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By LEN SAMMONS
Austin Beers has earned a golden opportunity to drive for four different asphalt Modified car owners at the age of 22, thanks to his on-track performances, and he’s capitalizing on it with incredible success. The second-generation driver currently leads the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour point standings with 10 of 16 events completed. If he clinches the championship, he would replace NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece as the youngest champion in series history.
“With the history of the series and all the drivers that have won the title, it would mean a lot to me to win it,” said Austin on Saturday prior to a Race of Champions Modified series event in Chemung, N.Y.
“The Modified drivers are a middle-aged group, most are in their 30s and have a lot of experience. Preece is the youngest in history to win the title, to be able to unseat him – someone I look up to as a kid a great deal and have so much respect for would make it very cool to break his record.”
Beers enters Thursday’s NASCAR Modified event in Richmond, VA, with a slim five-point lead over multi-time series champion Justin Bonsignore. Patrick Emerling—who scored his second win of the season Wednesday in Thompson, CT, and Beers’ Northampton, PA, neighbor Matt Hirschman remain firmly in the title hunt as well.
“Emerling has been really strong all year, really fast, but had some issues a couple of races, or they would have been even closer,” said Beers.
“Justin already is a four-time champion, you know he’ll be in the hunt to the end.”
It was at Chemung four years ago that Beers got his big break at the same event as Saturday, the Rod Spaudling Classic, when he caught the attention of Mike Murphy, who offered him a ride in his well-funded KLM Motorsports No. 64 at an upcoming NASCAR Modified Tour event at N.Y.’s Oswego Speedway.
“It was at this race in 2021 where (Mike) Murphy saw me pass Andy J. (Jankowiak, Saturday’s winner) and Preece coming through the field after me and Emerling had gotten into it and I spun out,” said Austin.
“We pitted late, and I was able to drive back to finish second behind Matt (Hirschman). After watching that race, that’s when Murph decided to put me in the car, so this race will always be special to me.”
Beers finished out the season running for the No. 64 team in the next three events that followed and it turned into a full-time effort ever since.
The team went full-time in 2022, with Austin earning Rookie of the Year honors. He has finished fifth, third, and fourth in NASCAR points over the past three seasons. He scored his first NASCAR Tour win at Richmond in 2023, followed by another victory that year at New York’s Lancaster Speedway—a track where he had prior RoC experience. He has since collected three straight NASCAR wins at Lancaster, one in each of the past three seasons.
“Murph giving me that opportunity changed my career. I wouldn’t have all the rides I do now without him. He gave me the chance to showcase my talents,” said Austin.
“The entire team is made up of amazing people, and they all welcomed me with open arms, and it’s been great ever since.”
Beers continues to show maturity well beyond his years despite the pressure of chasing a point title. This season, he has earned seven top-five finishes and placed in the top ten in all ten NASCAR Tour events to date.
“My entire career, I’ve been in point races, starting with my start in Four-Cylinders as a kid. During the week, I’ll think about it and what we need to do, but ultimately, I just go out to win, and that’s what gets you the most points,” said Beers.
“Obviously, I’ve never been in a position to run for NASCAR Tour championship before, but I won a championship with the RoC, one at my home-track, Mahoning Valley Speedway, and one at Evergreen. I think I know what it takes to be a champion.”
While Beers may feel more pressure to win the title as the final race draws closer, he’s no stranger to championship chases—and he’s delivered under that pressure before.
“If I do my job and get good finishes, the points will take care of themself. I’m sure as the finale gets closer, I’ll think about it more,” said Austin.
“Got to admit, it was on my mind on Thursday when Justin was behind me at the end of the race. I knew I had to stay in front of him or he could have gotten ahead of me in the points. But for the most part, I try to focus on what we’re doing and not anyone else.”
Austin’s father, Eric Beers, was a highly successful Modified driver. After recognizing his son’s talent at a young age, Eric stepped aside—not retiring, but shifting focus entirely to Austin’s career. Eric, who raced on the NASCAR Modified Tour from 1997 to 2012 but never claimed a title, is actively involved in every car Austin drives.
