2018 NEWS AND RESULTS:
Ten years later, Matt Hirschman can still get the job done. Matt wins NASCAR MODIFIED Oswego Race September 1
The Northampton, Pennsylvania, driver rolled into NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Victory Lane for the first time since October of 2008 on Saturday night at Oswego Speedway.Hirschman took the lead from Justin Bonsignore on lap 120 and survived three attempts at NASCAR overtime in order to seal his third career Whelen Modified Tour victory. The win was his first at the 0.625-mile New York oval and first driving for PeeDee Motorsports.
“It’s been a long time for me, but for this PeeDee Motorsports team, it hasn’t been, it’s been a short amount of time,” Hirschman said. “We’ve been knocking on the door for two years together to get a win, and it finally came together tonight. No better place for it to come than right here at Oswego. I always have said this was my favorite track. I love coming here.”Hirschman started from the pole position after scoring the top spot for the second straight season in group qualifying and paced the first 94 laps of the race with rising star Chase Dowling on his tail. When the caution flew on lap 92, Hirschman led the lead lap cars down pit road and took fresh Hoosier rubber, but got stuck behind another car leaving the pit area and lost several positions.
Dowling and Bonsignore were among those to beat him back on the track.The charge back through the field began immediately, and subsequently ended with Hirschman passing for the top spot with just 30 laps to go in the scheduled distance. He had to survive multiple cautions, and three green-white-checkered finishes before he could celebrate. He led a race-high 139 laps.Bonsignore, who lined up to the outside of Hirschman for each of the three NASCAR overtime restarts, crossed the line 0.588-seconds back. Even though the Holtsville, New York, native wanted to win his third straight Whelen Modified Tour race, the points leader was able to survive an array of late cautions to score another podium finish for Kenneth Massa Motorsports.
Five-time and defending series champion Doug Coby finished third, while Woody Pitkat, who led 13 laps, finished fourth. Eric Goodale rounded out the top five.Matt Swanson was sixth, followed by Patrick Emerling, Timmy Solomito, Blake Barney and Tommy Catalano. Bonsignore extended his points lead to 75 points over Chase Dowling, while Timmy Solomito is third, 103 points back with four races remaining on the championship points schedule.
The Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s will air on NBCSN on Thursday, September 6, at 6 p.m.
MATT HIRSCHMAN SCORES ROD SPALDING CLASSIC 75 AT CHEMUNG SPEEDROME - August 4
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa., showed why he is a contender whenever he shows up with the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series on Saturday at the Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome. Hirschman captured his second win of the 2018 season, which is the 42nd of his Race of Champions career. Hirschman came from 12th and took the lead from his neighbor Eric Beers of Northampton, Pa., on the 45th circuit around the challenging speedway. “We had a good night, but drawing 12th made it challenging,” stated Hirschman in victory lane. “We had a good car and things worked out our way tonight. Andy (Jankowiak) was coming and we’ve had a couple of good races. I’m just happy to honor some great racing history and my good friend Ed McGuire here tonight. Rod Spalding and the Spalding Foundation has been such a big of our sport. This is a great way for us to end a great night.”
Jack Ely of Wall Township, N.J., drew the pole and was flanked by Beers on the start. Ely led the opening lap before Beers took the top spot for the next 44 circuits. Hirschman patiently worked his way through traffic and moved past Beers on lap 45. Hirschman was able to keep Andy Jankowiak of Buffalo, N.Y., at bay as the duo charged to the checkered, reversing their roles of July 21 at Hillside Buffalo where Jankowiak won and Hirschman finished second. Daryl Lewis of Ontario, N.Y., continued his impressive season with another third place finish. In the seven races so far, Lewis has yet to finish outside of the top-ten and has recorded four top-five finishes. Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y., finished 4th with Beers rounding out the top-five. Hirschman scored the Speed 51 “Top of the Board” Award in group qualifying with a lap of 14.581 seconds (92.586 mph). Hossfeld, Roger Coss of Lafayette, N.J. and Skora won the three qualifying races.
Feature Finish
Rod Spalding Classic (75-laps)
Chemung Speedrome, Chemung, N.Y.
Finishing Position, Car Number, Driver, Laps Completed, Reason Out (If Any)
Finish Starting Position No. Name Laps
1 12 60 Matt Hirschman 75
2 8 12x Andy Jankowiak
3 4 10 Daryl Lewis,Jr.
4 5 22 Chuck Hossfeld
5 2 45 Eric Beers
6 21 26 JR Kent
7 6 25 Mike Leaty
8 9 65 George Skora, III
9 7 17c Roger Coss
10 1 54e Jack Ely
11 18 95 Bryan Sherwood
12 25 4 Zack Knowlden
13 15 53 Brian Defebo
14 14 07 Patrick Emerling
15 24 40 Alan Bookmiller 74
16 16 3 Daren Scherer 74
17 10 66 Austin Kochenash 70
18 22 59 Karl Hehr 64
19 20 17 Danny Knoll 52
20 16 54c Tommy Catalano 23 Accident
21 17 72 TJ Potrzebowski 23 Accident
22 13 32 Tyler Rypkema 23 Accident
23 19 45c Timmy Catalano 23 Accident
24 11 5 Kyle Ebersole 23 Accident
25 26 64 Amy Catalano 1 Clutch
26 23 40 Tommy Rought 0
Time of Race: 40 minutes and 35 seconds Average Speed: 42.053 mph Margin of Victory: 1.084 seconds
Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers. (Jack Ely 1, Eric Beers 2-45, Matt Hirschman 46-75 )
Speed51.com “Top of the Board” Award; Matt Hirschman (14.581 seconds @ 92.586 mph)
Paved Track Qualifying Race Winners; Chuck Hossfeld (5); Roger Coss (1); Daryl Lewis, Jr. (2); Matt Hirschman (2)
Jerico Performance “Jammin’ Gears Awards”; JR Kent (Advanced 15 positions in feature)
US Army Top Performer Award; Jack Ely (14.906 seconds @ 90.568 mph lap 7)
Jan “Pops” Leaty Award – Leader Lap 25 – Mike Leary
$100 Bicknell Racing Products Certificate Award (Third Place) – Daryl Lewis, Jr.
MyRacePass “Free Pass” Award – (No Eligible Driver, No “Free Pass” Given during race”)
Todd Patnode got the chance to join to join an exclusive club Sunday in Epping, N.H.- Matt runs 3rd
Patnode, of Swanzey, N.H., slayed the favorites to win the Tri-Track Open Modified Series SBM 125 Sunday at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. Patnode became only the third different driver to win the event in the seven times it’s been run. Ron Silk of Norwalk was second and Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. third. Hirschman has won four of the previous six SBM 125 events, in 2012, ’13, ’16 and ‘17. Jon McKennedy won the other two (2011, 2014). The event was not held in 2015.
Patnode started 17th in the 23-car field. The race was originally scheduled to be run Saturday night but was rained out. Patnode went by Woody Pitkat for the lead on lap 87 and never trailed again.After pitting out of the lead on lap 82, Hirschman charged back and got to third with 10 laps remaining, but got not further. On Saturday night during the rain delay two specialty awards were presented. Norm Perry of Ashaway, RI, owner of the #76 driven by Matt Galko, received the Chuck Montville Car Owner award and a check for $1,060. Andy Seuss accepted the first Bob Webber, Sr. Memorial Sportsmanship Award on behalf of his entire team in an emotional presentation by the Webber Family.
Official Finish Tri-Track Open Modified Series SBM 125, Star Speedway, Epping, NH-July 29, 2018: 1. Todd Patnode, Swanzey, NH; 2. Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT; 3. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA; 4. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT; 5. Tommy Barrett, Millis, MA; 6. Chase Dowling, Oxford, CT; 7. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 8. Matt Galko, Meriden, CT; 9. Ron Frees, Brick Township, NJ; 10. Brian Robie, Sunapee, NH; 11. Russ Hersey, Swanzey, NH; 12. George Sherman, Framingham, MA; 13. Kirk Alexander, W. Swanzey, NH; 14. Mark Bakaj, Lebanon, CT; 15. Les Rose, Southbridge, MA; 16. Calvin Carroll, Johnsonburg,; 17. Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA; 18. Chris Bolton, Weare, NH; 19. Sam Rameau, Westminster, MA; 20. Scott Adams, Berwick, PA; 21. Andy Seuss, Salisbury, NC; 22. Richard Savary, Canton, MA. DNS-Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT; Dale Holdridge, Madison, CT; Jon Keivman, Deerfield Beach, FL; Dana Smith, Sunapee, NH. DNQ-Jeff Gallup, Agawam, MA; Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA; Josh Cantara, Saco, ME; Bill Dixon, N. Waterboro, ME.
Jankowiak Holds Off Big Money for Big RoC Modified Win
Holland, N.Y July 21, 2018 . – Andy Jankowiak of Buffalo, N.Y., maneuvered around Scott Wylie of Blasdell, N.Y., on lap 15, survived several restarts and held off a hard-charging Matt Hirschman to win the Thunder in the Hills 100 at The Track @ Hillside Buffalo that was formerly Holland International Speedway. The track was the site of Jankowkiak’s first series victory which Hirschman also finished second in. It was the fifth Modified Series victory of Jankowiak’s Race of Champions career. “We needed this tonight,” stated Jankowiak from victory lane. “I knew Matt (Hirschman) was back there and coming and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Matt is one of the best and to beat him always makes you feel good. We had a good car tonight and I knew I needed to save some for the end but it is tough to gauge that. We had just enough to get the job done. I have to take thank Tom, Erin, Bud and all of the people associated with our team. My first win in a modified came here so this one is pretty special.”Wylie inherited the pole position as pole winner, via the redraw, Zack Knowlden of Horseheads, N.Y., elected to start at the rear of the field. Wylie and Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y., led the field to the green. Wylie took the early lead before Jankowiak slipped to the top spot.Hirschman, who finished second, pitted just past halfway in the race for adjustments worked his way back to the front to get near Jankowiak’s in the closing laps, but it was to no avail. Hossfeld finished third. Bryan Sherwood of Binghamton, N.Y., finished fourth in his first race of the season. Eric Beers of Northampton, Pa., advanced the most positions from 16th to finish 5th. Hirschman posted the Speed 51 “Top of the Board” Award in group qualifying with a lap of 13.759 seconds (98.118 mph). Hirschman, Jack Ely of Wall, N.J., and Wylie won the three qualifying races.
Thunder in the Hills 100 Results
1 4 12x Andy Jankowiak 100
2 10 60 Matt Hirschman
3 3 22 Chuck Hossfeld
4 8 95 Bryan Sherwood
5 16 45 Eric Beers
6 7 3 Daren Scherer
7 12 10 Daryl Lewis Jr.
8 15 32 Tyler Rypkema
9 18 40 Alan Bookmiller
10 17 0 Randall Richards
11 13 71 Danny Knoll, Jr.
12 11 65 George Skora, III 89
13 2 88 Scott Wylie 81 Accident
14 6 54 Jack Ely 76 Accident
15 14 59 Karl Hehr 75 Over Heating
16 9 66 Austin Kochenash 44 Engine
17 5 28 Kreig Heroth 32 Spark Plug
18 1 4 Zack Knowlden 21 Engine
19 19 1 Chris Risdale 1 Oil Leak
SILK SCORES 10K IN SEEKONK TTOMS VICTORY - Matt finishes 2nd
Seekonk, MA: (June 27, 2018): The traditional Open Wheel Wednesday, unofficially turned Tri-Track Tuesday, saw Ron Silk of Norwalk, CT, claim the victory in Tri-Track Open Modified (TTOMS) Series competition and a cool $10,000 on the eve of Independence Day. The event, which began on Wednesday June 27, was halted after only 22 laps due to rain. Less than a week later, Silk was the class of the field scoring a popular victory aboard the Bob Horn owned #50. Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, came home second. Chase Dowling of Roxbury, CT, in relief of Rowan Pennink, who could not return for the conclusion of the race, finished third. Russ Hersey of Swanzey, NH, recovered from a three-lap deficit to finish fourth. Home track favorite, Todd Annarummo, from Swansea, MA, completed the top five. After two races of the four-race Tri-Track Series schedule, defending Series champion Matt Hirschman leads the point standings by a mere two points over Silk. The next race for the TTOMS is Saturday, July 28 at Star Speedway in Epping, NH.Richard Savary led every lap of a caution-filled start to Open Wheel Wednesday before a persistent rain claimed the race at 9:25pm. With a dismal weather forecast for the original rain date of Thursday, track officials set July 3 for the resumption of the race. While nearly a week later when racing resumed, it was much of the same in the early going for Savary. With the rain delay and the event tire rule, teams could pit during pace laps before the race officially went green.Hirschman, who would have lined up second for the restart, was among those to head pitside. When the event officially went green again, Savary took the point with Rocco and Silk duking it out for second. Silk was able to take the spot away on lap 23. He immediately went to work on Savary for the lead. Dowling was making moves early; coming from scratch in the field. The first caution of the night flew on lap 31 for a stalled Ricky Collins. Hersey received the free pass. Hirschman, who was making little progress from deep in the field, pitted once again under the caution. Dowling also headed to the pits.Silk got alongside Savary on the outside groove on the ensuing restart. The two went wheel-to-wheel for several laps before Silk settled back in line in second. After a single lap, he dove low behind Savary and was able to steal the lead way on lap 35. Silk was the new leader over Savary, Rocco, Woody Pitkat and Tommy Barrett in the top five. During the green flag run, Silk was able to get a bit of breathing room over Savary. Annarummo and Sammy Rameau were making headway taking positions away from Barrett. Silk had nearly a straightaway advantage over Savary as the halfway point of the event approached. Rocco ran in third followed by Pitkat, Annarummo, Rameau, Jon McKennedy, Barrett, Matt Galko and Dan Meservey, Jr. inside the top ten at crossed flags. The event’s ninth (second of the night) caution flew on lap 57 for a single-car spin by Dana DiMatteo. A number of contenders pitted during the caution period including Silk and Savary. Hersey once again received the free pass to join the remainder of the lead laps car for the ensuing restart. Pitkat, who had earlier taken a position from Rocco, inherited the lead for the restart. Rocco had his hands full with Annarummo and McKennedy. Annarummo took advantage of the bottom groove to battle his way into second. He immediately put pressure on Pitkat for the lead and was able to take over the top spot on lap 63. Rocco ran a few cars-lengths back as McKennedy struggled in the outside grove. After quick pit work and a fast race car, Silk was already back in the top-five by lap 65. Dowling continued his march to the front; taking second from Pitkat, who continued to backslide falling to fourth. Rocco faded to seventh. Early leader Savary would spend much of the second half of the race in an out of the pits. The third caution of the night came out for a spin by Meservey. For the lap 70 restart, Annarummo was lined up against Dowling. Silk was third beside McKennedy. Derek Ramstrom, Barrett, Hirschman, Colbey Fournier, Rameau and DiMatteo made up the remainder of the top -ten running order when the race went back to green. Annarummo was able to retain his lead with Silk taking second from Dowling on lap 71. By lap 72, Silk once again was the leader; relegating Annarummo back to second. With Silk at the point, Dowling and Annarummo ran nose to tail. A torrid battle for fourth position involved Ramstrom, McKennedy and Hirschman. On lap 78, Hirschman got the better of the battle to move into fourth. His charge forward was stalled for a spin by Galko. Fournier was also involved. Silk got a strong restart at lap 79, handily taking back the lead. Hirschman got underneath Annarummo and into third on lap 80. Silk could not shake Dowling. Hersey, with a strong recovery, was on the outside grove chipping away at the top ten. McKennedy got underneath Ramstrom; taking Hershey along for the ride. Hersey quickly got by McKennedy to join the top-five. With 10 to go, Silk had a several car-lengths lead over Dowling, who held a similar lead over Hirschman. A distance back was Annarummo. Hersey was able to take fourth from Annarummo on lap 94. Hirschman was getting racy with Dowling with five laps to go. He tried the low groove to no avail, then the high-side in his effort to get by Dowling for second. This enabled Silk to stretch his advantage. Hersey was also running down the battle for second. Hirschman able to get by Dowling in the closing laps. Out front it was all Silk who cruised under the checkered flag for the win; becoming the tenth different driver to win the 10K payday of Open Wheel Wednesday. Hirschman settled for second over Dowling, Hersey, and Annarummo inside the top five. Rameau, McKennedy, Pitkat, Savary and DiMatteo made up the top ten.
Several cars withdrew from the event and did not return for the resumption of the race including Jon Kievman, Steve Masse, Anthony Nocella, Les Hinckley and Mike Holdridge, several of which had misfortune on the original night of racing action. Ryan Preece, who had a previous commitment with Joe Gibbs Racing to run the Nationwide Series event in Daytona, was unable to return.
During qualifying on Wednesday, heat race victories went to Rocco, Mike Willis, Jr., Hirschman and Pennink. Preece and Carl Medeiros took down consolation event wins. A total of 39 cars attempted to qualify.
Next up for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series in the SBM 125 at Star Speedway in Epping, NH on Saturday, July 28. For more information visit tritrackmods.com or starspeedwaynh.com.
Tri-Track Open Modified Series, Seekonk Speedway, Open Wheel Wednesday, June 27/July 3 Official Finishing Order:1. Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT; 2. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA; 3. Chase Dowling, Roxbury, CT; 4. Russ Hersey, N Swanzey, NH; 5.Todd Annarummo, Swansea, MA; 6. Sammy Rameau, Westminster, MA; 7. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA; 8. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 9. Richard Savary, Canton, MA; 10. Dana DiMatteo, Farmington, CT; 11. Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT; 12. Matt Galko, Meriden, CT; 13. Tommy Barrett, Millis, MA; 14. Ron Frees, Brick Township, NJ; 15. Mike Willis, Jr., Grantham, NH; 16. Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA; 17. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 18. Dan Meservey, Jr., West Chatham, MA; 19. Rob Murphy, Rochester, MA; 20. Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA; 21. Ricky Collins, Williams Grove, PA; 22. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 23. Jon Kievman, Deerfield Beach, FL; 24. Steve Masse Bellingham, MA;25. Anthony Nocella, Woburn, MA; 26. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT; 27. Mike Holdridge, Madison, CT.
