CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Story By Tom Baker --Adam Glanzman/NASCAR Photo -- The partnership between NASCAR and Whelen Engineering with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is taking a giant step up for 2025 for the series. 

Each race will now pay at least $2,000 to start and $11,000 to win.  There is an increase of 250 percent in the total amount of championship money.  

This is a huge investment on Whelen's behalf to show their commitment to a series they've supported for 20 years. 

What will this infusion of cash do for the series? 

It's hard to say at this point with so many economic factors playing into participation in touring series racing, but It should trigger a boost in teams running the series in its entirety, and give marquee races like the one at North Wilkesboro, which now moves to May as the Sunday warmup for the NASCAR All-Star Race, an even bigger field of cars and more eyeballs. 

Let's pause for a minute and talk about the Wilkesboro race.  

I have said for years that NASCAR should feature its Modifieds and Late Models more as support divisions for the Cup Series because I believe that fans want more on-track action.  

NASCAR has cut most of the practice time for all the national series, so having a support race from one of their regional series where possible gives the spotlight to some of the hardest-working teams and drivers in the country and gives the fans a look at a different type of racing.   

What better marriage for All-Star Weekend than the "mighty mod squad" (NASCAR's original touring series) opening the Sunday portion of the show at a short track in the heart of NASCAR country? 

With a 16-race schedule in 2025 featuring races at 11 tracks in six different states, it's a tough slog for most modified teams, which are still comprised of working folk who have to take a vacation to travel to these events and don't have the type of corporate funding behind them to cover all the expenses, which is why sometimes late-season car counts are barely over 20. 

Increasing points money from the top 15 to the top 20 will help, and more payout money will make late-year travel easier for teams.  

The tour as a whole needed a huge shot of respect from NASCAR, and Whelen's insistence that they wanted to up their investment and that NASCAR should match it is a rare example of a corporate partnership that was built to last and has for 20 years.   

This is a huge announcement, and the timing of it gives teams the entire offseason to make plans for 2025.  

Now I'd like to see NASCAR bring in even more corporate sponsors and do a far better job promoting this series to their national audience including a prime-time TV special. 

Here's the 2025 schedule...

February 8 - New Smyrna Speedway (FL) 
March 30 - Thompson Motorsports Park (CT) 
May 3 - Monadnock Speedway (NH)
May 18 - North Wilkesboro Speedway (NC)
June 14 - Riverhead Raceway (NY)
June 28 - White Mountain Motorsports Park (NH)
July 12 - Lancaster Motorplex (NY)
July 19 - Monadnock Speedway (NH)
Aug 6 - Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT)
Aug 14 - Richmond Raceway (Va.)
Aug 30 - Oswego Speedway (NY)
Sept. 6 - Riverhead Raceway (NY)
Sept. 20 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NH)
Oct. 12 - Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT)
Oct. 18 - Martinsville Speedway (Va.)