“Watching my dad growing up, it was my dream to one day run the Tour like he did, but there was no set goal – I just really wanted to be a race car driver like he was,” said Austin.
“As I progressed up the ranks, the goal was to be on the Tour, and once I was there, a year later I wanted to win on the Tour, and we’ve been able to do that. Now we’re consistent enough to be able to run for a championship.”
Murphy’s KLM Motorsports No. 64 team is packed with experience. Assembled initially for driver Ronnie Yuhas, the car changed direction after Yuhas was injured at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and transitioned into the crew chief role. In recent years, former championship crew chief Sly Szaban also joined the team. When Austin and Eric came aboard late in the 2021 season, the chemistry was instant, and results followed.
“They all work together so well and include me as part of their chats in what we need to do, where our mindset is set-up wise, changes from practice to qualifying to the race and pit strategy,” said Austin.
“Amazingly, it’s usually unanimous after we bounce our ideas off each other – we always seem like we all go the same direction. Yuhas and my dad both drove all the tracks, so they give me great input. Ronnie has been a really good crew chief, but also a great friend.
“Sly is like the car chief, one of the best guys anyone would want on their team with all the wins, success, and championships he’s had. I know I’ll always have a car to contend for a win.”
After this week’s race at Richmond, the NASCAR Tour finishes out the year with stops at Oswego, NY; Riverhead on Long Island; the New Hampshire mile; and another event in Thompson, CT, before the points finish in Martinsville, VA.
“The one that worries me the most is New Hampshire, I struggle there a little. You need to get up on restarts on the outside, and they like to move you up, and I’m not good at that,” said Beers.
“I try to pride myself as a clean driver, but unfortunately, I know I can’t be as clean as I want to be if I want to win that championship. I need to be more aggressive.”
On Saturday at Chemung, Beers finished third in the RoC 75-lap feature, helping him gain points in his bid to take the series lead from Hirschman, who finished fourth.
“I’d love to win another RoC title this year as well. Joe Skotnicki and his staff do a great job. It’s more of a layback series compared to the NASCAR Tour, with a lot of great talent,” said Beers.
“There is a lot of hidden talent in New York that people know can compete. I’ll always try to run RoC no matter what happens.”
In his pursuit of a second RoC title, Beers is splitting time between two different car owners: the Terry Zacharias No. 71 for eastern races and the Dave and Laura DeLange entry for western events. The DeLanges were the first to give him a Tour-Type Modified ride.
Racing as often as possible, Beers also competes on the Tri-Track Modified Series, driving the Jensen No. 179.
“If Murph had not given me that opportunity, I would have never raced on the Tour, I’d be running RoC with Dave and the Zacharias family, maybe I would have gotten a Tri-Track ride,” said Austin.
“My family doesn’t have the money to buy a ride like that. When he gave me that chance, it changed the trajectory of my career, and I’ll always be in debt to Merph for that.”
Austin is hoping a NASCAR Modified Tour championship—whether it comes this year or in the coming years—will help him advance his career further up the ladder.
“We were working on a Truck ride for New Hampshire, but the plan fell through. I think everyone who grows up in racing wants to one day make it to NASCAR’s top three series, but it’s not easy,” said Austin.
“It’s a grind mentally. You see, all these young kids get a shot before you. Yesterday, a 15-year-old won the ARCA race at Watkins Glen. It’s hard watching these kids get into those rides and perform. We don’t have the money to do that, but I’m hoping a NASCAR Tour championship will help a lot. I know I’ll still need backing, but hopefully a sponsor will find me and we can partner up and go run some Truck races next year.”
Wherever Beers’ career takes him in the future, one thing is certain—his family will be there to support him.
“We all travel together as a family, no matter who I’m driving for, no matter how far we need to travel, and it’s always fun to have them go along,” said Austin.