Summer Showdown and SK Modified Blastoff 80 are in the books - MATT finishes 8th
Kyle James didn’t plan on taking the lead in the SK Modified 80-lap Blast off as quickly as he did Saturday. His car, however, was too good to hold back.It took James only 13 laps to go from fifth to first as he dominated the Blast Off, grabbing a first-place purse of $4,150.Peter Bennett, meanwhile, grabbed the biggest Legends win of his career as he collected a win in the Summer Showdown. The win was worth $2,000. Bennett finished second on the track, but was awarded the victory when Alex McCollum was disqualified after post-race inspection.Other winners included Steven Chapman of Ellington in the SK Lite Modifieds in his first-ever race, Charles Canfield in the Mini Stocks, point leader Shawn Gaedeke in the Sportsman feature and Todd Taylor in the Speedbowl Truck feature.The most dominating performance, however, was from James, who lapped every car but four in the 80-lap Blast Off.“I really wasn’t on planning to take the lead as early as I did,” James said. “But my car was just too strong.”James did most of his passing on the outside groove, a tactic he has employed all season.“The main reason I’m having such a great season is because I can go to the outside to pass cars,” James said. “That’s been the key to the season.”The only crisis point for James occurred on lap 66 when the first and only caution came out because of a Keith Rocco spin.James, however, pulled away from Dylan Izzo on the restart and was never threatened.“The crew did such a great job working on this car and getting it ready,” James said. “They deserve all the credit.”James has three Speedbowl wins in four races this season.Izzo finished second but was later disqualified, along with Tim Jordan, who finished fourth. That moved Todd Owen to second and Keith Rocco, who started 10th and never seriously challenged for a podium spot, in third.Rocco was presented with the Hard Charger Award, given in memory of the late John Anderson.Bennett was ecstatic after taking down the biggest win of his brief Legends career.“This has to be the equivalent of my first ever win,” Bennett said. “It feels great to be able to run with guys like Alex McCollum and Jason Palmer.”Bennett led for only one lap, but it was a lap to remember — lap 27.“I was having good restarts during the entire race and I was able to cross over Alex heading into turn 3,” Bennett said. “But he went underneath me in turn 2. I didn’t think he was there and I didn’t protect the bottom. He got by me and I figured I blew my shot at winning.”It turned out, however, not to be the case.“I just missed the set-up by a little,” Bennett said. “All I needed was one more tweak, and I think I could have put Alex behind me. All things considered, the car was about as perfect as it could be. “I set the car up for the long run, because I knew it needed to be good over those 10 extra laps. And it was.”
1 5 Kyle James Ashway, RI #21
2 7 Todd Owen Somers, CT #81
3 10 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT #57
4 2 Rob Janovic Jr Waterford, CT #51
5 13 Shawn Monahan Waterford, CT #31
6 3 Nicholas Salva Prospect, CT #8
7 15 Joe Allegro Jr. Vernon, CT #08
8 11 Matt Hirschman , CT #41
9 6 Andrew Molleur Shelton, CT #35
10 14 Tyler Chadwick Norwich, CT #27
11 8 Justin Albernaz Rehobeth, MA #07
12 18 Wendell Dailey Gales Ferry, CT #66
13 16 Brent Sweet Monroe, CT #1
14 19 Rob Goulet , CT #70
15 12 Joe Gada , CT #0
16 17 Cory DiMatteo Farmington, CT #6
17 21 Matt Swanson Acton, MA #67
18 20 Marcello Rufrano North Haven, CT #03
19 9 Matthew Galko Meriden, CT #12X
20 22 Bill McNeil Old Lyme, CT #01CT
21 23 Kris Watson Kenduskeag, ME #35ME
22 1 Dylan Izzo Monroe, CT #13
23 4 Timmy Jordan Plainfield, CT #47
MATT COMES BACK THROUGH FIELD LATE TO FINISH 3rd AT Langley Speedway
BY KYLE SOUZA HOMETRACKS.NASCAR.COM JUNE 24, 2018
HAMPTON, Va. — In the midst of a Saturday night short-track shootout at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, Ryan Preece made the right move, at the right time. The Berlin, Connecticut driver passed Justin Bonsignore for the lead on lap 131, and he never looked back en route to his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season. The triumph was the 22nd of his career, and his first at the 0.396-mile Virginia oval. The 27-year-old has now been to Victory Lane in seven of his last 19 stars in Whelen Modified Tour competition. “Justin’s car started to get tight, and my car just wasn’t at that point yet,” Preece said. “I knew I had to get by him as quick as I possibly could. Once I got in front of him, I knew I could get into my rhythm and drive away.” When the caution flew on lap 103 for a planned mid-race break, Bonsignore, Doug Coby and Eric Goodale elected to stay on the track and take over the top three spots. On the restart, Coby lost positions, and eventually cut down a left-rear tire that ended his night. On the following green flag, Preece began to hound the back bumper of Bonsignore’s No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet, and attempted to make the pass multiple times — but to no avail. Finally, on lap 131, Preece took the bottom lane off turn two, and cleared to the point down into turn three. He was not challenged for the remainder of the race. Bonsignore settled for second, with Matt Hirschman charging back up through the field late to finish in third. “He was a gentleman about it, I was doing everything I could to block his crossover move up off,” Bonsignore said of the battle with Preece. “I could see in the mirror that he was most likely going to get me. That was a lot of fun. Good short-track racing. When we are bummed about second, that’s really good right now.” Preece was out front in the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet for a race-high 83 laps, while Bonsignore was out front for 25 laps. Chase Dowling finished sixth, followed by Ronnie Williams, Rowan Pennink, Chris Pasteryak and Blake Barney. Bonsignore holds a 23-point advantage in the championship standings over Dowling, while Timmy Solomito is 44 points back in third. Craig Lutz, who had his motor expire on lap 29, dropped to fourth in the standings.
The WhosYourDriver.org 150 from Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway will air on NBCSN on Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR WHOSYOURDRIVER.ORG 150
1. #6 Ryan Preece; 150
2. #51 Justin Bonsignore; 150
3. #60 Matt Hirschman; 150
4. #16 Timmy Solomito; 150
5. #58 Eric Goodale; 150
6. #15 Chase Dowling; 150
7. #21 Ronnie Williams; 150
8. #3 Rowan Pennink; 150
9. #75 Chris Pasteryak; 150
10. #14 Blake Barney; 150
11. #22 Kyle Bonsignore; 150
12. #5 Kyle Ebersole; 150
13. #64 Rob Summers; 150
14. #77 Gary Putman; 150
15. #1 Jeff Rocco; 149
16. #25 Calvin Carroll; 149
17. #26 Gary McDonald; 148
18. #18 Ken Heagy; 146
19. #36 Dave Sapienza; 146
20. #82 Spencer Davis; 145
21. #33 Wade Cole; 135
22. #01 Melissa Fifield; 127
Hirschman plays a well thought out strategy to win the Evergreen Tour Modified opener on June 15.
Matt Hirschman is one of the best when it comes to conserving his equipment in long distance races. On Friday night June 15th, the Tour Type Modified’s thundered into Evergreen Raceway in beautiful Drums, Pennsylvania. Jason Makarewicz added an extra 2,000 dollars to the purse and modified teams responded by bringing 25 cars ready to do battle Friday night. A great crowd of over 500 plus helped track management decided to start all 25 modifieds and fans where treated with one heck of a show. Hirschman who for the first time in a long time failed to qualify through his heat race finishing 7th would have to start 22nd in the 75-lap main event. This turn of events would allow many drivers an opportunity to strut their stuff. Brian Defebo, Roger Coss, Bobby Jones and Austin Kochenash would all battle for the lead early on. Several cautions plagued the event but also produced plenty of green flag runs with some great green flag action. The biggest challenge of the night came on a lap 30 restart which left Defebo, Coss, Paules and Kochenash sitting pretty in the top 4. Meanwhile, Hirschman was still outside the top 15. A 30-lap green flag run which had shown no signs of coming to an end would save the day for Hirschman as he had just creeped into the top 10 at this point. A few cautions later lap 62 Hirschman had found himself sitting 6th. Just 3 laps later Hirschman had bolted his way past Coss to grab the lead. A scary incident on lap 72 say Bobby Jones in the Wanick Construction 1J take a hard lick into the front stretch wall after contact with Austin Kochenash. The late caution would setup a green white checkered finish. Hirschman would remain untouched cruising to his 8th win in 11 races.
Heat Race Winners; Bobby Jones, John Markovic, Roger Coss
Results
Modifieds (75) 1. Hirschman 2. Earl Paules 3. Brandon Oltra 4. John Mandato 5. Roger Coss 6. Chris Risdale 7. Jason Hearne 8. Ricky Collins 9. Brian Defebo 10. Buddy Miller 11. James Pritchard 12. Brian Romig 13. Wayne Szerencsits 14. Austin Kochenash 15. Bobby Jones 16. Blake Barney 17. DJ Macri 18. Alan Creveling 19. Todd Baer 20. Tommy Wanick III 21. Mitchell Dowd 22. Paul Monkoski 23. Scott Adams DQ John Markovic DNS Ricky Ross Jr
Matt Hirschman of Northamption, Pa., drove to his 41st career Race of Champions Series victory this past Saturday night at Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pa., in the Lake Erie 75 presented by Jim Moss Builders on June 9.
Hirschman took the lead from Tommy Catalano early in the event and never looked back in his first win of 2018. “I always love coming to Lake Erie, this is one of my favorite tracks,” stated Hirschman from victory lane. “Tommy (Catalano) was strong early but we were able to get where we needed to be and use good track position. It played out in our favor tonight. I have to thank everyone involved with our team, it was a really good night for us.”
Hirschman held off a charging Patrick Emerling from Orchard Park, N.Y., and Andy Jankowiak of Tonawanda, N.Y., who started 16th and finished 3rd.
Scott Wylie of Blasdell, N.Y., who started second, his second consecutive front row starting position in this race, earned fourth while Randall Richards who towed from Titusville, Pa., drove from 15th to finish 5th.Chuck Hossfeld won the overall fast time for the second consecutive race in green, white, checker qualifying. Hossfeld, Kevin Miller, Tommy Catalano and Hirschman all won qualifying races.
Feature Finish
Lake Erie 75 presented by Jim Moss Builders
Lake Erie Speedway, North East, Pennsylvania
Finishing Position, Car Number, Driver, Laps Completed, Reason Out (If Any)
Finish Starting Position No. Name Laps
1 3 60 Matt Hirschman 75
2 4 07 Patrick Emerling
3 16 12x Andy Jankowiak
4 2 88 Scott Wylie
5 15 0 Randall Richards
6 9 22 Chuck Hossfeld
7 23 17 Danny Knoll, Jr.
8 13 10 Daryl Lewis, Jr.
9 11 3 Daren Scherer
10 12 45 Eric Beers
11 8 66 Austin Kochenash
12 10 25 Mike Leaty
13 17 32 Tyler Rypkema
14 14 65 George Skora, III
15 22 59 Karl Hehr
16 21 64 Amy Catalano
17 7 5 Kyle Ebersole
18 24 28 Kreig Heroth
19 6 54 Jack Ely
20 25 1 Chris Risdale
21 1 54 Tommy Catalano Engine
22 5 2 Kevin Miller Accident
23 20 45 Timmy Catalano
24 19 40 Alan Bookmiller
25 - 4 Zack Knowlden Oil Leak
Time of Race: 39 minutes 53.493 seconds
Fast Qualifying Lap: Chuck Hossfeld
Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers (Tommy Catalano / Matt Hirschman)
MATT RUNS 1st - 2nd and 3rd all Race at Seekonk - June 2 - finishes 3rd
Justin Bonsignore was the driver to beat all afternoon, and even though multiple drivers gave it their best effort, no one could stop the driver of the No. 51 from taking his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win of the season in the Seekonk 150 at Seekonk Speedway Saturday night. Bonsignore won the pole with a stunning 11.925-second lap in qualifying, one of only two drivers to dip below 12-second lap times, and he led a race-high 100 laps on the way to his second win in four races this season. The win did not come easily, though – Matt Hirschman, Chase Dowling, Anthony Nocella, and Andrew Krause kept Bonsingore honest throughout the race in battles that raged for all 150 laps. “I think we were just the best of the remaining cars at the end,” Bonsignore told NASCAR Home Tracks after the race. “Matt got by me on the one restart and he had position so I had to let him go. I could see his car was getting tighter and tighter, and my car was still pretty decent. I was able to put a good crossover on him. That was kind of fun racing side by side and leaning on each other and whatnot. We just had a good enough car to hold them off until the end. “I just can’t thank everyone enough. This is a total team effort, and I am just the lucky guy that gets to drive this car right now.”Dowling’s No. 15 was a rocket ship – he passed a massive eleven cars en route to a second-place finish. He joined Bonsignore and Hirschman for the last 50 laps, and was able to steal second from Hirschman on a late restart. He adds this finish to a string of top-five finishes this season, and he has finished no lower than eighth in any race so far.
Hirschman ended up finishing third, a strong result for a driver who is not a NWMT regular. Hirschman and Bonsignore swapped the lead six times between them and were the only two cars who led any laps, with Hirschman leading the other 50. Hirschman has finished third in both of his NWMT starts this season, with the other result coming at the season opener at Myrtle Beach. A solid run for Rowan Pennink saw him finish fourth. Surprisingly, it was his worst finish of the season – in both of his other two starts (Thompson and Stafford), Pennink finished third. Ron Silk rounded out the top five, bringing his No. 85 up from the eighth starting position. Ronnie Williams, Timmy Solomito, Dave Sapienza, and Craig Lutz completed the top ten. Despite their early performance, Andrew Krause and Anthony Nocella finished 13th and 20th respectively, with Nocella getting caught up in a spin on lap 120. The 2018 season that Bonsignore has been experiencing so far this season has been a dream, but for defending champion Doug Coby, the nightmares continued Saturday night. Coby had been charging through the field and was running as high as sixth, a result that would have equaled the season-best finish he scored at Thompson. However, bad luck struck again as he spun out of turn four with just 17 laps to go, and finished right back where he started in 12th. Occasional NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ryan Preece finished a dismal 27th after experiencing engine issues less than one third of the way through the race. Woody Pitkat and Myrtle Beach winner Jon McKennedy would both join Preece in the pits before the 100-lap mark. With the win, Bonsignore tightened his grip, albeit slightly, on the championship standings, now sitting seven points clear of Chase Dowling. The top two drivers at the top of the standings have created some space back to third, with Craig Lutz sitting 19 points behind. Timmy Solomito remains fourth, and Rob Summers sits only two points behind Solomito in fifth.
___________
Justin Bonsignore has quickly proven that he is going to be the man to beat during the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
The Holtsville, New York, driver scored his second win of the young season on Saturday at Seekonk Speedway, holding off a late charge from rising star Chase Dowling in the final circuits at the third-mile Massachusetts oval. The victory was the 14th career for Bonsignore in Whelen Modified Tour competition, and his second of the 2018 season behind the wheel of the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Chevrolet for Kenneth Massa Motorsports.
“It was a great day, we came off the truck first in practice, got my first pole in a long time, and we had a really good car,” Bonsignore said. “I just can’t thank everyone enough. This is a total team effort, and I am just the lucky guy that gets to drive this car right now.” Bonsignore’s run to the victory may have seemed easy at first glance, strictly because he started from the pole and ended up carrying the checkered flag at the end of the 150-lap distance. However, a fierce battle with Matt Hirschman put Bonsignore’s equipment to the test in the second half of the race.
The two modified veterans swapped the lead back and forth multiple times throughout the race, but on lap 127, Hirschman was able to edge out at the front of the field at lap 127, but on the next lap, Bonsignore took the lead, and never looked back. In the midst of the battle between Bonsignore and Hirschman, Dowling made a late charge through the field after starting 13th, and was locked on the back bumper of Bonsignore’s car in the final laps. He finished second, scoring his fourth consecutive top 10 finish to open the season. Bonsignore led a race-high 100 laps, while Hirschman was at the point for 50 circuits. They were the only two drivers who led the race, and both of them started on the front row. “When I had the lead, I was just a little bit tight,” Hirschman, who finished third, said. “It was a good night. We are always in contention to win. Just not quite (there).” Rowan Pennink finished fourth, while Ron Silk was fifth. Ronnie Williams was sixth, followed by Timmy Solomito, Tommy Catalano, Dave Sapienza and Craig Lutz. Bonsignore leads Dowling by seven markers in the championship standings, while Lutz is 19 points back.
The Seekonk 150 will air via tape delay on NBCSN on Wednesday, June 6, at 7 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Wednesday, June 13.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-Seekonk 150 Results
Saturday
At Seekonk Speedway
Seekonk, MA
Lap length: 0.33 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (1) Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, NY, Chevrolet, 150 laps, 62.902 mph.
2. (13) Chase Dowling, Roxbury, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
3. (2) Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA, Chevrolet, 150.
4. (4) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Chevrolet, 150.
5. (8) Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT, Chevrolet, 150.
6. (7) Ronnie Williams, Ellington, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
7. (17) Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y., Ford, 150.
8. (21) Tommy Catalano, Ontario, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
9. (9) Dave Sapienza, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
10. (14) Craig Lutz, Miller Place, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
11. (18) Rob Summers, Manchester, CT, Chevrolet, 150.
12. (12) Doug Coby, Milford, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
13. (6) Andrew Krause, Holmdel, N.J., Toyota, 150.
14. (22) Blake Barney, Lakewood, N.J., Chevrolet, 150.
15. (11) Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
16. (30) Ken Heagy, Calverton, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
17. (27) Gary Putnam, Vernon, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
18. (23) Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
19. (10) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
20. (3) Anthony Nocella, Woburn, Mass., Chevrolet, 148.
21. (25) Joe Degracia, Nutley, N.J., Chevrolet, 146.
22. (28) Melissa Fifield, Wakefield, N.H., Chevrolet, 135.
23. (24) Wade Cole, Hartland, Conn., Chevrolet, 116, parked.
24. (16) Calvin Carroll, Newton, N.J., Chevrolet, 106.
25. (5) Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass., Chevrolet, 80, power steering.
26. (26) Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn., Chevrolet, 48, ignition.
27. (15) Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn., Chevrolet, 41, engine.
28. (19) Jeff Rocco, Meriden, Conn., Chevrolet, 40, brakes.
29. (29) Kyle Ellwood, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 40, suspension.
30. (20) Matt Swanson, Acton, Mass., Ford, 40, accident.
31. (31) Walter Sutcliffe Jr., East Haven, Conn., Chevrolet, 0, did not start.
Home Track Favorite Upsets the Big Dogs at Claremont - MAY 26 - Matt 3
Claremont, NH, MAY 26 — Home track favorite Mike Willis, Jr. of Grantham, NH, scored the victory in the inaugural Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores 100 at Claremont Speedway presented by SPAFCO and Jerico. A strong crowd was on hand to watch and appreciate as one of their own scored the victory over some of short track racing’s best like runner-up Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT, and podium finisher and series’ dominator Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA.
