Welcome to MattHirschman.com. This site continues to be a
work in process and we will do our best to bring to you -
Who Matt Hirschman
is, What teams
 will
he be racing for, When
he will be racing, Where
the next race is, and How
he finished.
Over the short off season look for additional updates and
information on Matt.
Currently, Matt is driving for fourdifferent teams. There
is the Matt Hirschman Motorsports #60, which is run on the
Race of Champions Tour, and other special
events. On the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Matt ra ces
for both Ed Bennett and Wayne Darling in a combined effort
to run the entire tour schedule. THe J&J Motorsports #59
car is prepared for Matt to run at select events as his schedule
permits. Stayed tuned for information on these teams as new
photos are processed and we break down the team by car, car
owner, sponsors, crew, etc.
Please enjoy as we build this site and add something little
by little as you gain access into the world of Matt Hirschman's
racing. If you have any suggestions, photos or additions to
the site please do not hesitate to send them to us.
AND WITH THE SIXTH PICK.
. . .
Each year NFL teams gather in New York City to select
their draft picks from the collegiate ranks. It's a
football player's dream to be selected by a team and
have a chance to play in the NFL and make a bundle of
money. The same can be said for short track racers across
the country. Short track racing is the minor leagues
or “college ball” for the biggest motorsport
in America, NASCAR. Yet, there is no draft for these
rising stars. Instead, the selections NASCAR teams make
sometimes (although not always) revolve around who can
bring more money to the table rather than who has the
most talent. Today,
Speed51.com, is holding the “5th Annual Short
Track Draft.” This is the “original”
short track draft from the #1 Short Track site in America.
Of course, since our basis is pavement racing, there
is an asphalt bias to our picks, but dirt guys and open-wheel
USAC drivers were certainly not excluded. In fact, you
will read about several of them as we release our “Top-50
Draft Picks” from the Short Tracks of America.
To do this we have assembled a group of experts, more
than 25 of them from all different realms (media, former
drivers, series officials, parts manufacturers, industry
leaders) to select their top draft picks. They anonymously
voted for their top prospects. Again, there were some
guidelines to follow. Drivers who have plans to compete
in NASCAR's “Big-Three” (Cup, Busch &
Trucks) this year on a regular basis (one-race deals
didn't matter) were excluded. Again, this draft also
encompasses drivers over the age of 18, much like the
NASCAR policy. We feel that is the minimum age a driver
should be given an elite opportunity to NASCAR's “Big-Three.”
The other thing we have done this year is make this
draft include only drivers that are under the age of
30. After all, this is a draft for the future drivers
of the big leagues. |
The
bottom line is that Hirschman is a veteran of the
Short Track Draft. He's been on everyone's potential
list the past four years. Like the Mannings (Peyton
and Eli - the last two winning Quarterbacks of the
Super Bowl), his family has rich racing history.
His dad is five-time NASCAR Modified Tour champion
Tony Hirschman. And because of his dad's past, he's
been able to learn every side of the racing world.
In fact, he was his dad's top wrench for a couple
of those championships. On the track, the 25-year-old
Hirschman is a natural. He can win the smallest
of races, like at the circle of Mahoning Valley
Speedway in PA, or the biggest ones, such as the
$10,000 top prize in the North / South Shootout
at Concord Motorsport Park. In fact, he's won two-in-a-row
in the big Modified race in the heart of stock car
country. But that's the problem, he's a winner in
Modifieds and has no fender experience. While the
Mods are lean and mean, no Mod driver since Steve
Park has had any success in the big leagues. He
needs to beg, borrow or steal to get a ride in a
PASS North Super Late Model or a Camping World East
car if he has any aspirations of climbing the ladder.
Either that, or he can join his dad and make a living
in the Mods. He could be a good one there too and
there's nothing wrong with that.
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