Jason Myers has one piece of advice for fans when it comes to the NASCAR Made In America Whelen 300 Modified Tour race at Martinsville Speedway on Sept. 1.
    “A lot of race fans don’t know what a Modified is. To a fan who has never seen a Modified race, I’d tell them this: come watch one time and I promise they’ll be back,” said Myers. “When they see the open wheels and the cars two inches off the ground and the big air cleaners sticking up and the racing … they’ll come back.”
    And Martinsville , Myers says, is the place to see the powerful NASCAR Modifieds race, especially under the lights.
    “It really hits you when you’re telling somebody ‘hey, you ought to come see us run Martinsville under the lights.’ They say ‘ Martinsville , under the lights … wow.’ It’s definitely a big deal running Martinsville . It’s our biggest race of the year,” said Myers.
    “We run short tracks and Martinsville is considered a short track, but when you go to it from our perspective, it’s a big track. We run several half-mile tracks and it’s a half-mile track, but to go somewhere like that where the facility is first class and it’s a (NEXTEL) Cup track, built for Cup races and it’ll hold all those people. It’s just super nice.”
    At 29, Myers is the younger of the two racing Myers brothers out of Walnut Cove, NC. His brother Burt, 31, leads the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour points coming into Martinsville . But Jason has enjoyed a solid year on the tour, with four top-10 finishes in six starts. And he believes his team is prepared for a strong run in the Made In America 300.
    “Last year we weren’t prepared to go to Martinsville and we knew it,” said Jason. “We didn’t have but one motor all year last year. This year we’ve stepped up the motor package. Last year we were excited to be going, but when you know a top 10 is the best you can do, it’s tough. This time, we’re going to win.”
   The key to Martinsville in a Modified Myers said is under the hood.
    “This race is one of those races where it is a motor race track. Five horsepower in a Modified means a lot at Martinsville . The straightaways are really long. You have to have a good motor package at Martinsville .”
    The Made In America Whelen 300 is set to take the green flag at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1. Gates will open at noon, practice will be at 1 p.m., followed by qualifying at 5 and an open autograph session in the pits at 6:30 p.m.
    Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12, and children under 6 will be admitted free. Tickets may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or visiting www.racetickets.com on line.
    OPENING THE DOORS: Martinsville Speedway will swing open its doors for an open house Sunday from 1 to 5, kicking off the week leading up to the Made In America Whelen 300.
    Fans will get to drive their personal vehicles around the famed half-mile oval, get a behind-the-scenes-tour of the facility and view race cars on display. The popular band FATZ will be playing all afternoon, Martinsville Speedway memorabilia will be on display and kids will be able to play on the Moonwalk bouncy toy.
    And while supplies last, there will be free Martinsville Speedway hotdogs along with Pepsi products.
    MODIFIEDS AND MUSIC: While the powerful Modifieds won’t be on the track until next Saturday, they will be rolling through the streets of Uptown Martinsville on Friday, August 31.
    Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville Uptown and its TGIF sponsors have combined to bring a parade of Modified race cars Uptown during Friday’s big TGIF concert featuring the Band of Oz.
    The sleek, powerful open-wheel Modifieds will weave their way through uptown, winding up adjacent to the adjacent to the TGIF concert on Church Street, where the legendary Band of Oz will be serving up their own special brand of beach music all evening.
    The race cars will leave the Broad St. parking lot at roughly 7:45 p.m., head up Church St. then take a left on Lester St. and a left on Main St . They will continue on Main until it dead ends at Moss St. , take a left on Moss, then a left on Church St . The cars will follow Church St , to the site of the TGIF concert and park on the left side of the street.
    Organizers expect at least 25 race cars to be involved in the parade.
    Admission price to TGIF is $7 with children under 12 admitted free. Beverages and food will be sold onsite.
    SCHEDULE AND TICKETS: Gates will open next Saturday at noon for the Made In America Whelen 300 with practice set for 1 p.m. Qualifying is scheduled for 5 p.m. with an autograph session in the infield at 6:30. The Made In America Whelen 300 will take the green flag at 8:30 p.m.
   Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and children 5 and under free.