Hard-charging Tommy Barret of Millis, MA, and Ron Silk of Norwalk, CT, completed the top-five It was not all clear sailing for Willis, who had to overcome dogged determination by his fellow competitors and late-race restarts to capture the popular win and the $6,000 winner’s share. Hard-charging competitors locked in fierce battles from the drop of the green flag, the race was undeniably a fitting tribute to the late, great Ron Bouchard.“I loved every minute of this race,” said Claremont Speedway co-owner Phil Hayes after the race. By virtue of his heat race results and ensuing redraw, Willis led the 27- car field to green for the start of the Bouchard memorial race. Before a lap could be completed the caution flag flew when Sammy Rameau spun on the front stretch from his third-place staring position. Willis and Les Hinckley immediately ran out to a two-car breakaway; however, action was slowed again on lap two with a caution for debris. Hinckley stayed alongside of Willis on the restart. With sparks flying Hinckley was able to grab the top spot. Hirschman had settled-in in third. Hard side-by-side racing throughout the field in the early going included a great battle between Woody Pitkat and Preece. Russ Hersey looked to be on a mission in the opening segment of the event.
Hinckley and Willis enjoyed nearly a straightaway advantage over Hirschman and a closing Mike Holdridge. Silk, after being shuffled back during the early restarts, had moved back into contention. Young gun Dana DiMatteo was running strong knocking on the door of the top five. Preece had faded back to sixteenth.Leader Hinckley entered lapped traffic at lap 23. But a spin by Les Rose on lap 24 brought out the event’s third caution; erasing namesake Les Hinckley’s huge lead. Under the caution Preece brought his 6NY into the pits for service. On the ensuing restart, Hinckley was able to retain his lead. Willis had his hands full with Hirschman. The two went wheel-to-wheel for a pair of laps before Hirschman claimed the position. Silk followed through relegating Willis back to fourth. Hersey took chase in fifth. Holdridge lost several positions following the restart. Again, Hinckley was able to run out to a sizeable lead. Silk was getting racy with Hirschman for second. Behind Hinckley the rest of the top-five -Hirschman, Silk, Willis, and Hersey- ran nose-to-tail. Another local favorite, Todd Patnode caught the group as well. Silk was all over the back bumper of Hirschman during the green flag run. Rowan Pennink had joined the mix running seventh over Pitkat and Kirk Alexander. Rameau was making a nice recovery racing his way back into the top-ten. On lap 42 both Hersey and Patnode got by Willis. DiMatteo saw his good run come to an end with a spin in turn four on lap 43 to bring out the fourth caution. Under the caution, Hersey relinquished fourth position to go pit side. Willis, too, pitted. Hinckley had to contend with Hirschman to his outside on the ensuing restart. He was able to maintain his lead once again. Silk was able to gain the advantage over Hirschman from the bottom groove. Silk immediately ran down Hinckley in pursuit of the lead. At halfway, Hinckley led Silk, Hirschman, Patnode, Pennink, Pitkat, Rameau, Alexander, Barrett and Brian Robie inside the top-ten. With some hard racing, Hinckley and Silk made contact on lap 54 but Hinckley able to gather it up. The two made slight contact again exiting turn two on lap 56. Again, Hinckley was able to maintain the lead. Things settled down at the head of the field with Hinckley leading Silk, Hirschman, Patnode, and Pennink. The best battle on the field was for sixth on back with Rameau, Pitkat, Barrett and Alexander. While Patnode was making his charge and taking third from Hirschman on lap 63, Silk was setting his sights on Hinckley. By lap 64, Silk was the new leader. Once out front, Silk immediately gained some distance. Hirschman began to fade on the outside losing positions to Pennink, Rameau and Pitkat. With two-thirds of the race in the books, the running order inside the top-ten was Silk, Hinckley, Patnode, Pennink, Rameau, Pitkat, Hirschman, Barrett, Hersey and Alexander. The fifth caution of the event flew on lap 80 for a single-car incident involving Holdridge. Under yellow only Silk, Hinckley, Patnode, Pennink, Rameau, Pitkat, Hersey, Alexander, Willis, and Matt Galko remained on the speedway. All others, including Hirschman, Preece, and Barrett, headed to pit road for service. On the lap 80 restart, Silk rocketed out to the lead followed by Hinckley. Patnode made a bold move on Hinckley for second but his efforts were thwarted by the sixth caution. This time for a spin by Pitkat. Hersey was sent to the rear of the field for his involvement as well. After a number of failed attempts to restart on lap 81, Hinckley was strong on Silk’s outside. But contact between the two sent Hinckley spinning. Several cars running in the top five had to take evasive action as the caution flag flew again on lap 81. The new top-ten on the restart was Silk, Patnode, Rameau, Alexander, Willis, Galko, Hirschman and Barrett, Preece and Pennink. Silk set sail out front when the racing resumed. Rameau made some aggressive moves to make his way into second. Patnode lost several spots on the outside. With drivers still vying for position, Silk now had the lead over Willis, who had come through the skirmish for second. Hirschman was back in the mix with Preece in tow with 13 laps remaining. Rameau faltered to fifth. A spin by Ron Frees brought out the ninth caution on lap 89. Under yellow, Patnode headed pit side. The attempt at the restart was called back when it was deemed that Willis went early. Heeding the warning, Willis still hung strong on the outside. Silk edged up slightly; giving Hirschman a bit of room on the bottom over Silk and Willis. Thinking the better of it, Hirschman settled back into line. The running order remained Silk, Willis and Hirschman in a tight pack. Hirschman was able to take second before an incident with Calvin Carol and Alexander brought the eleventh caution. Silk was able to grab his lead back from Willis on the restart. Preece was able to prevail over a heated battle for third with Hirschman. Silk continued to lead Willis, Preece, Hirschman and Barrett with less than ten laps remaining. On lap 95, Willis made a bold move and was able to take the lead away from Silk. The twelfth and final caution flew for an incident that involved Chris Bolton to set up a three-lap dash for the cash. Despite his efforts from the outside, Silk could not overcome Willis. Willis easily retained his lead; bringing Preece along and into second. Hirschman dogged Preece but to no avail. For as heated as the battle for the lead had been over the closing laps, Willis went uncontested for the win at the checkers. It was a popular win for a young driver who calls Claremont home. In victory lane he was quick to acknowledge his father and the efforts of his crew. Willis received congratulations from Preece and Hirschman, his fellow podium finishers in victory lane. Kudos go out to fourth-place finishers Tommy Barrett, who after suffering mechanical woes in the consi, used a provisional to get into the field and started scratch on the 27 car field. Silk completed the top-five. A consistent performance paid dividends for sixth-place Galko. Recovering from adversity was the story for the remainder of the top-ten including Pitkat, Patnode, Pennink, and Hinckley. The inaugural Ron Bouchard Auto Parts 100, presented by SPAFCO and Jerico, is also made possible with the help of a strong list of associate sponsors with a ton of racing heritage including Broad Brook Heating & Cooling, Fred Wilcox, Bruce Brennenstuhl, Fuller RV Rentals and Sales, Fuller’s Car Laundry, Ballard Trucks, Metcalf Paving, Pat’s Auto Center, George Summers Trucking, Ashaway Cement Products, Mad River Construction, Bradford Motors, Dunn’s Corner Repair, Twin Cedars, Central Mass Tree and Ed French & Son Paving. Next up for the TTOMS is the prestigious Open Wheel Wednesday 100 at Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday, June 27. For the complete series’ schedule and to learn more about the Tri-Track Modified Series, visit tritrackmods.com.
Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores 100-Claremont Speedway- May 26, 2018, Finishing Order: 1. Mike Willis Jr., Grantham, NH; 2. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 3. Matt Hirschman; Northampton, PA; 4. Tommy Barrett; Millis, MA; 5. Ron Silk; Norwalk, CT; 6. Matt Galko; Meriden, CT; 7. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 8. Todd Patnode, Richmond, NH; 9. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA; 10. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT; 11. Russ Hersey, N. Swanzey, NH; 12. Ron Frees, Brick Township, NJ; 13. Sam Rameau, Westminster, MA; 14. Brian Robie, Sunapee, NH; 15. Calvin Carroll, Johnsonburg, NJ; 16. Les Rose, Southbridge, MA; 17. Carl Medeiros Jr, Westport, MA; 18. Kirk Alexander, W. Swanzey, NH; 19. Chris Bolton, Weare, NH; 20. Mike Holdridge, Madison, CT; 21. Bucky Demers, Cornish, NH; 22. Kurt Vigeant, Oxford, MA; 23. Josh Cantara, Sanford, ME; 24. Dana DiMatteo, Farmington, CT; 25. TJ Bleau, Troy, NH; 26. Dana Smith, Sunapee, NH; 27. Nick Salva, Cheshire, CT. DNQ: George Skora, Scott Adams, Chris Risdale
Saturday, March 31 - Hickory - Win
Hirschman Hops to His First Career Victory at Hickory
Matt Hirschman had his eyes on the prize Saturday night during the Southern Modified Racing Series 75-lap feature at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC). The Northampton, PA native took an early lead and dominated the Easter Bunny 75 to score his first career victory at “The Birthplace of NASCAR Stars.”“It’s pretty cool to get a win here, it’s a track that has a lot of history behind it and a lot of great drivers have raced and won at this track,” Hirschman said after the race. “This is a track everybody wants to win and at and their name to the history books as well.”After an incident on the initial start between the leaders – Danny Bohn and defending SMRS champion Jeremy Gerstner – which sent them to the tail of the field, Hirschman and former NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss made up the new front row.“The initial restart obviously wasn’t how we wanted to get a race started, but it worked out in our favor and put us on the front row, so we knew what we had to do to get the job done,” Hirschman explained. “However, it wasn’t quite the race I expected.”Hirschman was quick to take the lead on the restart over Seuss as John Smith, Burt Myers, and Jason Myers settled into the top five. A hard-charging Andy Seuss kept Hirschman in striking distance for the lead, but was no match for the driver behind the No. 60 Modified. Cautions flew periodically throughout the 75-lap race, but Hirschman continued to hit his marks and held off his competitors on his way to victory lane. -By Madison Mabry, Speed51.com Southeast Correspondent – Twitter: @madisonmabry23
Top-10: 1. Matt Hirschman, 2. Andy Seuss, 3. John Smith, 4. Jason Myers, 5. Jeremy Gerstner, 6. Burt Myers, 7. Tim Brown, 8. Danny Bohn, 9. Kevin Orlando and 10. Brian Loftin
Saturday, March 17 - Myrtle Beach - 3rd
Jon McKennedy Knocks One Off His Bucket List
BY KYLE SOUZA HOMETRACKS.NASCAR.COM MARCH 17, 2018
Scores First Whelen Modified Tour Win at Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Even though both Jon McKennedy and Tommy Baldwin have put together a long list of accolades in their racing career, both entered the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season looking to prove a point. Saturday, McKennedy took the new pairing between the two veterans of asphalt modified racing right to the winner’s circle.McKennedy captured his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in the Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety Kleen at Myrtle Beach Speedway.“It feels great, I feel like this is way overdue,” McKennedy said. “Over the years, I was never really able to put 100 percent effort into the Tour. When Tommy called me, I just knew it was going to be a great deal. I’ve won races from Florida to Canada. It feels good to finally get the monkey off my back.”
Although McKennedy has a successful resume built in New England Tour-Type Modified racing, his first Whelen Modified Tour victory came in his 34th career start in the NASCAR modified ranks.The Chelmsford, Massachusetts, driver started from the outside pole, but quickly backed up through the field, trying to save his tires for the final stages on the tricky half-mile surface known for eating at Hoosier rubber.Following a pit stop for fresh tires during the final caution, McKennedy charged through the field and found himself staring down the back bumper of 20-year-old Chase Dowling in the final laps. On lap 139, McKennedy took his No. 7 Accell Construction Chevrolet to the bottom of Dowling, and took control of the race off turn two.He never looked back.“Tommy gave me a great opportunity to run this car, and I’m glad I could make the most of it,” McKennedy said. “We’re really off to a good start together. It’s great to be in good equipment and have some great knowledge behind us.”Although Jimmy Blewett took second and inched closer to McKennedy in the final laps, he came up just short, and settled for second. Blewett was driving for Ed Partridge, the defending Whelen Modified Tour owner’s champion, while Ryan Preece competed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Auto Club Speedway.“I can’t thank Eddie and his wife Connie enough, I’m just happy to be able to come out here and help them,” Blewett said. “This is a car that Eddie and my grandfather own together. We came here in the dark, with no notes. But we got ourselves pointed in the right direction fairly quickly today.”
Matt Hirschman led 77 laps and finished third after winning his sixth pole award in qualifying, while Chase Dowling was fourth. Justin Bonsignore, who led 26 laps, was fifth in his debut with LFR Chassis.Dave Sapienza was sixth, followed by Eric Goodale, Calvin Carroll, Craig Lutz and Rob Summers.
1 2 7 Jon McKennedy Accell Construction Inc. (Tommy Baldwin) Chevrolet 150 running 12 47
2 10 6 Jimmy Blewett TS Hauler (Ed Partridge) Chevrolet 150 running 0 42
3 1 60 Matt Hirschman Pee Dee Motorsports (Roy Hall) Chevrolet 150 running 77 43
4 7 15 Chase Dowling 15-40 Connection (Rob Fuller) Chevrolet 150 running 9 41
5 6 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc. (Kenneth Massa) Chevrolet 150 running 26 40
6 8 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprise (Judy Thilberg) Chevrolet 150 running 0 38
7 11 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing (Edgar Goodale) Chevrolet 150 running 0 37
8 22 25 Calvin Carroll Power with Prestige / Cruising with Betty (Joe Carroll) Chevrolet 150 running 0 36
9 19 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply (Russell Goodale) Chevrolet 150 running 6 36
10 4 64 Rob Summers Hoosier Tire East / Fast Track (Mike Murphy) Chevrolet 150 running 0 34
11 16 14 Blake Barney * Atlantic Sprinkler (Richard Barney) Chevrolet 150 running 0 33
12 5 16 Timmy Solomito Starrett Racing (Eric Sanderson) Ford 150 running 0 32
13 12 97 Andy Seuss O.B. Builders (Byran Dauzat) Chevrolet 150 running 1 32
14 9 2 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools (Mike Smeriglio III) Chevrolet 150 running 1 31
15 18 77 Gary Putnam Curb Records (Mike Curb) Chevrolet 150 running 6 30
16 13 1 Burt Myers Citrusafe / Dunleavy Truck & Trailer (Eddie Harvey) Ford 150 running 5 29
17 26 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape / TRC Electric (Sean McDonald) Chevrolet 150 running 0 27
18 14 75 Chris Pasteryak Dawley's Auto (Charles Pasteryak) Chevrolet 150 running 0 26
19 24 99 Jamie Tomaino Atlantic Sprinkler / PSR (Cheryl Tomaino) Chevrolet 150 running 0 25
20 27 23 Joe DeGracia * PJ DeGracia Contracting (Paul Degracia) Chevrolet 150 running 0 24
21 15 21 Ronnie Williams Gershow Recycling / Empower Financial (Joseph Bertuccio) Chevrolet 149 running 0 23
22 23 40 Frank Fleming Lewisville Motors / Smith Trucking (Gina Fleming) Chevrolet 148 running 0 22
23 3 22 Kyle Bonsignore Snap-On Tools (Kyle Bonsignore) Chevrolet 148 running 7 22
24 21 33 Wade Cole Perf. Engines / Kendall Oil (Wade Cole) Chevrolet 141 running 0 20
25 25 01 Melissa Fifield Crowells Towing (Kenneth Fifield) Chevrolet 141 running 0 19
26 20 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood (Robert Pollifrone) Chevrolet 120 tire 0 18
27 17 82 Woody Pitkat Horton Avenue Materials (Danny Watts Jr.) Chevrolet 115 running 0 17
Hirschman’s Injured Crew Member on Road to Recovery
February was a month of triumphs and hardships for the No. 60 Pee Dee Motorsports Modified team. After a solid start to Speedweeks, disaster struck while the team was unloading equipment on Tuesday, February 13 at New Smyrna Speedway (FL). Crew member Dennis Duffy sustained a serious open leg fracture which required immediate surgery and left him hospitalized. The team persevered and raced that night and the rest of the week, with Matt Hirschman claiming his first win in the John Blewett III Memorial and ultimately the 2018 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Tour-type Modified championship; all while thinking of Duffy the entire way.
Two weeks after the accident, good news was delivered to Dennis and his family: he was released from the hospital in Florida and told he could fly home this past Monday. “He is making progress,” Hirschman told Speed51.com. “He was able to fly home to Upstate New York, Monday this week. He’s going to continue with the rehabilitation process.” With Duffy now home, Pee Dee Motorsports and the Modified community continue to rally around him, asking for any donations to help the Duffy family during this trying time. Donations can be made through a GoFundMe account set up for his medical expenses. “We know with the medical bills and the loss of income until he gets back on his feet that we should try to help him out any way we can,” Hirschman stated. “So far there has been a lot of generous people that have contributed.” The best news of all is that Duffy’s spirit has remained high through the ordeal, even during the first few days in Florida. From his hospital bed he became a great source of moral for Hirschman and the team, urging them to continue the fight for race wins and the championship. “The day it happened we discussed whether or not we would even race that night,” Hirschman explained. “It was tough for everyone to deal with what happened, but I’m glad that we continued on and got the championship for the week. There’s nothing more than a team accomplishment that you can achieve down there than that. He was certainly still there with us, sending us messages every night about our resolve and trying to keep my morale up to make sure we got that championship. That was certainly something to remember for all of us.” The recovery process is expected to be somewhere 12 weeks for Duffy, but the outlook is still positive with Hirschman going on to say that Duffy hopes to return to the track sometime in the second half of this year. Hirschman and Pee Dee Motorsports will return to action March 17 at Myrtle Beach Speedway (SC) for the season opener for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. If you or anyone you know wants to donate to the Duffy family, follow the link to the Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/dennis-duffys-medical-expenses
-Story by: Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com Northeast Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
Friday, Feb 16 - New Smyrna - 2nd
A week of ups and downs ended on a high note for Ryan Preece Friday night at New Smyrna Speedway (FL). Preece took the lead from Matt Hirschman on lap 65 and drove away for his third career Richie Evans Memorial 100 victory.For Preece, the win this time around means even more given that this year’s race honored the late Ted Christopher.“To win this race is a big deal because it’s named after Teddy and named after Richie,” Preece said on the FansChoice.TV broadcast. “Teddy was somebody I raced with and he never gave me an inch. He’s pushed me to be the racer I am today. To win this race down here where he used to come, this was his playground, so to win this 100-lapper with his name and Richie’s name means a lot to me. Obviously, I finished the race, so that’s even better.”
Preece’s victory comes after a rollercoaster ride during Florida Speedweeks. A week that began with his No. 6 going for a wild ride at Bronson Speedway (FL) included a pair of DNFs at New Smyrna before ending with a victory in the biggest race of them all.
