Generally it takes time to do one thing proper.
That was the case for Jon McKennedy, who has spent the final two years working towards a full-time return to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
McKennedy received the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in his most up-to-date full season with the sequence whereas driving for workforce proprietor Tim Lepine. The plan was for McKennedy to attempt to defend his championship in 2023, however issues fell aside, and McKennedy parted methods with Lepine‘s workforce after simply six races.
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Since then, the motive force from Chelmsford, Massachusetts has labored tirelessly to construct his personal program for a return to the Modified Tour. This 12 months, all of the items got here collectively to make {that a} actuality.
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“I needed to begin clearly from the start,” McKennedy mentioned. “It took having the correct individuals behind me so far as crew guys to do the Tour and do it proper. I wanted some good guys for pit stops, and I wanted some good sponsorship companions to make this occur.
“I used to be very lucky the final 12 months or two to get a bunch of individuals on board to assist me with this. I‘ve acquired an excellent group of fellows. It was all variety in a position to come collectively, and I believed this 12 months was the correct time to do it.”
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Getting into Saturday‘s Thunder within the Mountains 200 at White Mountain Motorsports Park (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing), McKennedy‘s return to full-time Modified Tour competitors has gotten off to a stable begin.
Jonathan McKennedy driver of the #79 Stuart‘s Automotive FURY Race Automobiles Modified drives throughout follow for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia on March 27, 2026. (Andrew Stein/NASCAR)
By the primary six races of the season, McKennedy has earned wins at Seekonk Speedway and Oxford Plains Speedway. He’s completed outdoors the highest 10 simply as soon as. These outcomes have helped McKennedy climb to 3rd within the sequence standings, 9 factors behind championship chief Stephen Kopcik.
McKennedy credit his early success to some various factors. Chief amongst them is expertise at a number of of the tracks on the Modified Tour schedule with totally different regional touring divisions.
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That have was notably evident at Seekonk and Oxford Plains, the place he had not solely raced earlier than, however received.
“That is now my second 12 months with the FURY chassis. My guys have established a fairly good pocket book now and we have now a fairly good understanding of the automotive,” McKennedy mentioned. “Quite a lot of these tracks that we‘ve been racing at like Thompson, Oxford and Seekonk, these are all tracks that I’ve raced at on and off for the final 10 to fifteen years with different open wheel sequence.
“I‘ve simply acquired lots of laps at these tracks, lots of expertise. I‘ve received a bunch in any respect of them in different divisions. Issues are simply clicking.”
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With two wins by the primary six occasions, McKennedy has already completed a brand new feat by profitable a number of Modified Tour occasions in a single season.
He‘s additionally led extra laps than every other driver by the primary six races. His 5 top-10 finishes are tied with Austin Beers and Patrick Emerling for probably the most by the primary six races. He‘s additionally one in all 4 drivers with three top-five finishes by the primary six races of the 12 months.
McKennedy will want that type of consistency if he hopes to remain within the championship combat by the summer season months. A win this weekend at White Mountain Motorsports Park would go a great distance towards that purpose.
“On the finish of the day I really feel like we legitimately have an opportunity to run up entrance and race for the win,” McKennedy mentioned. “It‘s beforehand been a fairly good monitor for us. I do know final 12 months with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour we had a number of points that type of hindered our race and made it a handful.
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“It‘s a cool monitor. Distinctive, excessive banks. It‘s a monitor I really feel fairly comfy at, and I really feel like I’ve a fairly good package deal going into it. I feel we have now a fairly good likelihood to run up entrance and hopefully contend for the win.”
