today. This was our first time here as a team and we were second-best. We‘ve been having opportunities to win week-in and week-out lately.”
Beers admitted it was difficult to play defense against Emerling. A line of rain showers that impacted Lancaster earlier in the day left behind several treacherous spots on the track, which forced Beers to stay vigilant while trying to maintain the lead.
“It was really tricky down in turns one and two with the weepers and the water,” Beers said. “I‘d get free there and have to gather it in. That‘s where Patrick would catch up to me, but he ran me really well. It was a really fun race.”
Justin Bonsignore trimmed the margin between himself and Ron Silk in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour point standings to a single point with a third-place finish. Following him in the top five were Hirschman and Tommy Catalano.
Craig Lutz, Andy Jankowiak, Jacob Lutz, Jake Johnson and Silk made up the rest of the top 10 finishers. Silk, who entered the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150 as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader, lost track position following a late spin.
The next stop on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour calendar is at the prestigious Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, which will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m. ET. FloRacing is set to provide live coverage of all the on-track action.