“I was a little nervous there with about 10 to go,” Preece said. “The car really started to free up and had a twitch but apparently (Hirschman) must have been loosening up or tightening up too. We had a really good race car. (We) really haven’t had the best week here. We had to change a clutch earlier and we’ve had issues all week.”
After leading over half of the 100-lap race, Hirschman held on to finish second and win his first World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing championship. The championship was also the first for the Hirschman family.“We had a good week and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hirschman said of the championship. “All of the times we’ve come down here I’ve never left satisfied with the week we had. I’m still a little disappointed in what he had. We had a good solid week, we did some things that we never did before and checked some things off the list. Although Hirschman was slightly disappointed with his performance at some points during the week, he recognizes the difficulty of what he accomplished. “I always say that the Turkey Derby is the hardest day of the year for racing, running the two classes we do there, but this is by far the hardest thing with the week-long racing here at New Smyrna,” he said. “It’s an experience for sure, but I’m still probably not going to leave here quite satisfied. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Timmy Solomito recorded his best finish of the week with a third-place finish. Ron Silk and Jimmy Blewett rounded out the top five.
-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51
-Photo credit: Speed51.com
Richie Evans Memorial 100 Unofficial Results
New Smyrna Speedway (FL) – February 16, 2018
Pos. # Driver
1 6 Ryan Preece
2 60 Matt Hirschman
3 16 Timmy Solomito
4 33 Ron Silk
5 179 Jimmy Blewett
6 25 Calvin Carroll
7 71 Jimmy Zacharias
8 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
9 07 Patrick Emerling
10 5 Kyle Ebersole
11 22 Chuck Hossfeld
12 32 Tyler Rypkema
13 64 Amy Catalano
14 45 Timmy Catalano
15 40 Kyle Trayner
16 23 Joe DeGracia
17 4 Jeff Gallup
18 58 Eric Goodale
19 25N Nikki Carroll
20 54 Tommy Catalano
21 2 Ronnie Williams
22 70 Jeremy Gerstner
23 71M Matt Montineri
24 46L Craig Lutz
25 63 Austin Pickens
Thursday, Feb 15 - New Smyrna - 4th
One night after finishing second in the John Blewett III Memorial, Patrick Emerling improved by one spot to record his first career World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing victory Thursday night at New Smyrna Speedway. Emerling took the lead from Craig Lutz with five laps remaining and pulled away during the final laps to score the elusive win. “It’s awesome for us. This is our first time down here in three or four years,” Emerling said on FansChoice.TV. “I used to come down here every year and we never had a win here; we had a lot of seconds. We always were very competitive down here.”The driver from Orchard Park, NY set fast time in qualifying for the first time this week before pulling an invert of eight. He patiently worked his way to the front of the field before making his move to the inside of Lutz on lap 30.“The redraw didn’t really favor us tonight but things finally played out our way a little bit,” Emerling stated. “We have been tuning on our car all week and we got it even better for tonight. We had that thing was so fast, it was perfect. I just slid it in on Lutz there. I just didn’t want to lose one; I wanted to win one so bad. I finally did.”Lutz held on to finish second after leading most the 35-lap feature.
“I can’t thank my guys enough for turning the week around,” Lutz said. “We’ve got fast cars; we’re just looking for that little bit. Hopefully tomorrow will be the night.”
Polesitter Ron Silk earned his best finish of the week with a third. Current Tour-type Modified points leader Matt Hirschman and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five.
The Tour-type Modifieds will be back in action for their biggest race of the week, the Richie Evans Memorial 100, Friday night.
-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51
New Smyrna Speedway (FL) – February 15, 2018
Pos. # Driver
1 07 Patrick Emerling
2 46L Craig Lutz
3 33 Ron Silk
4 60 Matt Hirschman
5 58 Eric Goodale
6 22 Chuck Hossfeld
7 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
8 54C Tommy Catalano
9 71M Jimmy Zacharias
10 46G Jeff Goodale
11 2 Ronnie Williams
12 5 Kyle Ebersole
13 63 Austin Pickens
14 16 Timmy Solomito
15 4 Jeff Gallup
16 25 Calvin Carroll
17 23 Joe DeGracia
18 32 Tyler Rypkema
19 25N Nikki Carroll
20 179 Jimmy Blewett
21 70 Jeremy Gerstner
22 40 Kyle Trayner
23 6 Ryan Preece
24 17 Danny Bohn
25 64 Amy Catalano
26 45C Timmy Catalano
Wednesday, February 14 - New Smyrna - Win
Matt Hirschman did what he does best Wednesday night at New Smyrna Speedway. The driver known as “Big Money Matt” conserved his tires and pounced at the right time to win his first career John Blewett III Memorial 76.
“This night and this interview is going to be about what this race is about, the John Blewett III Memorial. I’ve never won this race and I’ve always wanted to win this one,” Hirschman said on the FansChoice.TV broadcast. “We probably don’t really realize just how young John died and what he would have accomplished still in his career as good as he was. I was just getting to the point where we were probably going to battle for a lot of wins. We’ve won the Evans race before and it’s good to win this one now.” Hirschman received additional inspiration as his crew member Dennis Duffy watched on from the Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach. Duffy suffered a leg injury Monday at New Smyrna Speedway and has since been hospitalized. “First and foremost, one of my guys got his leg broke here and he’s watching on FansChoice still from Halifax,” Hirschman said. “Hopefully he’s out tomorrow and maybe he can even join us here Friday night.”
Ryan Preece led the early portion of the John Blewett III Memorial before Patrick Emerling took the lead on a lap 56 restarts. Preece would wrestle the lead back before giving it up to Hirschman for good on lap 64. Emerling eventually made his way by Preece to finish second and record his third straight podium finish. “I really want to win down here, but strategy just didn’t work out for us,” Emerling said. “I was trying to wear Ryan out and Matt was just back there saving his tires a little bit. The last caution just kind of got us because I got a little bit of wheel spin on that last restart.” Craig Lutz also made his way by Preece in the closing laps to finish third. Preece and Tommy Catalano, who arrived to the track late, rounded out the top five.
-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51
-Photo credit: Speed51.com
John Blewett III Memorial 76 Unofficial Results
New Smyrna Speedway (FL) – February 14, 2018
Pos. # Driver
1 60 Matt Hirschman
2 07 Patrick Emerling
3 46L Craig Lutz
4 6 Ryan Preece
5 54C Tommy Catalano
6 16 Timmy Solomito
7 17 Danny Bohn
8 71 Jimmy Zacharias
9 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
10 22 Chuck Hossfeld
11 4 Jeff Gallup
12 45C Timmy Catalano
13 58 Eric Goodale
14 2 Ronnie Williams
15 40 Kyle Trayner
16 25 Calvin Carroll
17 71M Matt Montineri
18 75 Jeremy Gerstner
19 70 John Gerstner
20 32 Tyler Rypkema
21 5 Kyle Ebersole
22 33 Ron Silk
23 63 Austin Pickens
24 25N Nikki Carroll
25 23 Joe DeGracia
26 49 Chris Young
27 64 Amy Catalano
Tuesday, February 13 - 2nd
When Ryan Preece arrives at a Florida race track in February he is expected to be one of the contenders. On Saturday at Bronson Speedway, Preece didn’t even see the green flag after a massive practice crash. On Monday at New Smyrna Speedway, Preece dominated most of the 50-lap race before a mechanical failure sidelined him prematurely. But on Tuesday night, Preece’s fortune finally changed in his favor as he scored the win in the 35-lap Tour-type Modified feature.
Preece took the lead from Matt Hirschman just prior to the halfway mark and never looked back. “When you beat that guy right there in that 60 car that’s saying something,” said Ryan Preece on the FansChoice.TV broadcast in victory lane. “All of these guys behind me have worked their butts off this week. This is just awesome. This is definitely the way I wanted to start off yesterday, but to be able to do it tonight makes it a little sweeter.”
Early in the race Preece and Hirschman ran an identical lap time to the thousandth of a second. Even after Preece took the lead, he and Hirschman were still running mostly identical lap times until just a few laps to go. “I knew I had a really good car,” explained Preece. “He was better than me in some places, and I was better than him. Ultimately, the hole opened up and I got underneath him and got a run. Once I got by him we were kind of even and then I was able to inch away.”
At the end of 35 laps, it was Preece across the line first followed by Hirschman, Jimmy Blewett, Patrick Emerling and Timmy Solomito. Preece told Speed51.com reporters before the evening began that he was hoping his bad luck would change at some point this week. He said he wasn’t even hoping for good luck, but instead to just have no luck at all.
“We’ve done our homework. I don’t want any luck. I want to make my own way to victory lane,” said Preece. “We started fourth and got some breaks, but we earned our way here.”
1 6 Ryan Preece
2 60 Matt Hirschman
3 179 Jimmy Blewett
4 07 Patrick Emerling
5 16 Timmy Solomito
6 58 Eric Goodale
7 5 Kyle Ebersole
8 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
9 17 Danny Bohn
10 71 Jimmy Zacharias
11 46L Craig Lutz
12 25 Calvin Carroll
13 4 Jeff Gallup
14 46G Jeff Goodale
15 63 Austin Pickens
16 64 Amy Catalano
17 45C Timmy Catalano
18 23 Joe DeGracia
19 70 John Gerstner
20 10T Tom Tohn
21 25N Nikki Carroll
22 22 Chuck Hossfeld
23 75 Jeremy Gerstner
24 33 Ron Silk
25 7NY Jon McKennedy
26 40 Kyle Trayner
27 71M Matt Montineri
28 2 Ronnie Williams
Monday, Feb 12 - New Smyrna World Series Night #4 (Monday) - Matt 4th
1 7NY Jon McKennedy
2 5 Kyle Ebersole
3 22 Chuck Hossfeld
4 60 Matt Hirschman
5 07 Patrick Emerling
6 2 Ronnie Williams
7 17 Danny Bohn
8 25 Calvin Carroll
9 58 Eric Goodale
10 4 Jeffrey Gallup
11 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
12 40 Kyle Trayner
13 63 Austin Pickens
14 75 Jeremy Gerstner
15 71M Matt Montineri
16 64 Amy Catalano
17 23 Joe DeGracia
18 45C Timmy Catalano
19 10T Tom Tohn
20 46L Craig Lutz
21 6 Ryan Preece
22 32 Tyler Rypkema
23 179 Jimmy Blewett
24 16 Timmy Solomito
25 94 Al Emmarino
26 25N Nikki Carroll
27 46G Jeff Goodale
28 71 Jimmy Zacharias
29 33 Ron Silk
30 2X Tim Lento
31 70 John Gerstner
Tour Type Modifieds came to Bronson Speedway to start 2018 race year while taking a winter break. Making the trip to warm and sunny Florida weather, fourteen teams came to be the victor.
The first day of action on the track brought with it a lot of excitement as teams shook cars out. During afternoon practice Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT became the first one out when the #6 TS Haulers modified’s throttle stuck going into turn one. As the videos captured by spectators show, the car launch over the first turn cement barriers jetted in the air and came to rest in the grassy field outside the track. Preece was able to get out of the car unscathed after the “Dukes of Hazards” type ride. The crew worked on the #6 evaluating the damage and after close examination they packed the car in the hauler to head back to New Smyrna area. With a bent frame, the modified needs extensive work if it can be repaired. The team’s primary car stayed at New Smyrna ready for New Smyrna Speedway Speedweek racing. Eric Goodale of Riverhead, NY through the luck of the draw started the race on the pole. When the green flag flew he found himself out powered as Craig Lutz of Miller Place, NY who rocketed the #46 modified to the lead position. Goodale lost his momentum and was back in fifth by lap 5. Matt Hirschman from Northampton, PA set fast time and after the redraw he found himself in third on race start. Hirschman took advantage of the situation and slid into second. Lutz led the field for thirty-nine circuits holding off Hirschman’s persistent threats. Then on lap 40, Hirschman got way under Lutz in turn four to pass him for the top position. Once in the lead, there was no stopping Hirschman. “It is a fun track to drive. Last year was the first time that I came here. Last year I came close to a win but I did not close the deal. This year I was in the same kind of position. The laps were winding down so I ran Craig as hard as I could there to see if he would slip up. Then finally I was able to get up underneath him and get by. So it was kind of a little redemption to close the deal here.” Making the most of his late race crash in 2017, Hirschman took his notes and improved. “I learned a lot last year. We were pretty much where we needed to be today,” confessed Hirschman. “It is great to start the week off with a win. We still have some much work and racing ahead of us. But we will enjoy the win here a little bit and then get back to work. Hopefully there are more wins that come this week” Hirschman is known as “Big Money Matt” when it comes to short track racing and once again he showed us why. “It is good to get a win at a new track, it is definitely my bread and butter.” Stated Hirschman living up to his nick name. “It is just great to be down here and the weather is excellent. Bronson is a fun track to race on. Short tracks are my strength and when the tires go away and get slick on a short track that it is my real strength.” “On this track it is all about the car and driver and their ability to hook things up.” Hirschman explained. “For his first time here, Craig did real well. If he comes back here next year he will become more of a threat then he was tonight.” Twenty-three year old Lutz beat out Goodale for the lead on the race start. He defended his territory until slick Hirschman made a very strong move under him with ten to go. It was Lutz’s first time racing at Bronson Speedway and he ran it like a pro. “First time here it was an awesome night for us,” exclaimed Lutz. “I missed it a little on the time trials but got lucky with the redraw to start on the outside of the front row. I had good restarts all day to try to get out there with quick pace but they call him ”Big Money Matt” for a reason. All in all it was an awesome day for our team. Hopefully we can carry the momentum in to New Smyrna.” Hirschman had tried his move under Lutz in turn four several times before he finally got the car to stick. Lutz’s held his own and made Hirschman work for the position. Lutz described the race action: “Matt and I bumped a little bit which was just good hard racing. I was trying to keep my line and he was trying to get by me. Matt is a good clean driver so you do not have to worry getting wrecked by him.” Lutz had a solid second in the end. Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, NY went from third in time trials to sixth to start the race. On a fast slick track that was not where he wanted to be. “The race was not too bad. I just did not have the race position from beginning. We started sixth the starts just did not really help us.” acknowledged Emerling. “All in all it was a decent race but I just did not have the track position that I wanted. I just ran my own line for a while but we could have used a caution that would have really helped us out. We ran on the bottom for two or three laps and caught up to second. But who knows if we would have had anything for the #60. Matt had a pretty good run. For the first night and finishing up in the top three is good. It is our first time here and we tried new stuff was positive for us. We will take our stuff and go to New Smyrna.” Ronnie Williams finished fourth, and Eric Goodale fifth. Ken Barry, Chuck Hossfeld, Jeff Gallup, Chris Young and Kyle Trayner round off the top ten finishers. Drivers will now make the ride southeast to New Smyrna Speedway for five nights of modified racing. Join us back for live updates all week as we take you through the action both on and off the track.
Hirschman Heading South Again to Kick Off 2018 Season
This past February, one of the hottest topics entering the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing was the return of Matt Hirschman to the State of Florida and how he and the fledgling Pee Dee Motorsports No. 60 team would perform. Despite an unfortunate start after a collision with Ryan Preece at Bronson Speedway, Hirschman collected a win six days later at New Smyrna Speedway in the Richie Evans Memorial 100 and finished second in the World Series Tour-type Modified standings
What followed was a season for the ages in 2017, with ‘Big Money Matt’ living up to his moniker once again.
Now with 2018 fast approaching, Hirschman is set to begin the year in Florida again. This time around, he’s hoping to get off to an even better start.
Last year was probably the best overall Speedweeks that I’ve ever had, and not that I’ve done a lot of them, but that was definitely the most consistent and best performing Speedweeks we’ve ever had,” Hirschman told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. “We’re looking forward to trying to build on that. I think Ryan Preece and I were the top two there last year. We both got wins and we were one-two several nights, so hopefully we can improve on last year.”
Hirschman’s Speedweeks campaign is expected to include the ‘Kickoff to Speedweeks’ at Bronson Speedway on Saturday, February 10 and the five nights of Modified racing from February 12 – 16 at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
Once again, Hirschman will race for the still fresh Pee Dee Motorsports team, which made its first Speedweeks appearance in 2017. The team will move forward in 2018 with much of the same equipment and personnel.
“We made our debut in late 2016 and we don’t race a lot, so our equipment is in good shape. It’s just a matter of building together as a team, learning more about the car and the crew getting acclimated to the different things we are doing,” Hirschman stated. “Not all the same stuff we do with RoC and Tri-Track is the same; we’ve mixed it up. We’ve done some Whelen Modified shows and some open shows near the end of the year. We’ve been doing a little of everything and it just takes some getting used to.”
While Pee Dee Motorsports will run the southern big shows and select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events, Hirschman’s family team is set to run a menagerie of races in the Northeast once again.
“It will probably be similar to last year. We had such a good year that I really don’t plan to change up too much,” he stated. “We’re definitely looking forward to seeing more Tri-Track races, and we’ll mix in RoC races, local stuff in Pennsylvania, a few Whelen Modified races, and the typical later season open shows that we traditionally do. It’s still a little early, not everything is finalized yet, so it’s hard to put together a schedule now.”
Following a season-opening run in February and March, Hirschman took a breather for the month of April, only to break out starting in May and set the Northeast racing scene on fire. It is a plan that Hirschman is looking to again in 2018.
“Doing the winter races in February and then if we do races in March, is like its own season. Then the regular season gets going May, June and then right through into the fall. It’s a long season and you really extended it by starting in February,” Hirschman began. “Realistically, we will be starting in the beginning of February this year and race the Thanksgiving weekend. That only really leaves December and January as off months. So, that’s a ten-month season and there is a lot more bigger races later in the year. So, if we are going to skip some races or have a lighter schedule, we would take a break in the spring when there isn’t a lot of big races. That was the case this year, we raced in February and March and we needed to regroup and really prepare for the season, which gets busier as the year goes on. So it worked out, you’ll probably see something similar this year.”
Hirschman’s 2017 season will be remembered as a legendary one, winning half of his 34 starts. He knows that the one thing more difficult will be duplicating or eclipsing that string of success in 2018.
“When you are on a roll and momentum is on your side you really hate to see the season end. Because next year when we start is a brand-new year, you start with zero for wins. Every year is different and it’s kind of a roller coaster ride really,” he said. “Just two years ago I won three races all year; this past year we won 17 and had streaks of seven and six wins. It’s not easy but like I said, if you get momentum rolling in your program and everybody on your team is performing at a high level you can achieve some great things, and that’s the kind of season we had this year. Hopefully we can stay focused and build on that on to start the season off and we can pick up where we left off.”
Hirschman will kick off his season during the 52nd Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. The Tour-type Modifieds will race five straight nights beginning on February 12 and culminating with the Richie Evans Memorial 100 on Friday, February 16.
