DAYTONA BEACH, FL :: One of the most recognizable racing families in northeast Modified history is going to see its first representative compete at the “World Center of Racing” when Danny Bohn participates in the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach on Feb. 18-19 at Daytona International Speedway.

Bohn is the son of former Modified standout Eddie Bohn and the grandson of the late, famed racer Parker Bohn. The Bohn’s hail from Freehold, N.J.

Despite their exploits at short tracks across in the New Jersey-New York-Pennsylvania region, Parker and Eddie never raced at Daytona. The third generation Modified driver is set to make family history with the first running of the short-track showcase on the backstretch at Daytona.

“Obviously everybody’s dream is to race at Daytona, so when we had the opportunity to go there, I really wanted to,” Bohn said. “It’s definitely a dream come true to be able to race at Daytona.”

The 2012 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Sunoco Rookie of the Year, Bohn had had his eye on the event since it was scheduled last February. A last-season win at Caraway Speedway on Oct. 6 helped finalize those plans when his starting position in the Daytona feature was secured.

Race winners and points champions during the 2012 season earned secured starting positions for the feature race between NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tour teams.

“We were definitely keeping it in mind, but winning that race at Caraway to lock us in really gave us that much more of a reason to go,” Bohn said. “Over the winter time we got with all of our sponsors and included this race in the mix, and everything worked out.”

The Modified race at Daytona will see teams from both the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours compete in combination. It’s a challenge that Bohn – who now lives in North Carolina – is looking forward to.

“I always like to race against the northern guys, there’s a lot of competition,” Bohn said. “I get along with all of those guys – I used to race against them up north – so it’s pretty much going to be the best of the best there. It’s televised, so I can’t think of a better race to go to.”

Racing against the northeastern-based Whelen Modified Tour in points-paying combination races last year as a rookie at Bristol Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway, Bohn felt like he lacked the experience to go toe-to-toe with the northern veterans. But he figures this first-time event at Daytona will even the playing field.

“I think we have a good shot down at Daytona,” Bohn said. “[Reason] one being that we’ve raced at Bowman Gray Stadium and I think [Daytona] will race similar to that being that since it’s a flat track that’s just a little bit bigger. And two, everyone is on the same playing field. No one has tested there before, so we’ll just all go down there and see who can get dialed in the quickest.”

With reason for optimism from a competition standpoint, Bohn – from that noted racing family – also realizes a victorious run in the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach could cement his name in Modified racing history.

“The prestige of Daytona – I’d really like to have my name in the record book as the first winner at Daytona in a Modified.” Bohn said.

BATTLE NOTES:
Snider Among Late Model Entrants:  Myatt Snider, son of TNT NASCAR announcer Marty Snider, is among the numerous up-and-coming drivers on the entry list for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model event at the UNOH Battle At The Beach. The younger Snider will race a car prepared by his cousin Jay Hedgecock as a teammate to defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion Lee Pulliam.

Battle Events:  The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models will have qualifying races and a 150-lap feature on Monday, Feb. 18 while the action on Tuesday, Feb. 19 will include a similar schedule of qualifying races and 150-lap races for both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours and NASCAR K&N Pro Series. All three features are non-points races.

Event Coverage:  All three UNOH Battle At The Beach features will be carried live on SPEED, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio while all practice and qualifying sessions will feature live streaming video at www.nascarhometracks.com.

Event Tweets:  The official Twitter hashtag for all events surrounding the UNOH Battle At The Beach is #NASCARBattle. Join the conversation using the #NASCARBattle hashtag as well as the official Twitter accounts for NASCAR Home Tracks (@NASCARHomeTrack) and Daytona International Speedway (@DISupdates).

Additional Info:  For more information, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Grandstand and garage admission can be secured via the website or by calling 1-888-PITSHOP.