The Sun (Lowell)

Mckennedy feels need for speed

Chelmsford driver excited about 2024 schedule

- Staff report

Chelmsford resident and Modified champion Jon Mckennedy has announced he will drive in over 15 Tour-type Modified races across the New England region in 2024.

Competing for his own team, Mckennedy will mix between Outlaw Open Modified Series races at Thompson Speedway, Open Modified races at Stafford Motor Speedway, select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events, and a few Monaco Modified Tritrack Series races to make out a robust season.

“We’re excited to get the ball rolling in our FURY race cars and go chase some trophies,” Mckennedy said. “I feel this is a great opportunit­y for me to go out there and continue to show we can win races. We did have some other opportunit­ies for rides, but felt this was the best route for this season. We have picked some of the higher profile events at my favorite tracks for the 2024 season and feel the competitio­n is going to be stout at all of them.”

Mckennedy is a former ISMA Supermodif­ied champion, fourtime ISMA Star Classic winner, four-time ISMA Ollie Silva Memorial winner and four-time Modified Racing Series champion.

He has multiple Star Speedway championsh­ips to his resume, a North-south Shootout with Tommy Baldwin Racing (2018) and a championsh­ip in the Monaco Modified Tri-track Series (2014), along with many karting titles in his early years and additional race wins in multiple divisions.

Mckennedy was named the 2016 North East Touring Series driver of the year.

Mckennedy’s season will begin at Thompson Speedway with the Monaco Modified Tri-track Series during Icebreaker weekend on Saturday, April 7, followed by

the Open Modified event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Northeast Classic on April 13.

He will follow that up with seven more Thompson events: (May 27, Outlaw Mods; June 13, Outlaw

Mods; June 27, Outlaw Mods; July 25, Outlaw Mods, Aug. 7, Outlaw Mods; Aug. 14, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Oct. 12, Outlaw Mods). Thompson Speedway will continue to be operated by the American-canadian Tour and Pro All Star Series for 2024, keeping short track racing alive at the Connecticu­t oval.

Mckennedy will compete at Stafford Motor Speedway for the NAPA Spring Sizzler (April 27-28), Open Modified Mountain Masters (July 17) and the Fall Final with the Monaco Modified Tri-track Series on Sept. 28.

His NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts will take place at Monadnock Speedway (May 4 and July 20), Seekonk Speedway

(June 1) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June 22). Mckennedy will compete in the Monaco Modified Tri-track Series at Thompson (April 7), White Mountain Motorsport­s Park (July 27) and Star Speedway (Sept. 15).

The 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Mckennedy is no stranger to winning

races and championsh­ips. On top of the 2022 title, Mckennedy finished second in the 2020 Tour standings driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing. He also picked up his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win at Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2018, and has another victory at Claremont Motorsport­s Park in 2022, which helped lead to his title.

 ?? ADAM GLANZMAN — NASCAR PHOTO ?? Chelmsford resident Jon Mckennedy flashes a thumbs up following a race at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
ADAM GLANZMAN — NASCAR PHOTO Chelmsford resident Jon Mckennedy flashes a thumbs up following a race at Myrtle Beach Speedway.

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