-By: Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com CT, MA, RI & Long Island Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
The Northampton, Pennsylvania, driver rolled into NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Victory Lane for the first time since October of 2008 on Saturday night at Oswego Speedway.Hirschman took the lead from Justin Bonsignore on lap 120 and survived three attempts at NASCAR overtime in order to seal his third career Whelen Modified Tour victory. The win was his first at the 0.625-mile New York oval and first driving for PeeDee Motorsports.
“It’s been a long time for me, but for this PeeDee Motorsports team, it hasn’t been, it’s been a short amount of time,” Hirschman said. “We’ve been knocking on the door for two years together to get a win, and it finally came together tonight. No better place for it to come than right here at Oswego. I always have said this was my favorite track. I love coming here.”Hirschman started from the pole position after scoring the top spot for the second straight season in group qualifying and paced the first 94 laps of the race with rising star Chase Dowling on his tail. When the caution flew on lap 92, Hirschman led the lead lap cars down pit road and took fresh Hoosier rubber, but got stuck behind another car leaving the pit area and lost several positions.
Dowling and Bonsignore were among those to beat him back on the track.The charge back through the field began immediately, and subsequently ended with Hirschman passing for the top spot with just 30 laps to go in the scheduled distance. He had to survive multiple cautions, and three green-white-checkered finishes before he could celebrate. He led a race-high 139 laps.Bonsignore, who lined up to the outside of Hirschman for each of the three NASCAR overtime restarts, crossed the line 0.588-seconds back. Even though the Holtsville, New York, native wanted to win his third straight Whelen Modified Tour race, the points leader was able to survive an array of late cautions to score another podium finish for Kenneth Massa Motorsports.
Five-time and defending series champion Doug Coby finished third, while Woody Pitkat, who led 13 laps, finished fourth. Eric Goodale rounded out the top five.Matt Swanson was sixth, followed by Patrick Emerling, Timmy Solomito, Blake Barney and Tommy Catalano. Bonsignore extended his points lead to 75 points over Chase Dowling, while Timmy Solomito is third, 103 points back with four races remaining on the championship points schedule.
The Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s will air on NBCSN on Thursday, September 6, at 6 p.m.
MATT HIRSCHMAN SCORES ROD SPALDING CLASSIC 75 AT CHEMUNG SPEEDROME - August 4
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa., showed why he is a contender whenever he shows up with the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series on Saturday at the Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome. Hirschman captured his second win of the 2018 season, which is the 42nd of his Race of Champions career. Hirschman came from 12th and took the lead from his neighbor Eric Beers of Northampton, Pa., on the 45th circuit around the challenging speedway. “We had a good night, but drawing 12th made it challenging,” stated Hirschman in victory lane. “We had a good car and things worked out our way tonight. Andy (Jankowiak) was coming and we’ve had a couple of good races. I’m just happy to honor some great racing history and my good friend Ed McGuire here tonight. Rod Spalding and the Spalding Foundation has been such a big of our sport. This is a great way for us to end a great night.”
Jack Ely of Wall Township, N.J., drew the pole and was flanked by Beers on the start. Ely led the opening lap before Beers took the top spot for the next 44 circuits. Hirschman patiently worked his way through traffic and moved past Beers on lap 45. Hirschman was able to keep Andy Jankowiak of Buffalo, N.Y., at bay as the duo charged to the checkered, reversing their roles of July 21 at Hillside Buffalo where Jankowiak won and Hirschman finished second. Daryl Lewis of Ontario, N.Y., continued his impressive season with another third place finish. In the seven races so far, Lewis has yet to finish outside of the top-ten and has recorded four top-five finishes. Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y., finished 4th with Beers rounding out the top-five. Hirschman scored the Speed 51 “Top of the Board” Award in group qualifying with a lap of 14.581 seconds (92.586 mph). Hossfeld, Roger Coss of Lafayette, N.J. and Skora won the three qualifying races.
Feature Finish
Rod Spalding Classic (75-laps)
Chemung Speedrome, Chemung, N.Y.
Finishing Position, Car Number, Driver, Laps Completed, Reason Out (If Any)
Finish Starting Position No. Name Laps
1 12 60 Matt Hirschman 75
2 8 12x Andy Jankowiak
3 4 10 Daryl Lewis,Jr.
4 5 22 Chuck Hossfeld
5 2 45 Eric Beers
6 21 26 JR Kent
7 6 25 Mike Leaty
8 9 65 George Skora, III
9 7 17c Roger Coss
10 1 54e Jack Ely
11 18 95 Bryan Sherwood
12 25 4 Zack Knowlden
13 15 53 Brian Defebo
14 14 07 Patrick Emerling
15 24 40 Alan Bookmiller 74
16 16 3 Daren Scherer 74
17 10 66 Austin Kochenash 70
18 22 59 Karl Hehr 64
19 20 17 Danny Knoll 52
20 16 54c Tommy Catalano 23 Accident
21 17 72 TJ Potrzebowski 23 Accident
22 13 32 Tyler Rypkema 23 Accident
23 19 45c Timmy Catalano 23 Accident
24 11 5 Kyle Ebersole 23 Accident
25 26 64 Amy Catalano 1 Clutch
26 23 40 Tommy Rought 0
Time of Race: 40 minutes and 35 seconds Average Speed: 42.053 mph Margin of Victory: 1.084 seconds
Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers. (Jack Ely 1, Eric Beers 2-45, Matt Hirschman 46-75 )
Speed51.com “Top of the Board” Award; Matt Hirschman (14.581 seconds @ 92.586 mph)
Paved Track Qualifying Race Winners; Chuck Hossfeld (5); Roger Coss (1); Daryl Lewis, Jr. (2); Matt Hirschman (2)
Jerico Performance “Jammin’ Gears Awards”; JR Kent (Advanced 15 positions in feature)
US Army Top Performer Award; Jack Ely (14.906 seconds @ 90.568 mph lap 7)
Jan “Pops” Leaty Award – Leader Lap 25 – Mike Leary
$100 Bicknell Racing Products Certificate Award (Third Place) – Daryl Lewis, Jr.
MyRacePass “Free Pass” Award – (No Eligible Driver, No “Free Pass” Given during race”)
Todd Patnode got the chance to join to join an exclusive club Sunday in Epping, N.H.- Matt runs 3rd
Patnode, of Swanzey, N.H., slayed the favorites to win the Tri-Track Open Modified Series SBM 125 Sunday at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. Patnode became only the third different driver to win the event in the seven times it’s been run. Ron Silk of Norwalk was second and Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. third. Hirschman has won four of the previous six SBM 125 events, in 2012, ’13, ’16 and ‘17. Jon McKennedy won the other two (2011, 2014). The event was not held in 2015.
Patnode started 17th in the 23-car field. The race was originally scheduled to be run Saturday night but was rained out. Patnode went by Woody Pitkat for the lead on lap 87 and never trailed again.After pitting out of the lead on lap 82, Hirschman charged back and got to third with 10 laps remaining, but got not further. On Saturday night during the rain delay two specialty awards were presented. Norm Perry of Ashaway, RI, owner of the #76 driven by Matt Galko, received the Chuck Montville Car Owner award and a check for $1,060. Andy Seuss accepted the first Bob Webber, Sr. Memorial Sportsmanship Award on behalf of his entire team in an emotional presentation by the Webber Family.
Official Finish Tri-Track Open Modified Series SBM 125, Star Speedway, Epping, NH-July 29, 2018: 1. Todd Patnode, Swanzey, NH; 2. Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT; 3. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA; 4. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT; 5. Tommy Barrett, Millis, MA; 6. Chase Dowling, Oxford, CT; 7. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 8. Matt Galko, Meriden, CT; 9. Ron Frees, Brick Township, NJ; 10. Brian Robie, Sunapee, NH; 11. Russ Hersey, Swanzey, NH; 12. George Sherman, Framingham, MA; 13. Kirk Alexander, W. Swanzey, NH; 14. Mark Bakaj, Lebanon, CT; 15. Les Rose, Southbridge, MA; 16. Calvin Carroll, Johnsonburg,; 17. Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA; 18. Chris Bolton, Weare, NH; 19. Sam Rameau, Westminster, MA; 20. Scott Adams, Berwick, PA; 21. Andy Seuss, Salisbury, NC; 22. Richard Savary, Canton, MA. DNS-Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT; Dale Holdridge, Madison, CT; Jon Keivman, Deerfield Beach, FL; Dana Smith, Sunapee, NH. DNQ-Jeff Gallup, Agawam, MA; Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA; Josh Cantara, Saco, ME; Bill Dixon, N. Waterboro, ME.
Jankowiak Holds Off Big Money for Big RoC Modified Win
Holland, N.Y July 21, 2018 . – Andy Jankowiak of Buffalo, N.Y., maneuvered around Scott Wylie of Blasdell, N.Y., on lap 15, survived several restarts and held off a hard-charging Matt Hirschman to win the Thunder in the Hills 100 at The Track @ Hillside Buffalo that was formerly Holland International Speedway. The track was the site of Jankowkiak’s first series victory which Hirschman also finished second in. It was the fifth Modified Series victory of Jankowiak’s Race of Champions career. “We needed this tonight,” stated Jankowiak from victory lane. “I knew Matt (Hirschman) was back there and coming and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Matt is one of the best and to beat him always makes you feel good. We had a good car tonight and I knew I needed to save some for the end but it is tough to gauge that. We had just enough to get the job done. I have to take thank Tom, Erin, Bud and all of the people associated with our team. My first win in a modified came here so this one is pretty special.”Wylie inherited the pole position as pole winner, via the redraw, Zack Knowlden of Horseheads, N.Y., elected to start at the rear of the field. Wylie and Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y., led the field to the green. Wylie took the early lead before Jankowiak slipped to the top spot.Hirschman, who finished second, pitted just past halfway in the race for adjustments worked his way back to the front to get near Jankowiak’s in the closing laps, but it was to no avail. Hossfeld finished third. Bryan Sherwood of Binghamton, N.Y., finished fourth in his first race of the season. Eric Beers of Northampton, Pa., advanced the most positions from 16th to finish 5th. Hirschman posted the Speed 51 “Top of the Board” Award in group qualifying with a lap of 13.759 seconds (98.118 mph). Hirschman, Jack Ely of Wall, N.J., and Wylie won the three qualifying races.
Thunder in the Hills 100 Results
1 4 12x Andy Jankowiak 100
2 10 60 Matt Hirschman
3 3 22 Chuck Hossfeld
4 8 95 Bryan Sherwood
5 16 45 Eric Beers
6 7 3 Daren Scherer
7 12 10 Daryl Lewis Jr.
8 15 32 Tyler Rypkema
9 18 40 Alan Bookmiller
10 17 0 Randall Richards
11 13 71 Danny Knoll, Jr.
12 11 65 George Skora, III 89
13 2 88 Scott Wylie 81 Accident
14 6 54 Jack Ely 76 Accident
15 14 59 Karl Hehr 75 Over Heating
16 9 66 Austin Kochenash 44 Engine
17 5 28 Kreig Heroth 32 Spark Plug
18 1 4 Zack Knowlden 21 Engine
19 19 1 Chris Risdale 1 Oil Leak
SILK SCORES 10K IN SEEKONK TTOMS VICTORY - Matt finishes 2nd
Seekonk, MA: (June 27, 2018): The traditional Open Wheel Wednesday, unofficially turned Tri-Track Tuesday, saw Ron Silk of Norwalk, CT, claim the victory in Tri-Track Open Modified (TTOMS) Series competition and a cool $10,000 on the eve of Independence Day. The event, which began on Wednesday June 27, was halted after only 22 laps due to rain. Less than a week later, Silk was the class of the field scoring a popular victory aboard the Bob Horn owned #50. Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, came home second. Chase Dowling of Roxbury, CT, in relief of Rowan Pennink, who could not return for the conclusion of the race, finished third. Russ Hersey of Swanzey, NH, recovered from a three-lap deficit to finish fourth. Home track favorite, Todd Annarummo, from Swansea, MA, completed the top five. After two races of the four-race Tri-Track Series schedule, defending Series champion Matt Hirschman leads the point standings by a mere two points over Silk. The next race for the TTOMS is Saturday, July 28 at Star Speedway in Epping, NH.Richard Savary led every lap of a caution-filled start to Open Wheel Wednesday before a persistent rain claimed the race at 9:25pm. With a dismal weather forecast for the original rain date of Thursday, track officials set July 3 for the resumption of the race. While nearly a week later when racing resumed, it was much of the same in the early going for Savary. With the rain delay and the event tire rule, teams could pit during pace laps before the race officially went green.Hirschman, who would have lined up second for the restart, was among those to head pitside. When the event officially went green again, Savary took the point with Rocco and Silk duking it out for second. Silk was able to take the spot away on lap 23. He immediately went to work on Savary for the lead. Dowling was making moves early; coming from scratch in the field. The first caution of the night flew on lap 31 for a stalled Ricky Collins. Hersey received the free pass. Hirschman, who was making little progress from deep in the field, pitted once again under the caution. Dowling also headed to the pits.Silk got alongside Savary on the outside groove on the ensuing restart. The two went wheel-to-wheel for several laps before Silk settled back in line in second. After a single lap, he dove low behind Savary and was able to steal the lead way on lap 35. Silk was the new leader over Savary, Rocco, Woody Pitkat and Tommy Barrett in the top five. During the green flag run, Silk was able to get a bit of breathing room over Savary. Annarummo and Sammy Rameau were making headway taking positions away from Barrett. Silk had nearly a straightaway advantage over Savary as the halfway point of the event approached. Rocco ran in third followed by Pitkat, Annarummo, Rameau, Jon McKennedy, Barrett, Matt Galko and Dan Meservey, Jr. inside the top ten at crossed flags. The event’s ninth (second of the night) caution flew on lap 57 for a single-car spin by Dana DiMatteo. A number of contenders pitted during the caution period including Silk and Savary. Hersey once again received the free pass to join the remainder of the lead laps car for the ensuing restart. Pitkat, who had earlier taken a position from Rocco, inherited the lead for the restart. Rocco had his hands full with Annarummo and McKennedy. Annarummo took advantage of the bottom groove to battle his way into second. He immediately put pressure on Pitkat for the lead and was able to take over the top spot on lap 63. Rocco ran a few cars-lengths back as McKennedy struggled in the outside grove. After quick pit work and a fast race car, Silk was already back in the top-five by lap 65. Dowling continued his march to the front; taking second from Pitkat, who continued to backslide falling to fourth. Rocco faded to seventh. Early leader Savary would spend much of the second half of the race in an out of the pits. The third caution of the night came out for a spin by Meservey. For the lap 70 restart, Annarummo was lined up against Dowling. Silk was third beside McKennedy. Derek Ramstrom, Barrett, Hirschman, Colbey Fournier, Rameau and DiMatteo made up the remainder of the top -ten running order when the race went back to green. Annarummo was able to retain his lead with Silk taking second from Dowling on lap 71. By lap 72, Silk once again was the leader; relegating Annarummo back to second. With Silk at the point, Dowling and Annarummo ran nose to tail. A torrid battle for fourth position involved Ramstrom, McKennedy and Hirschman. On lap 78, Hirschman got the better of the battle to move into fourth. His charge forward was stalled for a spin by Galko. Fournier was also involved. Silk got a strong restart at lap 79, handily taking back the lead. Hirschman got underneath Annarummo and into third on lap 80. Silk could not shake Dowling. Hersey, with a strong recovery, was on the outside grove chipping away at the top ten. McKennedy got underneath Ramstrom; taking Hershey along for the ride. Hersey quickly got by McKennedy to join the top-five. With 10 to go, Silk had a several car-lengths lead over Dowling, who held a similar lead over Hirschman. A distance back was Annarummo. Hersey was able to take fourth from Annarummo on lap 94. Hirschman was getting racy with Dowling with five laps to go. He tried the low groove to no avail, then the high-side in his effort to get by Dowling for second. This enabled Silk to stretch his advantage. Hersey was also running down the battle for second. Hirschman able to get by Dowling in the closing laps. Out front it was all Silk who cruised under the checkered flag for the win; becoming the tenth different driver to win the 10K payday of Open Wheel Wednesday. Hirschman settled for second over Dowling, Hersey, and Annarummo inside the top five. Rameau, McKennedy, Pitkat, Savary and DiMatteo made up the top ten.
Several cars withdrew from the event and did not return for the resumption of the race including Jon Kievman, Steve Masse, Anthony Nocella, Les Hinckley and Mike Holdridge, several of which had misfortune on the original night of racing action. Ryan Preece, who had a previous commitment with Joe Gibbs Racing to run the Nationwide Series event in Daytona, was unable to return.
During qualifying on Wednesday, heat race victories went to Rocco, Mike Willis, Jr., Hirschman and Pennink. Preece and Carl Medeiros took down consolation event wins. A total of 39 cars attempted to qualify.
Next up for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series in the SBM 125 at Star Speedway in Epping, NH on Saturday, July 28. For more information visit tritrackmods.com or starspeedwaynh.com.
Tri-Track Open Modified Series, Seekonk Speedway, Open Wheel Wednesday, June 27/July 3 Official Finishing Order:1. Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT; 2. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA; 3. Chase Dowling, Roxbury, CT; 4. Russ Hersey, N Swanzey, NH; 5.Todd Annarummo, Swansea, MA; 6. Sammy Rameau, Westminster, MA; 7. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA; 8. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 9. Richard Savary, Canton, MA; 10. Dana DiMatteo, Farmington, CT; 11. Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT; 12. Matt Galko, Meriden, CT; 13. Tommy Barrett, Millis, MA; 14. Ron Frees, Brick Township, NJ; 15. Mike Willis, Jr., Grantham, NH; 16. Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA; 17. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 18. Dan Meservey, Jr., West Chatham, MA; 19. Rob Murphy, Rochester, MA; 20. Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA; 21. Ricky Collins, Williams Grove, PA; 22. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 23. Jon Kievman, Deerfield Beach, FL; 24. Steve Masse Bellingham, MA;25. Anthony Nocella, Woburn, MA; 26. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT; 27. Mike Holdridge, Madison, CT.
Summer Showdown and SK Modified Blastoff 80 are in the books - MATT finishes 8th
Kyle James didn’t plan on taking the lead in the SK Modified 80-lap Blast off as quickly as he did Saturday. His car, however, was too good to hold back.It took James only 13 laps to go from fifth to first as he dominated the Blast Off, grabbing a first-place purse of $4,150.Peter Bennett, meanwhile, grabbed the biggest Legends win of his career as he collected a win in the Summer Showdown. The win was worth $2,000. Bennett finished second on the track, but was awarded the victory when Alex McCollum was disqualified after post-race inspection.Other winners included Steven Chapman of Ellington in the SK Lite Modifieds in his first-ever race, Charles Canfield in the Mini Stocks, point leader Shawn Gaedeke in the Sportsman feature and Todd Taylor in the Speedbowl Truck feature.The most dominating performance, however, was from James, who lapped every car but four in the 80-lap Blast Off.“I really wasn’t on planning to take the lead as early as I did,” James said. “But my car was just too strong.”James did most of his passing on the outside groove, a tactic he has employed all season.“The main reason I’m having such a great season is because I can go to the outside to pass cars,” James said. “That’s been the key to the season.”The only crisis point for James occurred on lap 66 when the first and only caution came out because of a Keith Rocco spin.James, however, pulled away from Dylan Izzo on the restart and was never threatened.“The crew did such a great job working on this car and getting it ready,” James said. “They deserve all the credit.”James has three Speedbowl wins in four races this season.Izzo finished second but was later disqualified, along with Tim Jordan, who finished fourth. That moved Todd Owen to second and Keith Rocco, who started 10th and never seriously challenged for a podium spot, in third.Rocco was presented with the Hard Charger Award, given in memory of the late John Anderson.Bennett was ecstatic after taking down the biggest win of his brief Legends career.“This has to be the equivalent of my first ever win,” Bennett said. “It feels great to be able to run with guys like Alex McCollum and Jason Palmer.”Bennett led for only one lap, but it was a lap to remember — lap 27.“I was having good restarts during the entire race and I was able to cross over Alex heading into turn 3,” Bennett said. “But he went underneath me in turn 2. I didn’t think he was there and I didn’t protect the bottom. He got by me and I figured I blew my shot at winning.”It turned out, however, not to be the case.“I just missed the set-up by a little,” Bennett said. “All I needed was one more tweak, and I think I could have put Alex behind me. All things considered, the car was about as perfect as it could be. “I set the car up for the long run, because I knew it needed to be good over those 10 extra laps. And it was.”
1 5 Kyle James Ashway, RI #21
2 7 Todd Owen Somers, CT #81
3 10 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT #57
4 2 Rob Janovic Jr Waterford, CT #51
5 13 Shawn Monahan Waterford, CT #31
6 3 Nicholas Salva Prospect, CT #8
7 15 Joe Allegro Jr. Vernon, CT #08
8 11 Matt Hirschman , CT #41
9 6 Andrew Molleur Shelton, CT #35
10 14 Tyler Chadwick Norwich, CT #27
11 8 Justin Albernaz Rehobeth, MA #07
12 18 Wendell Dailey Gales Ferry, CT #66
13 16 Brent Sweet Monroe, CT #1
14 19 Rob Goulet , CT #70
15 12 Joe Gada , CT #0
16 17 Cory DiMatteo Farmington, CT #6
17 21 Matt Swanson Acton, MA #67
18 20 Marcello Rufrano North Haven, CT #03
19 9 Matthew Galko Meriden, CT #12X
20 22 Bill McNeil Old Lyme, CT #01CT
21 23 Kris Watson Kenduskeag, ME #35ME
22 1 Dylan Izzo Monroe, CT #13
23 4 Timmy Jordan Plainfield, CT #47
MATT COMES BACK THROUGH FIELD LATE TO FINISH 3rd AT Langley Speedway
BY KYLE SOUZA HOMETRACKS.NASCAR.COM JUNE 24, 2018
HAMPTON, Va. — In the midst of a Saturday night short-track shootout at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, Ryan Preece made the right move, at the right time. The Berlin, Connecticut driver passed Justin Bonsignore for the lead on lap 131, and he never looked back en route to his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season. The triumph was the 22nd of his career, and his first at the 0.396-mile Virginia oval. The 27-year-old has now been to Victory Lane in seven of his last 19 stars in Whelen Modified Tour competition. “Justin’s car started to get tight, and my car just wasn’t at that point yet,” Preece said. “I knew I had to get by him as quick as I possibly could. Once I got in front of him, I knew I could get into my rhythm and drive away.” When the caution flew on lap 103 for a planned mid-race break, Bonsignore, Doug Coby and Eric Goodale elected to stay on the track and take over the top three spots. On the restart, Coby lost positions, and eventually cut down a left-rear tire that ended his night. On the following green flag, Preece began to hound the back bumper of Bonsignore’s No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet, and attempted to make the pass multiple times — but to no avail. Finally, on lap 131, Preece took the bottom lane off turn two, and cleared to the point down into turn three. He was not challenged for the remainder of the race. Bonsignore settled for second, with Matt Hirschman charging back up through the field late to finish in third. “He was a gentleman about it, I was doing everything I could to block his crossover move up off,” Bonsignore said of the battle with Preece. “I could see in the mirror that he was most likely going to get me. That was a lot of fun. Good short-track racing. When we are bummed about second, that’s really good right now.” Preece was out front in the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet for a race-high 83 laps, while Bonsignore was out front for 25 laps. Chase Dowling finished sixth, followed by Ronnie Williams, Rowan Pennink, Chris Pasteryak and Blake Barney. Bonsignore holds a 23-point advantage in the championship standings over Dowling, while Timmy Solomito is 44 points back in third. Craig Lutz, who had his motor expire on lap 29, dropped to fourth in the standings.
The WhosYourDriver.org 150 from Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway will air on NBCSN on Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR WHOSYOURDRIVER.ORG 150
1. #6 Ryan Preece; 150
2. #51 Justin Bonsignore; 150
3. #60 Matt Hirschman; 150
4. #16 Timmy Solomito; 150
5. #58 Eric Goodale; 150
6. #15 Chase Dowling; 150
7. #21 Ronnie Williams; 150
8. #3 Rowan Pennink; 150
9. #75 Chris Pasteryak; 150
10. #14 Blake Barney; 150
11. #22 Kyle Bonsignore; 150
12. #5 Kyle Ebersole; 150
13. #64 Rob Summers; 150
14. #77 Gary Putman; 150
15. #1 Jeff Rocco; 149
16. #25 Calvin Carroll; 149
17. #26 Gary McDonald; 148
18. #18 Ken Heagy; 146
19. #36 Dave Sapienza; 146
20. #82 Spencer Davis; 145
21. #33 Wade Cole; 135
22. #01 Melissa Fifield; 127
Hirschman plays a well thought out strategy to win the Evergreen Tour Modified opener on June 15.
Matt Hirschman is one of the best when it comes to conserving his equipment in long distance races. On Friday night June 15th, the Tour Type Modified’s thundered into Evergreen Raceway in beautiful Drums, Pennsylvania. Jason Makarewicz added an extra 2,000 dollars to the purse and modified teams responded by bringing 25 cars ready to do battle Friday night. A great crowd of over 500 plus helped track management decided to start all 25 modifieds and fans where treated with one heck of a show. Hirschman who for the first time in a long time failed to qualify through his heat race finishing 7th would have to start 22nd in the 75-lap main event. This turn of events would allow many drivers an opportunity to strut their stuff. Brian Defebo, Roger Coss, Bobby Jones and Austin Kochenash would all battle for the lead early on. Several cautions plagued the event but also produced plenty of green flag runs with some great green flag action. The biggest challenge of the night came on a lap 30 restart which left Defebo, Coss, Paules and Kochenash sitting pretty in the top 4. Meanwhile, Hirschman was still outside the top 15. A 30-lap green flag run which had shown no signs of coming to an end would save the day for Hirschman as he had just creeped into the top 10 at this point. A few cautions later lap 62 Hirschman had found himself sitting 6th. Just 3 laps later Hirschman had bolted his way past Coss to grab the lead. A scary incident on lap 72 say Bobby Jones in the Wanick Construction 1J take a hard lick into the front stretch wall after contact with Austin Kochenash. The late caution would setup a green white checkered finish. Hirschman would remain untouched cruising to his 8th win in 11 races.
Heat Race Winners; Bobby Jones, John Markovic, Roger Coss
Results
Modifieds (75) 1. Hirschman 2. Earl Paules 3. Brandon Oltra 4. John Mandato 5. Roger Coss 6. Chris Risdale 7. Jason Hearne 8. Ricky Collins 9. Brian Defebo 10. Buddy Miller 11. James Pritchard 12. Brian Romig 13. Wayne Szerencsits 14. Austin Kochenash 15. Bobby Jones 16. Blake Barney 17. DJ Macri 18. Alan Creveling 19. Todd Baer 20. Tommy Wanick III 21. Mitchell Dowd 22. Paul Monkoski 23. Scott Adams DQ John Markovic DNS Ricky Ross Jr
Matt Hirschman of Northamption, Pa., drove to his 41st career Race of Champions Series victory this past Saturday night at Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pa., in the Lake Erie 75 presented by Jim Moss Builders on June 9.
Hirschman took the lead from Tommy Catalano early in the event and never looked back in his first win of 2018. “I always love coming to Lake Erie, this is one of my favorite tracks,” stated Hirschman from victory lane. “Tommy (Catalano) was strong early but we were able to get where we needed to be and use good track position. It played out in our favor tonight. I have to thank everyone involved with our team, it was a really good night for us.”
Hirschman held off a charging Patrick Emerling from Orchard Park, N.Y., and Andy Jankowiak of Tonawanda, N.Y., who started 16th and finished 3rd.
Scott Wylie of Blasdell, N.Y., who started second, his second consecutive front row starting position in this race, earned fourth while Randall Richards who towed from Titusville, Pa., drove from 15th to finish 5th.Chuck Hossfeld won the overall fast time for the second consecutive race in green, white, checker qualifying. Hossfeld, Kevin Miller, Tommy Catalano and Hirschman all won qualifying races.
Feature Finish
Lake Erie 75 presented by Jim Moss Builders
Lake Erie Speedway, North East, Pennsylvania
Finishing Position, Car Number, Driver, Laps Completed, Reason Out (If Any)
Finish Starting Position No. Name Laps
1 3 60 Matt Hirschman 75
2 4 07 Patrick Emerling
3 16 12x Andy Jankowiak
4 2 88 Scott Wylie
5 15 0 Randall Richards
6 9 22 Chuck Hossfeld
7 23 17 Danny Knoll, Jr.
8 13 10 Daryl Lewis, Jr.
9 11 3 Daren Scherer
10 12 45 Eric Beers
11 8 66 Austin Kochenash
12 10 25 Mike Leaty
13 17 32 Tyler Rypkema
14 14 65 George Skora, III
15 22 59 Karl Hehr
16 21 64 Amy Catalano
17 7 5 Kyle Ebersole
18 24 28 Kreig Heroth
19 6 54 Jack Ely
20 25 1 Chris Risdale
21 1 54 Tommy Catalano Engine
22 5 2 Kevin Miller Accident
23 20 45 Timmy Catalano
24 19 40 Alan Bookmiller
25 - 4 Zack Knowlden Oil Leak
Time of Race: 39 minutes 53.493 seconds
Fast Qualifying Lap: Chuck Hossfeld
Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers (Tommy Catalano / Matt Hirschman)
MATT RUNS 1st - 2nd and 3rd all Race at Seekonk - June 2 - finishes 3rd
Justin Bonsignore was the driver to beat all afternoon, and even though multiple drivers gave it their best effort, no one could stop the driver of the No. 51 from taking his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win of the season in the Seekonk 150 at Seekonk Speedway Saturday night. Bonsignore won the pole with a stunning 11.925-second lap in qualifying, one of only two drivers to dip below 12-second lap times, and he led a race-high 100 laps on the way to his second win in four races this season. The win did not come easily, though – Matt Hirschman, Chase Dowling, Anthony Nocella, and Andrew Krause kept Bonsingore honest throughout the race in battles that raged for all 150 laps. “I think we were just the best of the remaining cars at the end,” Bonsignore told NASCAR Home Tracks after the race. “Matt got by me on the one restart and he had position so I had to let him go. I could see his car was getting tighter and tighter, and my car was still pretty decent. I was able to put a good crossover on him. That was kind of fun racing side by side and leaning on each other and whatnot. We just had a good enough car to hold them off until the end. “I just can’t thank everyone enough. This is a total team effort, and I am just the lucky guy that gets to drive this car right now.”Dowling’s No. 15 was a rocket ship – he passed a massive eleven cars en route to a second-place finish. He joined Bonsignore and Hirschman for the last 50 laps, and was able to steal second from Hirschman on a late restart. He adds this finish to a string of top-five finishes this season, and he has finished no lower than eighth in any race so far.
Hirschman ended up finishing third, a strong result for a driver who is not a NWMT regular. Hirschman and Bonsignore swapped the lead six times between them and were the only two cars who led any laps, with Hirschman leading the other 50. Hirschman has finished third in both of his NWMT starts this season, with the other result coming at the season opener at Myrtle Beach. A solid run for Rowan Pennink saw him finish fourth. Surprisingly, it was his worst finish of the season – in both of his other two starts (Thompson and Stafford), Pennink finished third. Ron Silk rounded out the top five, bringing his No. 85 up from the eighth starting position. Ronnie Williams, Timmy Solomito, Dave Sapienza, and Craig Lutz completed the top ten. Despite their early performance, Andrew Krause and Anthony Nocella finished 13th and 20th respectively, with Nocella getting caught up in a spin on lap 120. The 2018 season that Bonsignore has been experiencing so far this season has been a dream, but for defending champion Doug Coby, the nightmares continued Saturday night. Coby had been charging through the field and was running as high as sixth, a result that would have equaled the season-best finish he scored at Thompson. However, bad luck struck again as he spun out of turn four with just 17 laps to go, and finished right back where he started in 12th. Occasional NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ryan Preece finished a dismal 27th after experiencing engine issues less than one third of the way through the race. Woody Pitkat and Myrtle Beach winner Jon McKennedy would both join Preece in the pits before the 100-lap mark. With the win, Bonsignore tightened his grip, albeit slightly, on the championship standings, now sitting seven points clear of Chase Dowling. The top two drivers at the top of the standings have created some space back to third, with Craig Lutz sitting 19 points behind. Timmy Solomito remains fourth, and Rob Summers sits only two points behind Solomito in fifth.
___________
Justin Bonsignore has quickly proven that he is going to be the man to beat during the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
The Holtsville, New York, driver scored his second win of the young season on Saturday at Seekonk Speedway, holding off a late charge from rising star Chase Dowling in the final circuits at the third-mile Massachusetts oval. The victory was the 14th career for Bonsignore in Whelen Modified Tour competition, and his second of the 2018 season behind the wheel of the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Chevrolet for Kenneth Massa Motorsports.
“It was a great day, we came off the truck first in practice, got my first pole in a long time, and we had a really good car,” Bonsignore said. “I just can’t thank everyone enough. This is a total team effort, and I am just the lucky guy that gets to drive this car right now.” Bonsignore’s run to the victory may have seemed easy at first glance, strictly because he started from the pole and ended up carrying the checkered flag at the end of the 150-lap distance. However, a fierce battle with Matt Hirschman put Bonsignore’s equipment to the test in the second half of the race.
The two modified veterans swapped the lead back and forth multiple times throughout the race, but on lap 127, Hirschman was able to edge out at the front of the field at lap 127, but on the next lap, Bonsignore took the lead, and never looked back. In the midst of the battle between Bonsignore and Hirschman, Dowling made a late charge through the field after starting 13th, and was locked on the back bumper of Bonsignore’s car in the final laps. He finished second, scoring his fourth consecutive top 10 finish to open the season. Bonsignore led a race-high 100 laps, while Hirschman was at the point for 50 circuits. They were the only two drivers who led the race, and both of them started on the front row. “When I had the lead, I was just a little bit tight,” Hirschman, who finished third, said. “It was a good night. We are always in contention to win. Just not quite (there).” Rowan Pennink finished fourth, while Ron Silk was fifth. Ronnie Williams was sixth, followed by Timmy Solomito, Tommy Catalano, Dave Sapienza and Craig Lutz. Bonsignore leads Dowling by seven markers in the championship standings, while Lutz is 19 points back.
The Seekonk 150 will air via tape delay on NBCSN on Wednesday, June 6, at 7 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Wednesday, June 13.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-Seekonk 150 Results
Saturday
At Seekonk Speedway
Seekonk, MA
Lap length: 0.33 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (1) Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, NY, Chevrolet, 150 laps, 62.902 mph.
2. (13) Chase Dowling, Roxbury, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
3. (2) Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA, Chevrolet, 150.
4. (4) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Chevrolet, 150.
5. (8) Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT, Chevrolet, 150.
6. (7) Ronnie Williams, Ellington, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
7. (17) Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y., Ford, 150.
8. (21) Tommy Catalano, Ontario, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
9. (9) Dave Sapienza, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
10. (14) Craig Lutz, Miller Place, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
11. (18) Rob Summers, Manchester, CT, Chevrolet, 150.
12. (12) Doug Coby, Milford, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
13. (6) Andrew Krause, Holmdel, N.J., Toyota, 150.
14. (22) Blake Barney, Lakewood, N.J., Chevrolet, 150.
15. (11) Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
16. (30) Ken Heagy, Calverton, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
17. (27) Gary Putnam, Vernon, Conn., Chevrolet, 150.
18. (23) Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
19. (10) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.
20. (3) Anthony Nocella, Woburn, Mass., Chevrolet, 148.
21. (25) Joe Degracia, Nutley, N.J., Chevrolet, 146.
22. (28) Melissa Fifield, Wakefield, N.H., Chevrolet, 135.
23. (24) Wade Cole, Hartland, Conn., Chevrolet, 116, parked.
24. (16) Calvin Carroll, Newton, N.J., Chevrolet, 106.
25. (5) Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass., Chevrolet, 80, power steering.
26. (26) Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn., Chevrolet, 48, ignition.
27. (15) Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn., Chevrolet, 41, engine.
28. (19) Jeff Rocco, Meriden, Conn., Chevrolet, 40, brakes.
29. (29) Kyle Ellwood, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 40, suspension.
30. (20) Matt Swanson, Acton, Mass., Ford, 40, accident.
31. (31) Walter Sutcliffe Jr., East Haven, Conn., Chevrolet, 0, did not start.
Home Track Favorite Upsets the Big Dogs at Claremont - MAY 26 - Matt 3
Claremont, NH, MAY 26 — Home track favorite Mike Willis, Jr. of Grantham, NH, scored the victory in the inaugural Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores 100 at Claremont Speedway presented by SPAFCO and Jerico. A strong crowd was on hand to watch and appreciate as one of their own scored the victory over some of short track racing’s best like runner-up Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT, and podium finisher and series’ dominator Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA.
Hard-charging Tommy Barret of Millis, MA, and Ron Silk of Norwalk, CT, completed the top-five It was not all clear sailing for Willis, who had to overcome dogged determination by his fellow competitors and late-race restarts to capture the popular win and the $6,000 winner’s share. Hard-charging competitors locked in fierce battles from the drop of the green flag, the race was undeniably a fitting tribute to the late, great Ron Bouchard.“I loved every minute of this race,” said Claremont Speedway co-owner Phil Hayes after the race. By virtue of his heat race results and ensuing redraw, Willis led the 27- car field to green for the start of the Bouchard memorial race. Before a lap could be completed the caution flag flew when Sammy Rameau spun on the front stretch from his third-place staring position. Willis and Les Hinckley immediately ran out to a two-car breakaway; however, action was slowed again on lap two with a caution for debris. Hinckley stayed alongside of Willis on the restart. With sparks flying Hinckley was able to grab the top spot. Hirschman had settled-in in third. Hard side-by-side racing throughout the field in the early going included a great battle between Woody Pitkat and Preece. Russ Hersey looked to be on a mission in the opening segment of the event.
Hinckley and Willis enjoyed nearly a straightaway advantage over Hirschman and a closing Mike Holdridge. Silk, after being shuffled back during the early restarts, had moved back into contention. Young gun Dana DiMatteo was running strong knocking on the door of the top five. Preece had faded back to sixteenth.Leader Hinckley entered lapped traffic at lap 23. But a spin by Les Rose on lap 24 brought out the event’s third caution; erasing namesake Les Hinckley’s huge lead. Under the caution Preece brought his 6NY into the pits for service. On the ensuing restart, Hinckley was able to retain his lead. Willis had his hands full with Hirschman. The two went wheel-to-wheel for a pair of laps before Hirschman claimed the position. Silk followed through relegating Willis back to fourth. Hersey took chase in fifth. Holdridge lost several positions following the restart. Again, Hinckley was able to run out to a sizeable lead. Silk was getting racy with Hirschman for second. Behind Hinckley the rest of the top-five -Hirschman, Silk, Willis, and Hersey- ran nose-to-tail. Another local favorite, Todd Patnode caught the group as well. Silk was all over the back bumper of Hirschman during the green flag run. Rowan Pennink had joined the mix running seventh over Pitkat and Kirk Alexander. Rameau was making a nice recovery racing his way back into the top-ten. On lap 42 both Hersey and Patnode got by Willis. DiMatteo saw his good run come to an end with a spin in turn four on lap 43 to bring out the fourth caution. Under the caution, Hersey relinquished fourth position to go pit side. Willis, too, pitted. Hinckley had to contend with Hirschman to his outside on the ensuing restart. He was able to maintain his lead once again. Silk was able to gain the advantage over Hirschman from the bottom groove. Silk immediately ran down Hinckley in pursuit of the lead. At halfway, Hinckley led Silk, Hirschman, Patnode, Pennink, Pitkat, Rameau, Alexander, Barrett and Brian Robie inside the top-ten. With some hard racing, Hinckley and Silk made contact on lap 54 but Hinckley able to gather it up. The two made slight contact again exiting turn two on lap 56. Again, Hinckley was able to maintain the lead. Things settled down at the head of the field with Hinckley leading Silk, Hirschman, Patnode, and Pennink. The best battle on the field was for sixth on back with Rameau, Pitkat, Barrett and Alexander. While Patnode was making his charge and taking third from Hirschman on lap 63, Silk was setting his sights on Hinckley. By lap 64, Silk was the new leader. Once out front, Silk immediately gained some distance. Hirschman began to fade on the outside losing positions to Pennink, Rameau and Pitkat. With two-thirds of the race in the books, the running order inside the top-ten was Silk, Hinckley, Patnode, Pennink, Rameau, Pitkat, Hirschman, Barrett, Hersey and Alexander. The fifth caution of the event flew on lap 80 for a single-car incident involving Holdridge. Under yellow only Silk, Hinckley, Patnode, Pennink, Rameau, Pitkat, Hersey, Alexander, Willis, and Matt Galko remained on the speedway. All others, including Hirschman, Preece, and Barrett, headed to pit road for service. On the lap 80 restart, Silk rocketed out to the lead followed by Hinckley. Patnode made a bold move on Hinckley for second but his efforts were thwarted by the sixth caution. This time for a spin by Pitkat. Hersey was sent to the rear of the field for his involvement as well. After a number of failed attempts to restart on lap 81, Hinckley was strong on Silk’s outside. But contact between the two sent Hinckley spinning. Several cars running in the top five had to take evasive action as the caution flag flew again on lap 81. The new top-ten on the restart was Silk, Patnode, Rameau, Alexander, Willis, Galko, Hirschman and Barrett, Preece and Pennink. Silk set sail out front when the racing resumed. Rameau made some aggressive moves to make his way into second. Patnode lost several spots on the outside. With drivers still vying for position, Silk now had the lead over Willis, who had come through the skirmish for second. Hirschman was back in the mix with Preece in tow with 13 laps remaining. Rameau faltered to fifth. A spin by Ron Frees brought out the ninth caution on lap 89. Under yellow, Patnode headed pit side. The attempt at the restart was called back when it was deemed that Willis went early. Heeding the warning, Willis still hung strong on the outside. Silk edged up slightly; giving Hirschman a bit of room on the bottom over Silk and Willis. Thinking the better of it, Hirschman settled back into line. The running order remained Silk, Willis and Hirschman in a tight pack. Hirschman was able to take second before an incident with Calvin Carol and Alexander brought the eleventh caution. Silk was able to grab his lead back from Willis on the restart. Preece was able to prevail over a heated battle for third with Hirschman. Silk continued to lead Willis, Preece, Hirschman and Barrett with less than ten laps remaining. On lap 95, Willis made a bold move and was able to take the lead away from Silk. The twelfth and final caution flew for an incident that involved Chris Bolton to set up a three-lap dash for the cash. Despite his efforts from the outside, Silk could not overcome Willis. Willis easily retained his lead; bringing Preece along and into second. Hirschman dogged Preece but to no avail. For as heated as the battle for the lead had been over the closing laps, Willis went uncontested for the win at the checkers. It was a popular win for a young driver who calls Claremont home. In victory lane he was quick to acknowledge his father and the efforts of his crew. Willis received congratulations from Preece and Hirschman, his fellow podium finishers in victory lane. Kudos go out to fourth-place finishers Tommy Barrett, who after suffering mechanical woes in the consi, used a provisional to get into the field and started scratch on the 27 car field. Silk completed the top-five. A consistent performance paid dividends for sixth-place Galko. Recovering from adversity was the story for the remainder of the top-ten including Pitkat, Patnode, Pennink, and Hinckley. The inaugural Ron Bouchard Auto Parts 100, presented by SPAFCO and Jerico, is also made possible with the help of a strong list of associate sponsors with a ton of racing heritage including Broad Brook Heating & Cooling, Fred Wilcox, Bruce Brennenstuhl, Fuller RV Rentals and Sales, Fuller’s Car Laundry, Ballard Trucks, Metcalf Paving, Pat’s Auto Center, George Summers Trucking, Ashaway Cement Products, Mad River Construction, Bradford Motors, Dunn’s Corner Repair, Twin Cedars, Central Mass Tree and Ed French & Son Paving. Next up for the TTOMS is the prestigious Open Wheel Wednesday 100 at Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday, June 27. For the complete series’ schedule and to learn more about the Tri-Track Modified Series, visit tritrackmods.com.
Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores 100-Claremont Speedway- May 26, 2018, Finishing Order: 1. Mike Willis Jr., Grantham, NH; 2. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 3. Matt Hirschman; Northampton, PA; 4. Tommy Barrett; Millis, MA; 5. Ron Silk; Norwalk, CT; 6. Matt Galko; Meriden, CT; 7. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 8. Todd Patnode, Richmond, NH; 9. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA; 10. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT; 11. Russ Hersey, N. Swanzey, NH; 12. Ron Frees, Brick Township, NJ; 13. Sam Rameau, Westminster, MA; 14. Brian Robie, Sunapee, NH; 15. Calvin Carroll, Johnsonburg, NJ; 16. Les Rose, Southbridge, MA; 17. Carl Medeiros Jr, Westport, MA; 18. Kirk Alexander, W. Swanzey, NH; 19. Chris Bolton, Weare, NH; 20. Mike Holdridge, Madison, CT; 21. Bucky Demers, Cornish, NH; 22. Kurt Vigeant, Oxford, MA; 23. Josh Cantara, Sanford, ME; 24. Dana DiMatteo, Farmington, CT; 25. TJ Bleau, Troy, NH; 26. Dana Smith, Sunapee, NH; 27. Nick Salva, Cheshire, CT. DNQ: George Skora, Scott Adams, Chris Risdale
Saturday, March 31 - Hickory - Win
Hirschman Hops to His First Career Victory at Hickory
Matt Hirschman had his eyes on the prize Saturday night during the Southern Modified Racing Series 75-lap feature at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC). The Northampton, PA native took an early lead and dominated the Easter Bunny 75 to score his first career victory at “The Birthplace of NASCAR Stars.”“It’s pretty cool to get a win here, it’s a track that has a lot of history behind it and a lot of great drivers have raced and won at this track,” Hirschman said after the race. “This is a track everybody wants to win and at and their name to the history books as well.”After an incident on the initial start between the leaders – Danny Bohn and defending SMRS champion Jeremy Gerstner – which sent them to the tail of the field, Hirschman and former NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss made up the new front row.“The initial restart obviously wasn’t how we wanted to get a race started, but it worked out in our favor and put us on the front row, so we knew what we had to do to get the job done,” Hirschman explained. “However, it wasn’t quite the race I expected.”Hirschman was quick to take the lead on the restart over Seuss as John Smith, Burt Myers, and Jason Myers settled into the top five. A hard-charging Andy Seuss kept Hirschman in striking distance for the lead, but was no match for the driver behind the No. 60 Modified. Cautions flew periodically throughout the 75-lap race, but Hirschman continued to hit his marks and held off his competitors on his way to victory lane. -By Madison Mabry, Speed51.com Southeast Correspondent – Twitter: @madisonmabry23
Top-10: 1. Matt Hirschman, 2. Andy Seuss, 3. John Smith, 4. Jason Myers, 5. Jeremy Gerstner, 6. Burt Myers, 7. Tim Brown, 8. Danny Bohn, 9. Kevin Orlando and 10. Brian Loftin
Saturday, March 17 - Myrtle Beach - 3rd
Jon McKennedy Knocks One Off His Bucket List
BY KYLE SOUZA HOMETRACKS.NASCAR.COM MARCH 17, 2018
Scores First Whelen Modified Tour Win at Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Even though both Jon McKennedy and Tommy Baldwin have put together a long list of accolades in their racing career, both entered the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season looking to prove a point. Saturday, McKennedy took the new pairing between the two veterans of asphalt modified racing right to the winner’s circle.McKennedy captured his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in the Performance Plus 150 presented by Safety Kleen at Myrtle Beach Speedway.“It feels great, I feel like this is way overdue,” McKennedy said. “Over the years, I was never really able to put 100 percent effort into the Tour. When Tommy called me, I just knew it was going to be a great deal. I’ve won races from Florida to Canada. It feels good to finally get the monkey off my back.”
Although McKennedy has a successful resume built in New England Tour-Type Modified racing, his first Whelen Modified Tour victory came in his 34th career start in the NASCAR modified ranks.The Chelmsford, Massachusetts, driver started from the outside pole, but quickly backed up through the field, trying to save his tires for the final stages on the tricky half-mile surface known for eating at Hoosier rubber.Following a pit stop for fresh tires during the final caution, McKennedy charged through the field and found himself staring down the back bumper of 20-year-old Chase Dowling in the final laps. On lap 139, McKennedy took his No. 7 Accell Construction Chevrolet to the bottom of Dowling, and took control of the race off turn two.He never looked back.“Tommy gave me a great opportunity to run this car, and I’m glad I could make the most of it,” McKennedy said. “We’re really off to a good start together. It’s great to be in good equipment and have some great knowledge behind us.”Although Jimmy Blewett took second and inched closer to McKennedy in the final laps, he came up just short, and settled for second. Blewett was driving for Ed Partridge, the defending Whelen Modified Tour owner’s champion, while Ryan Preece competed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Auto Club Speedway.“I can’t thank Eddie and his wife Connie enough, I’m just happy to be able to come out here and help them,” Blewett said. “This is a car that Eddie and my grandfather own together. We came here in the dark, with no notes. But we got ourselves pointed in the right direction fairly quickly today.”
Matt Hirschman led 77 laps and finished third after winning his sixth pole award in qualifying, while Chase Dowling was fourth. Justin Bonsignore, who led 26 laps, was fifth in his debut with LFR Chassis.Dave Sapienza was sixth, followed by Eric Goodale, Calvin Carroll, Craig Lutz and Rob Summers.
1 2 7 Jon McKennedy Accell Construction Inc. (Tommy Baldwin) Chevrolet 150 running 12 47
2 10 6 Jimmy Blewett TS Hauler (Ed Partridge) Chevrolet 150 running 0 42
3 1 60 Matt Hirschman Pee Dee Motorsports (Roy Hall) Chevrolet 150 running 77 43
4 7 15 Chase Dowling 15-40 Connection (Rob Fuller) Chevrolet 150 running 9 41
5 6 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc. (Kenneth Massa) Chevrolet 150 running 26 40
6 8 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprise (Judy Thilberg) Chevrolet 150 running 0 38
7 11 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing (Edgar Goodale) Chevrolet 150 running 0 37
8 22 25 Calvin Carroll Power with Prestige / Cruising with Betty (Joe Carroll) Chevrolet 150 running 0 36
9 19 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply (Russell Goodale) Chevrolet 150 running 6 36
10 4 64 Rob Summers Hoosier Tire East / Fast Track (Mike Murphy) Chevrolet 150 running 0 34
11 16 14 Blake Barney * Atlantic Sprinkler (Richard Barney) Chevrolet 150 running 0 33
12 5 16 Timmy Solomito Starrett Racing (Eric Sanderson) Ford 150 running 0 32
13 12 97 Andy Seuss O.B. Builders (Byran Dauzat) Chevrolet 150 running 1 32
14 9 2 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools (Mike Smeriglio III) Chevrolet 150 running 1 31
15 18 77 Gary Putnam Curb Records (Mike Curb) Chevrolet 150 running 6 30
16 13 1 Burt Myers Citrusafe / Dunleavy Truck & Trailer (Eddie Harvey) Ford 150 running 5 29
17 26 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape / TRC Electric (Sean McDonald) Chevrolet 150 running 0 27
18 14 75 Chris Pasteryak Dawley's Auto (Charles Pasteryak) Chevrolet 150 running 0 26
19 24 99 Jamie Tomaino Atlantic Sprinkler / PSR (Cheryl Tomaino) Chevrolet 150 running 0 25
20 27 23 Joe DeGracia * PJ DeGracia Contracting (Paul Degracia) Chevrolet 150 running 0 24
21 15 21 Ronnie Williams Gershow Recycling / Empower Financial (Joseph Bertuccio) Chevrolet 149 running 0 23
22 23 40 Frank Fleming Lewisville Motors / Smith Trucking (Gina Fleming) Chevrolet 148 running 0 22
23 3 22 Kyle Bonsignore Snap-On Tools (Kyle Bonsignore) Chevrolet 148 running 7 22
24 21 33 Wade Cole Perf. Engines / Kendall Oil (Wade Cole) Chevrolet 141 running 0 20
25 25 01 Melissa Fifield Crowells Towing (Kenneth Fifield) Chevrolet 141 running 0 19
26 20 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood (Robert Pollifrone) Chevrolet 120 tire 0 18
27 17 82 Woody Pitkat Horton Avenue Materials (Danny Watts Jr.) Chevrolet 115 running 0 17
Hirschman’s Injured Crew Member on Road to Recovery
February was a month of triumphs and hardships for the No. 60 Pee Dee Motorsports Modified team. After a solid start to Speedweeks, disaster struck while the team was unloading equipment on Tuesday, February 13 at New Smyrna Speedway (FL). Crew member Dennis Duffy sustained a serious open leg fracture which required immediate surgery and left him hospitalized. The team persevered and raced that night and the rest of the week, with Matt Hirschman claiming his first win in the John Blewett III Memorial and ultimately the 2018 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Tour-type Modified championship; all while thinking of Duffy the entire way.
Two weeks after the accident, good news was delivered to Dennis and his family: he was released from the hospital in Florida and told he could fly home this past Monday. “He is making progress,” Hirschman told Speed51.com. “He was able to fly home to Upstate New York, Monday this week. He’s going to continue with the rehabilitation process.” With Duffy now home, Pee Dee Motorsports and the Modified community continue to rally around him, asking for any donations to help the Duffy family during this trying time. Donations can be made through a GoFundMe account set up for his medical expenses. “We know with the medical bills and the loss of income until he gets back on his feet that we should try to help him out any way we can,” Hirschman stated. “So far there has been a lot of generous people that have contributed.” The best news of all is that Duffy’s spirit has remained high through the ordeal, even during the first few days in Florida. From his hospital bed he became a great source of moral for Hirschman and the team, urging them to continue the fight for race wins and the championship. “The day it happened we discussed whether or not we would even race that night,” Hirschman explained. “It was tough for everyone to deal with what happened, but I’m glad that we continued on and got the championship for the week. There’s nothing more than a team accomplishment that you can achieve down there than that. He was certainly still there with us, sending us messages every night about our resolve and trying to keep my morale up to make sure we got that championship. That was certainly something to remember for all of us.” The recovery process is expected to be somewhere 12 weeks for Duffy, but the outlook is still positive with Hirschman going on to say that Duffy hopes to return to the track sometime in the second half of this year. Hirschman and Pee Dee Motorsports will return to action March 17 at Myrtle Beach Speedway (SC) for the season opener for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. If you or anyone you know wants to donate to the Duffy family, follow the link to the Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/dennis-duffys-medical-expenses
-Story by: Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com Northeast Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
Friday, Feb 16 - New Smyrna - 2nd
A week of ups and downs ended on a high note for Ryan Preece Friday night at New Smyrna Speedway (FL). Preece took the lead from Matt Hirschman on lap 65 and drove away for his third career Richie Evans Memorial 100 victory.For Preece, the win this time around means even more given that this year’s race honored the late Ted Christopher.“To win this race is a big deal because it’s named after Teddy and named after Richie,” Preece said on the FansChoice.TV broadcast. “Teddy was somebody I raced with and he never gave me an inch. He’s pushed me to be the racer I am today. To win this race down here where he used to come, this was his playground, so to win this 100-lapper with his name and Richie’s name means a lot to me. Obviously, I finished the race, so that’s even better.”
Preece’s victory comes after a rollercoaster ride during Florida Speedweeks. A week that began with his No. 6 going for a wild ride at Bronson Speedway (FL) included a pair of DNFs at New Smyrna before ending with a victory in the biggest race of them all.
“I was a little nervous there with about 10 to go,” Preece said. “The car really started to free up and had a twitch but apparently (Hirschman) must have been loosening up or tightening up too. We had a really good race car. (We) really haven’t had the best week here. We had to change a clutch earlier and we’ve had issues all week.”
After leading over half of the 100-lap race, Hirschman held on to finish second and win his first World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing championship. The championship was also the first for the Hirschman family.“We had a good week and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hirschman said of the championship. “All of the times we’ve come down here I’ve never left satisfied with the week we had. I’m still a little disappointed in what he had. We had a good solid week, we did some things that we never did before and checked some things off the list. Although Hirschman was slightly disappointed with his performance at some points during the week, he recognizes the difficulty of what he accomplished. “I always say that the Turkey Derby is the hardest day of the year for racing, running the two classes we do there, but this is by far the hardest thing with the week-long racing here at New Smyrna,” he said. “It’s an experience for sure, but I’m still probably not going to leave here quite satisfied. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Timmy Solomito recorded his best finish of the week with a third-place finish. Ron Silk and Jimmy Blewett rounded out the top five.
-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51
-Photo credit: Speed51.com
Richie Evans Memorial 100 Unofficial Results
New Smyrna Speedway (FL) – February 16, 2018
Pos. # Driver
1 6 Ryan Preece
2 60 Matt Hirschman
3 16 Timmy Solomito
4 33 Ron Silk
5 179 Jimmy Blewett
6 25 Calvin Carroll
7 71 Jimmy Zacharias
8 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
9 07 Patrick Emerling
10 5 Kyle Ebersole
11 22 Chuck Hossfeld
12 32 Tyler Rypkema
13 64 Amy Catalano
14 45 Timmy Catalano
15 40 Kyle Trayner
16 23 Joe DeGracia
17 4 Jeff Gallup
18 58 Eric Goodale
19 25N Nikki Carroll
20 54 Tommy Catalano
21 2 Ronnie Williams
22 70 Jeremy Gerstner
23 71M Matt Montineri
24 46L Craig Lutz
25 63 Austin Pickens
Thursday, Feb 15 - New Smyrna - 4th
One night after finishing second in the John Blewett III Memorial, Patrick Emerling improved by one spot to record his first career World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing victory Thursday night at New Smyrna Speedway. Emerling took the lead from Craig Lutz with five laps remaining and pulled away during the final laps to score the elusive win. “It’s awesome for us. This is our first time down here in three or four years,” Emerling said on FansChoice.TV. “I used to come down here every year and we never had a win here; we had a lot of seconds. We always were very competitive down here.”The driver from Orchard Park, NY set fast time in qualifying for the first time this week before pulling an invert of eight. He patiently worked his way to the front of the field before making his move to the inside of Lutz on lap 30.“The redraw didn’t really favor us tonight but things finally played out our way a little bit,” Emerling stated. “We have been tuning on our car all week and we got it even better for tonight. We had that thing was so fast, it was perfect. I just slid it in on Lutz there. I just didn’t want to lose one; I wanted to win one so bad. I finally did.”Lutz held on to finish second after leading most the 35-lap feature.
“I can’t thank my guys enough for turning the week around,” Lutz said. “We’ve got fast cars; we’re just looking for that little bit. Hopefully tomorrow will be the night.”
Polesitter Ron Silk earned his best finish of the week with a third. Current Tour-type Modified points leader Matt Hirschman and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five.
The Tour-type Modifieds will be back in action for their biggest race of the week, the Richie Evans Memorial 100, Friday night.
-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51
New Smyrna Speedway (FL) – February 15, 2018
Pos. # Driver
1 07 Patrick Emerling
2 46L Craig Lutz
3 33 Ron Silk
4 60 Matt Hirschman
5 58 Eric Goodale
6 22 Chuck Hossfeld
7 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
8 54C Tommy Catalano
9 71M Jimmy Zacharias
10 46G Jeff Goodale
11 2 Ronnie Williams
12 5 Kyle Ebersole
13 63 Austin Pickens
14 16 Timmy Solomito
15 4 Jeff Gallup
16 25 Calvin Carroll
17 23 Joe DeGracia
18 32 Tyler Rypkema
19 25N Nikki Carroll
20 179 Jimmy Blewett
21 70 Jeremy Gerstner
22 40 Kyle Trayner
23 6 Ryan Preece
24 17 Danny Bohn
25 64 Amy Catalano
26 45C Timmy Catalano
Wednesday, February 14 - New Smyrna - Win
Matt Hirschman did what he does best Wednesday night at New Smyrna Speedway. The driver known as “Big Money Matt” conserved his tires and pounced at the right time to win his first career John Blewett III Memorial 76.
“This night and this interview is going to be about what this race is about, the John Blewett III Memorial. I’ve never won this race and I’ve always wanted to win this one,” Hirschman said on the FansChoice.TV broadcast. “We probably don’t really realize just how young John died and what he would have accomplished still in his career as good as he was. I was just getting to the point where we were probably going to battle for a lot of wins. We’ve won the Evans race before and it’s good to win this one now.” Hirschman received additional inspiration as his crew member Dennis Duffy watched on from the Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach. Duffy suffered a leg injury Monday at New Smyrna Speedway and has since been hospitalized. “First and foremost, one of my guys got his leg broke here and he’s watching on FansChoice still from Halifax,” Hirschman said. “Hopefully he’s out tomorrow and maybe he can even join us here Friday night.”
Ryan Preece led the early portion of the John Blewett III Memorial before Patrick Emerling took the lead on a lap 56 restarts. Preece would wrestle the lead back before giving it up to Hirschman for good on lap 64. Emerling eventually made his way by Preece to finish second and record his third straight podium finish. “I really want to win down here, but strategy just didn’t work out for us,” Emerling said. “I was trying to wear Ryan out and Matt was just back there saving his tires a little bit. The last caution just kind of got us because I got a little bit of wheel spin on that last restart.” Craig Lutz also made his way by Preece in the closing laps to finish third. Preece and Tommy Catalano, who arrived to the track late, rounded out the top five.
-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51
-Photo credit: Speed51.com
John Blewett III Memorial 76 Unofficial Results
New Smyrna Speedway (FL) – February 14, 2018
Pos. # Driver
1 60 Matt Hirschman
2 07 Patrick Emerling
3 46L Craig Lutz
4 6 Ryan Preece
5 54C Tommy Catalano
6 16 Timmy Solomito
7 17 Danny Bohn
8 71 Jimmy Zacharias
9 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
10 22 Chuck Hossfeld
11 4 Jeff Gallup
12 45C Timmy Catalano
13 58 Eric Goodale
14 2 Ronnie Williams
15 40 Kyle Trayner
16 25 Calvin Carroll
17 71M Matt Montineri
18 75 Jeremy Gerstner
19 70 John Gerstner
20 32 Tyler Rypkema
21 5 Kyle Ebersole
22 33 Ron Silk
23 63 Austin Pickens
24 25N Nikki Carroll
25 23 Joe DeGracia
26 49 Chris Young
27 64 Amy Catalano
Tuesday, February 13 - 2nd
When Ryan Preece arrives at a Florida race track in February he is expected to be one of the contenders. On Saturday at Bronson Speedway, Preece didn’t even see the green flag after a massive practice crash. On Monday at New Smyrna Speedway, Preece dominated most of the 50-lap race before a mechanical failure sidelined him prematurely. But on Tuesday night, Preece’s fortune finally changed in his favor as he scored the win in the 35-lap Tour-type Modified feature.
Preece took the lead from Matt Hirschman just prior to the halfway mark and never looked back. “When you beat that guy right there in that 60 car that’s saying something,” said Ryan Preece on the FansChoice.TV broadcast in victory lane. “All of these guys behind me have worked their butts off this week. This is just awesome. This is definitely the way I wanted to start off yesterday, but to be able to do it tonight makes it a little sweeter.”
Early in the race Preece and Hirschman ran an identical lap time to the thousandth of a second. Even after Preece took the lead, he and Hirschman were still running mostly identical lap times until just a few laps to go. “I knew I had a really good car,” explained Preece. “He was better than me in some places, and I was better than him. Ultimately, the hole opened up and I got underneath him and got a run. Once I got by him we were kind of even and then I was able to inch away.”
At the end of 35 laps, it was Preece across the line first followed by Hirschman, Jimmy Blewett, Patrick Emerling and Timmy Solomito. Preece told Speed51.com reporters before the evening began that he was hoping his bad luck would change at some point this week. He said he wasn’t even hoping for good luck, but instead to just have no luck at all.
“We’ve done our homework. I don’t want any luck. I want to make my own way to victory lane,” said Preece. “We started fourth and got some breaks, but we earned our way here.”
1 6 Ryan Preece
2 60 Matt Hirschman
3 179 Jimmy Blewett
4 07 Patrick Emerling
5 16 Timmy Solomito
6 58 Eric Goodale
7 5 Kyle Ebersole
8 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
9 17 Danny Bohn
10 71 Jimmy Zacharias
11 46L Craig Lutz
12 25 Calvin Carroll
13 4 Jeff Gallup
14 46G Jeff Goodale
15 63 Austin Pickens
16 64 Amy Catalano
17 45C Timmy Catalano
18 23 Joe DeGracia
19 70 John Gerstner
20 10T Tom Tohn
21 25N Nikki Carroll
22 22 Chuck Hossfeld
23 75 Jeremy Gerstner
24 33 Ron Silk
25 7NY Jon McKennedy
26 40 Kyle Trayner
27 71M Matt Montineri
28 2 Ronnie Williams
Monday, Feb 12 - New Smyrna World Series Night #4 (Monday) - Matt 4th
1 7NY Jon McKennedy
2 5 Kyle Ebersole
3 22 Chuck Hossfeld
4 60 Matt Hirschman
5 07 Patrick Emerling
6 2 Ronnie Williams
7 17 Danny Bohn
8 25 Calvin Carroll
9 58 Eric Goodale
10 4 Jeffrey Gallup
11 83 Mike Willis, Jr.
12 40 Kyle Trayner
13 63 Austin Pickens
14 75 Jeremy Gerstner
15 71M Matt Montineri
16 64 Amy Catalano
17 23 Joe DeGracia
18 45C Timmy Catalano
19 10T Tom Tohn
20 46L Craig Lutz
21 6 Ryan Preece
22 32 Tyler Rypkema
23 179 Jimmy Blewett
24 16 Timmy Solomito
25 94 Al Emmarino
26 25N Nikki Carroll
27 46G Jeff Goodale
28 71 Jimmy Zacharias
29 33 Ron Silk
30 2X Tim Lento
31 70 John Gerstner
Tour Type Modifieds came to Bronson Speedway to start 2018 race year while taking a winter break. Making the trip to warm and sunny Florida weather, fourteen teams came to be the victor.
The first day of action on the track brought with it a lot of excitement as teams shook cars out. During afternoon practice Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT became the first one out when the #6 TS Haulers modified’s throttle stuck going into turn one. As the videos captured by spectators show, the car launch over the first turn cement barriers jetted in the air and came to rest in the grassy field outside the track. Preece was able to get out of the car unscathed after the “Dukes of Hazards” type ride. The crew worked on the #6 evaluating the damage and after close examination they packed the car in the hauler to head back to New Smyrna area. With a bent frame, the modified needs extensive work if it can be repaired. The team’s primary car stayed at New Smyrna ready for New Smyrna Speedway Speedweek racing. Eric Goodale of Riverhead, NY through the luck of the draw started the race on the pole. When the green flag flew he found himself out powered as Craig Lutz of Miller Place, NY who rocketed the #46 modified to the lead position. Goodale lost his momentum and was back in fifth by lap 5. Matt Hirschman from Northampton, PA set fast time and after the redraw he found himself in third on race start. Hirschman took advantage of the situation and slid into second. Lutz led the field for thirty-nine circuits holding off Hirschman’s persistent threats. Then on lap 40, Hirschman got way under Lutz in turn four to pass him for the top position. Once in the lead, there was no stopping Hirschman. “It is a fun track to drive. Last year was the first time that I came here. Last year I came close to a win but I did not close the deal. This year I was in the same kind of position. The laps were winding down so I ran Craig as hard as I could there to see if he would slip up. Then finally I was able to get up underneath him and get by. So it was kind of a little redemption to close the deal here.” Making the most of his late race crash in 2017, Hirschman took his notes and improved. “I learned a lot last year. We were pretty much where we needed to be today,” confessed Hirschman. “It is great to start the week off with a win. We still have some much work and racing ahead of us. But we will enjoy the win here a little bit and then get back to work. Hopefully there are more wins that come this week” Hirschman is known as “Big Money Matt” when it comes to short track racing and once again he showed us why. “It is good to get a win at a new track, it is definitely my bread and butter.” Stated Hirschman living up to his nick name. “It is just great to be down here and the weather is excellent. Bronson is a fun track to race on. Short tracks are my strength and when the tires go away and get slick on a short track that it is my real strength.” “On this track it is all about the car and driver and their ability to hook things up.” Hirschman explained. “For his first time here, Craig did real well. If he comes back here next year he will become more of a threat then he was tonight.” Twenty-three year old Lutz beat out Goodale for the lead on the race start. He defended his territory until slick Hirschman made a very strong move under him with ten to go. It was Lutz’s first time racing at Bronson Speedway and he ran it like a pro. “First time here it was an awesome night for us,” exclaimed Lutz. “I missed it a little on the time trials but got lucky with the redraw to start on the outside of the front row. I had good restarts all day to try to get out there with quick pace but they call him ”Big Money Matt” for a reason. All in all it was an awesome day for our team. Hopefully we can carry the momentum in to New Smyrna.” Hirschman had tried his move under Lutz in turn four several times before he finally got the car to stick. Lutz’s held his own and made Hirschman work for the position. Lutz described the race action: “Matt and I bumped a little bit which was just good hard racing. I was trying to keep my line and he was trying to get by me. Matt is a good clean driver so you do not have to worry getting wrecked by him.” Lutz had a solid second in the end. Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, NY went from third in time trials to sixth to start the race. On a fast slick track that was not where he wanted to be. “The race was not too bad. I just did not have the race position from beginning. We started sixth the starts just did not really help us.” acknowledged Emerling. “All in all it was a decent race but I just did not have the track position that I wanted. I just ran my own line for a while but we could have used a caution that would have really helped us out. We ran on the bottom for two or three laps and caught up to second. But who knows if we would have had anything for the #60. Matt had a pretty good run. For the first night and finishing up in the top three is good. It is our first time here and we tried new stuff was positive for us. We will take our stuff and go to New Smyrna.” Ronnie Williams finished fourth, and Eric Goodale fifth. Ken Barry, Chuck Hossfeld, Jeff Gallup, Chris Young and Kyle Trayner round off the top ten finishers. Drivers will now make the ride southeast to New Smyrna Speedway for five nights of modified racing. Join us back for live updates all week as we take you through the action both on and off the track.
Hirschman Heading South Again to Kick Off 2018 Season
This past February, one of the hottest topics entering the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing was the return of Matt Hirschman to the State of Florida and how he and the fledgling Pee Dee Motorsports No. 60 team would perform. Despite an unfortunate start after a collision with Ryan Preece at Bronson Speedway, Hirschman collected a win six days later at New Smyrna Speedway in the Richie Evans Memorial 100 and finished second in the World Series Tour-type Modified standings
What followed was a season for the ages in 2017, with ‘Big Money Matt’ living up to his moniker once again.
Now with 2018 fast approaching, Hirschman is set to begin the year in Florida again. This time around, he’s hoping to get off to an even better start.
Last year was probably the best overall Speedweeks that I’ve ever had, and not that I’ve done a lot of them, but that was definitely the most consistent and best performing Speedweeks we’ve ever had,” Hirschman told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. “We’re looking forward to trying to build on that. I think Ryan Preece and I were the top two there last year. We both got wins and we were one-two several nights, so hopefully we can improve on last year.”
Hirschman’s Speedweeks campaign is expected to include the ‘Kickoff to Speedweeks’ at Bronson Speedway on Saturday, February 10 and the five nights of Modified racing from February 12 – 16 at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
Once again, Hirschman will race for the still fresh Pee Dee Motorsports team, which made its first Speedweeks appearance in 2017. The team will move forward in 2018 with much of the same equipment and personnel.
“We made our debut in late 2016 and we don’t race a lot, so our equipment is in good shape. It’s just a matter of building together as a team, learning more about the car and the crew getting acclimated to the different things we are doing,” Hirschman stated. “Not all the same stuff we do with RoC and Tri-Track is the same; we’ve mixed it up. We’ve done some Whelen Modified shows and some open shows near the end of the year. We’ve been doing a little of everything and it just takes some getting used to.”
While Pee Dee Motorsports will run the southern big shows and select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events, Hirschman’s family team is set to run a menagerie of races in the Northeast once again.
“It will probably be similar to last year. We had such a good year that I really don’t plan to change up too much,” he stated. “We’re definitely looking forward to seeing more Tri-Track races, and we’ll mix in RoC races, local stuff in Pennsylvania, a few Whelen Modified races, and the typical later season open shows that we traditionally do. It’s still a little early, not everything is finalized yet, so it’s hard to put together a schedule now.”
Following a season-opening run in February and March, Hirschman took a breather for the month of April, only to break out starting in May and set the Northeast racing scene on fire. It is a plan that Hirschman is looking to again in 2018.
“Doing the winter races in February and then if we do races in March, is like its own season. Then the regular season gets going May, June and then right through into the fall. It’s a long season and you really extended it by starting in February,” Hirschman began. “Realistically, we will be starting in the beginning of February this year and race the Thanksgiving weekend. That only really leaves December and January as off months. So, that’s a ten-month season and there is a lot more bigger races later in the year. So, if we are going to skip some races or have a lighter schedule, we would take a break in the spring when there isn’t a lot of big races. That was the case this year, we raced in February and March and we needed to regroup and really prepare for the season, which gets busier as the year goes on. So it worked out, you’ll probably see something similar this year.”
Hirschman’s 2017 season will be remembered as a legendary one, winning half of his 34 starts. He knows that the one thing more difficult will be duplicating or eclipsing that string of success in 2018.
“When you are on a roll and momentum is on your side you really hate to see the season end. Because next year when we start is a brand-new year, you start with zero for wins. Every year is different and it’s kind of a roller coaster ride really,” he said. “Just two years ago I won three races all year; this past year we won 17 and had streaks of seven and six wins. It’s not easy but like I said, if you get momentum rolling in your program and everybody on your team is performing at a high level you can achieve some great things, and that’s the kind of season we had this year. Hopefully we can stay focused and build on that on to start the season off and we can pick up where we left off.”
Hirschman will kick off his season during the 52nd Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. The Tour-type Modifieds will race five straight nights beginning on February 12 and culminating with the Richie Evans Memorial 100 on Friday, February 16.
-By: Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com CT, MA, RI & Long Island Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT