2026
"Boy Wonder” Paulie Hartwig III scores Evergreen Raceway Opening Day MY 3rd Tour Type Modified Laurels
(5-3-26) He’s best known as “Boy Wonder” and for good reason. Paulie Hartwig III of Galaway, NJ never ceases to amaze in what he continues to do with a Modified stock car and on Sunday afternoon he added another feather in his cap as the 15-year-old took top honors in the Tour Type Modified feature at Evergreen Raceway’s Opening Day. Hartwig started the 35-lap main in fifth spot and wasted little time in slotting his way to third behind Austin Beers and leader Kyle Sisco. He then moved to second by virtue of a lap-1 restart and then stay glued to the tail of Sisco’s No. 31. Keeping the pressure on he was able to work to the inside of Sisco as they ran side-by-side on lap seven. His race winning move would then take place by holding a solid line entering Turn 1 and from the outset of lap eight and through to the finish it would become a race for second as Hartwig was much too strong for the rest of the pack. “Right after we built this car it was good out of the box when we took it to New Smyrna back in February and all the thanks goes out to Jerry Gradl who did so much for us. We love coming here for the fans and I always like running at this track and it’s always pretty cool to win here at Evergreen,” said Hartwig. A redraw of the top six from the heats saw Sisco, who was driving for Steve Ferrara, and James Pritchard Jr., sharing the front row and once the action got underway Sisco took command over Austin Beers, Hartwig, Pritchard and Brian DeFebo. At the completion of the first tour the caution waved when Evan Rygielski spun in Turn 3. With the race being a “choose” for the restart Beers opted to go low and gave up second spot to Hartwig. Once the action resumed Sisco would have his hands full as Hartwig kept him in his clutches. The ongoing hounding would pay off for Hartwig when he was able to move to the bottom of the track in order to set-up his plan of attack. “I saw (Austin) Beers choose the bottom, (for the restart) so I went right to the top and then we got down to the bottom and got a whole and a run on Kyle (Sisco) and that was that,” said Hartwig.
“The car was getting a little free towards the end and if we would have had a caution I think Austin and even Matt (Hirschman) may have had something for us.”
As Hartwig was cruising there was some very close racing taking place between Sisco and Beers as they ran continuously nose-to-tail. Then 10 laps to go Matt Hirschman joined the fight and the trio remained locked in that order to the checkers. “He (Hartwig) had us all covered today and it was his day. It was a real treat here today and a lot of fun running for the first time with a Tour Type Modified. We built some gains although I feel we made a little mistake with the set-up before the race and thankfully it was only 35 laps,” said Sisco, who notched a career best Evergreen finish.“We finished second and thanks to (Austin) Beers, he could have pushed the issue and could have got me a few times. Now we have something to build on and hopefully we’ll be a little bit better the next time we come back.” Rounding out the top five with a steady run was Jayden Harman.
Modified finish (35 laps): 1. Paulie Hartwig III, 2. Kyle Sisco, 3. Austin Beers, 4. Matt Hirschman, 5. Jayden Harman, 6. Brian DeFebo, 7. Evan Rygielski, 8. Riger Coss, 9. Austin Kochenash, 10. James Pritchard Jr., 11. Steve Shultz, 12. Brian Romig Jr., 13. Steve Wojick
Mahoning "reopens" with RoC Race April 18 - Matt comes from 12th for the WIn
There are tracks on the Race of Champions Modified Series schedule, and then there is Mahoning Valley Speedway. For Matt Hirschman, the difference is personal.
Racing close to home has a way of bringing out something extra, and Saturday night was no exception. Starting 12th in the 75-lap "Spring Zing," Hirschman picked his way steadily through the field, took the lead from Paulie Hartwig III just past the halfway point, and never gave anyone a reason to think the outcome was in question. When it was over, he had his first win of the season and a performance that checked every box.
"We needed tonight," Hirschman said in victory lane. "We haven't had our typical start to the season, so this is great for our race team and gets us back on track. I want to thank my family, the team, our sponsors, and everyone that supports us. It's great to win here at home and see a great crowd. There's nothing quite like home cooking."
The race got underway with former series champions Austin Beers and Earl Paules setting the early pace, trading position through the opening laps as the field sorted itself out. Several caution periods kept things bunched up, and Hartwig eventually worked his way to the front and looked like a serious threat to steal the night.
Hirschman had other ideas. Advancing calmly from his starting spot deep in the field, he made his move shortly after the halfway mark and pulled away without drama, earning the victory in the kind of convincing fashion that makes it look easier than it is.
Hartwig crossed the line second. Jack Ely, who had fought through qualifying issues and started 15th, rallied impressively to finish third. Blake Barney was fourth, and young Gunnar Zeiner rounded out the top five.
It was a complete night for the team. Hirschman set fast time in green-white-checker qualifying earlier in the evening and won his qualifying race, sweeping the program from start to finish. Beers, Hartwig, and Roger Coss also picked up qualifying race wins.
A strong crowd. A home track. A checkered flag. Sometimes the night lines up exactly the way it's supposed to.
1 12 60 Matt Hirschman Northampton, PA 11
2 3 20 Paulie Hartwig III Galloway, NJ 1
3 18 56 Jack Ely Northampton, PA 15
4 10 14 Blake Barney Jackson, NJ 6
5 15 76Z Gunnar Zeiner Bath, PA 10
6 1 9 Austin Beers Northampton, PA -5
7 2 8 Earl Paules Palmertown, PA -5
8 7 48 Jacob Christman Walnutport, PA -1
9 17 95 Jacob Kerstetter Allentown, PA 8
10 4 71 Austin Kochenash
11 23 03 Jaden Brown Kunkletown, PA 12
12 16 41 Nick Baer New Tripoli, PA 4
13 25 7X Mark Miller Lehighton, PA 12
14 8 29 Cody Kohler Schnecksville, PA -6
15 20 51 Jayden Harmann sugarloaf, PA 5
16 21 3 Daren Scherer Binghamton, NY 5
17 14 85 Lou Strohl Palmertown, PA -3
18 5 19 Kyle Strohl Palmertown, PA -13
19 11 1 Stephen Kopcikk Newtown, CT -8
20 19 53 Brian Defebo Berwick, PA -1
21 13 12 Bobby Jones Palmertown, PA -8
22 9 25NH Brian Robie Sunapee, NH -13
23 6 17 Roger Coss Lafayette, NJ -17
24 22 76S Rod Snyder Jr Lehighton, PA -2
25 24 22 Don Wagner Wharton, NJ -1
Back 2 Back: Stephen Kopcik Continues Hot Streak with Thompson Victory on August 12 as team works hard to show the speed they know they have
THOMPSON, Conn. – The hottest driver on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to open 2026 is unquestionably Stephen Kopcik.
After earning his first series victory at Martinsville Speedway in his 23rd career start, Kopcik collected another checkered flag on Sunday at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Kopcik earned that victory thanks to a late-race pit stop that catapulted him to the race lead.
Track position proved pivotal during the Icebreaker 150, and Kopcik credited his Wanick Motorsports crew not only for their efficiency at Thompson, but for the hard work they've shown through the first three events.
"That pit stop was crucial," Kopcik said. "They killed it once again. By coming out first, that gives you lane choice and that means a lot here with 40 to go. It's unbelievable because yesterday I was wondering if I knew how to drive this place. To come here and win on the Whelen Modified Tour is unbelievable."
Two-time series champion Ron Silk finished second, with Mike Christopher Jr. third and Jon McKennedy fourth. Matt Hirschman rounded out the top five. Reigning series champion Austin Beers finished sixth in the Icebreaker 150.
Kopcik now leads the championship standings for the first time in his career after winning two of the first three races of the season.
"We're going to keep working hard and try to show up with fast cars we can build on," Kopcik said. "Momentum is huge, but nothing is going to beat hard work."
Icebreaker 150 – Official Results
- Stephen Kopcik – 150 laps
- Ron Silk – 150 laps
- Mike Christopher Jr. – 150 laps
- Jon McKennedy – 150 laps
- Matt Hirschman – 150 laps
- Austin Beers – 150 laps
- Justin Bonsignore – 150 laps
- Craig Lutz – 150 laps
- Chase Dowling – 150 laps
- Tyler Rypkema – 150 laps
- Teddy Hodgdon – 150 laps
- Eric Goodale – 150 laps
- Patrick Emerling – 150 laps
- Eric Berndt – 150 laps
- Matt Swanson – 150 laps
- David Sapienza – 150 laps
- Andrew Molleur – 150 laps
- Doug Coby – 149 laps
- Tommy Catalano – 149 laps
- Andrew Krause – 149 laps
- Joey Cipriano III – 149 laps
- Kyle Bonsignore – 149 laps
- John-Michael Shenette – 149 laps
- Max Zachem – 149 laps
- Ken Heagy – 146 laps
- Cory Plummer – 143 laps
- Ronnie Williams – 106 laps
- Paulie Hartwig III – 98 laps
- Trevor Catalano – 45 laps
Stephen Kopcik claims maiden Modified Tour win at Martinsville on March 28: ‘We’ll remember this one forever’
By Adam Fenwick - NASCAR.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Throughout Martinsville Speedway’s long history, some of Modified racing’s best have found their way to Victory Lane. Richie Evans. Mike Ewanitsko. Reggie Ruggiero. Tony Hirschman. Justin Bonsignore. They’ve all won in a Modified at Martinsville.On Saturday, a new name was added to the exclusive list. Stephen Kopcik held off Ron Silk during a late restart to win Saturday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200, which was postponed one day due to inclement weather. The victory, which came in his 23rd career start, was the first of Kopcik’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career. He is the 82nd driver to win a series event since the formation of the modern Tour in 1985. “I knew I had a car capable of winning. It was up to me to not screw anything up on every restart,” Kopcik said. “It’s crazy. I knew I had a good car, but Ron also had a good car. He got by me earlier in the race, and I wasn’t sure what he had left. “You never know; he had a great car tonight too. Just glad we could come out on top.” Before the green flag even waved for the 200-lap event, Kopcik and his Wanick Motorsports team had a plan. The goal was to stay off cycle with the other leaders, which the team hoped would allow Kopcik to maintain track position and, hopefully, control of the race. The plan worked perfectly. Kopcik, who started 12th, took the lead with 50 laps left during a cycle of pit stops. From that point forward, the path to victory ran through him. The driver from Newtown, Connecticut survived three more restarts, including the final green flag with four laps left, to etch his name in history as a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner at Martinsville Speedway.
Now he just needs figure out where to put his new grandfather clock.
“Probably the biggest win of my career at this point,” Kopcik said. “Coolest trophy, biggest win, coolest place to win at. I would say this tops most all of them.
“We’ll remember this one forever.” Silk finished second, a career best at Martinsville for the two-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion. Tyler Rypkema drove the Ole Blue No. 3 to a third-place finish, followed by Eric Goodale and defending series champion Austin Beers. Polesitter Patrick Emerling, Kyle Bonsignore, Tommy Catalano, Timmy Solomito and Ryan Newman were sixth through 10th, respectively.
1 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction/Newton Pools 200 --
2 16 Ron Silk Blue Moutian Machine/ Future Homes 200 0.147
3 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/SYP 200 0.835
4 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 200 1.251
5 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply/ 200 1.665
6 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Motorsports 200 1.891
7 22 Kyle Bonsignore ChawLew Performance/MTT/LRD 200 2.04
8 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Power 200 2.246
9 66 Timmy Solomito USNE Power/Kennedy Realty/FX Caprara 200 2.277
10 0 Ryan Newman Keydisplay/USNE 200 2.487
11 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Power 200 2.697
12 60 Matt Hirschman Pee Dee Motorsports 200 2.835
13 82 Andrew Molleur Horton Avenue Materials 200 3.108
14 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 200 3.399
15 31 Michael Christopher Jr Baker Racing 200 3.563
16 25 Danny Bohn Foxfire Farms/Ready Mix 200 3.743
17 38 Jack Baldwin* Stokes Shoes 200 3.943
18 71 Jimmy Zacharias Velocita 200 4.126
19 55 Jeremy Gerstner /JTS Services 200 4.328
20 8 John-Michael Shenette neral Contractor 199 1 Lap
21 40 Luke Fleming William EAutos by Nelson 195 5 Laps
22 95 Cory Plumme. roteau Machine & More 194 6 Laps
23 7 Luke Baldwin Baldwin Automotive 188 12 Laps
24 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication 188 12 Laps
25 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 184 16 Laps
26 70 Andy Seuss Rockingham Boat 171 29 Laps
27 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuart’s Automotive 160 40 Laps
28 05 Teddy Hodgdon IV* BMontanari Fuel 160 40 Laps
29 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Velocita USA 81 119 Laps
30 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg Co. 58 142 Laps
CHAMPIONS AND INDIVIDUALS HONORED AT RACE OF CHAMPIONS 2025 SEASON-ENDING CELEBRATION
Participants, officials, and fans of the Race of Champions “Family of Series” gathered at the Holiday Inn Auburn – Finger Lakes Region in Auburn, NY, for an evening of awards, accolades, and celebration to conclude the 2025 championship season. More than $60,000 in awards and point fund monies were distributed, along with several special recognitions.
Honored as 2025 Series Champions were:
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA – Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series
Andrew Lewis Jr. of Ontario, NY – Race of Champions Sportsman Modified Series
Tommy Barron of Ontario, NY – Race of Champions Super Stock Series
Cody McPherson of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada – Race of Champions Dirt 602 Sportsman Modified Series
Scott Wylie of Blasdell, NY – Race of Champions Late Model Series
Tim Welshans of South Wales, NY – Race of Champions Street Stock Series
Joey VanLare of Webster, NY – Race of Champions 602 Sportsman Modified Series
Trisha Connolly of Palmerton, PA – Race of Champions FOAR SCORE Four Cylinder Dash Series
“This was another great season for us,” stated Hirschman during his championship acceptance interview. “We didn’t set out to run for the championship, but once we knew we had a shot, we turned up the heat. We’ve raced in a lot of places and done a lot of things, and this Series has always meant a great deal to our team and family. From what we’ve experienced, people should really appreciate it — the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
Point fund contributions were made possible through the support of Hoosier Racing Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, Racing America, FX Caprara, Waddell Communications, the Erie Sports Commission, the FOAR SCORE Club, MyRacePass, Printed Image of Buffalo, Image X, Speedway Illustrated, and RoCModifiedSeries.TV.
In addition to championship honors, several special awards were presented recognizing dedication, sportsmanship, and fan engagement.
The 2025 Most Popular Driver Award recipients were:
Andy Jankowiak (Modifieds) – Tonawanda, NY
Andrew Lewis Jr. (Sportsman Modified) – Ontario, NY
Tommy Barron (Super Stock) – Ontario, NY
Jacob Gustafson (Late Models) – Webster, NY
MacKenzie Hanbury (602 Asphalt Sportsman Modified) – Ontario, NY
Trisha Connolly (FOAR SCORE Four Cylinder Dash Series) – Palmerton, PA
Mike Piccirilli (Street Stock) – Hamburg, NY
The Jerry Ward Dedication Award was presented to Race of Champions Director of Technical Inspection Brian Ruestow by the Ward family and the FOAR (Friends of Auto-Racing) SCORE Fan Club.
Jake Christman of Walnutport, PA, was named Rookie of the Year in the Modified division.
The evening’s program was hosted by Race of Champions “voice” Dave Buchanan, who served as Master of Ceremonies.
About the Race of Champions: The Race of Champions is a sanctioning body presenting Modified and Stock Car racing on asphalt and dirt surfaces throughout the Northeast, with events in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Primary marketing partners include Hoosier Racing Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, FX Caprara, Airport Collision, Waddell Communications, Image X Design, Sherwood Racing Wheels, DirtTrackDigest.com, and Speed Sport.
The 76th Annual Race of Champions will take place in 2026, continuing its legacy as the second-longest consecutively run auto-racing event in North America, second only to the Indianapolis 500.
NEWS UPDATE:
Good Afternoon Race Fans. Matt rolled out the new paint scheme for the PeeDee#60 at New Smyrna. It's a patriotic America 250 scheme celebrating our Nation's 250th birthday.. Hope you enjoyed it. It was an up and down day and evening through practice, qualifying, and the race itself. The new tires, American Racer, presented a challenge for all of the race teams. Matt qualified 12th. During the race itself, he moved up to 7th. The Brown Dogs did a great job throughout the day in servicing the needs of the car and team. The race itself got a little rough with pit strategy playing an important role. Matt and the car got bounced around a few times with some cosmetic damage. He was able to bounce back to a respectable 12th place finish. We move on. Next up...Martinsville on the NWMT. Stay Tuned!
Bonsignore Claims Whelen Modified Tour Opener at New Smyrna on February 7
Zach Evans on Feb 8, 2026
Justin Bonsignore joined the list of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victors at New Smyrna Speedway, taking the win in the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 on Saturday evening. Bonsingore took the lead from Austin Beers inside of 40 laps to go and maintained the top spot, as the four-time series champion kicked off the 2026 season with a trip to victory lane. Bonsignore tipped his cap to crew chief Ryan Stone after the race after a strong showing throughout the night, qualifying on the pole and taking the win. "It was good because of Ryan Stone," said Bonsignore in victory lane. "The guys had great pit stops all night. Just a total team effort. It's been a tough winter for us. This just feels good to come out and do what we did today. We had a great car." The first race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since an offseason switch to American Racer tires proved to be a learning experience for the 32 competitors in the field. Bonsignore gained some knowledge during a tire test, but found some of the knowledge he gained on-track was more valuable than time learning the new tire. "We obviously got the opportunity to do the tire test here, but we learned a lot, even if it was going to stick with the Hoosiers that night," explained Bonsignore. "We worked really hard on some new stuff that we have been hesitant to try while we're in points battles. It was really good. Just some lines we learned at the test were good, being that tight on rears only with 20 to go, moving around in three and four. "That was a great race with Ryan [Preece] for a while there for a while, and Tyler [Rypkema] kept us honest on the last bunch of starts. Just a great start to the year."
Rypkema finished second to Bonsignore, balancing the bittersweet emotions of coming close to a victory and coming up short but earning a solid points showing to start a new season. "The last three restarts, firing off on the outside," said Rypkema. "It's so tough late in the run to get some good drive off the top and hang with them. We were just good at the end there and tried to hang with them and got a good restart on that last one there. It's tough, you know, to finish second, but it's a great way to start the season out points-wise looking forward." Last year's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Austin Beers, finished third, his best finish in the New Smyrna season opener during his young career. "This is one race I am happy with a third," said Beers. "We were struggling there. I was just a little too tight. We took rears and rears, so we didn't have a right-front there at the end, and I think it hurt us. I feel like if we did get that right-front, we would have been mired in traffic. "Starts the season with a third. This is my finish here at New Smyrna on the Tour, so I can't complain."
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication 203 --
2 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/SYP 203 0.56
3 64 Austin Beers GAP Marquadt & Sons/Andrew Ja 203 1.736
4 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Motorsports 203 2.314
5 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply 203 2.971
6 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuart’s 203 3.734
7 40 Ryan Preece Racechoice 203 4.228
8 4 Ryan Newman /Acme Aero/Lucas Oil 203 4.484
9 56 Trevor Catalano USNE Power 203 4.43
10 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 203 5.177
11 05 Teddy Hodgdon IV* /Montanari Fuel 203 6.234
12 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank 203 6.544
13 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction/Newton Pools 203 6.836
14 71 Jimmy Zacharias Kevo Motorsports/ 203 7.259
15 02 Joey Coulter IV /Simpson/Stilo/Molecule 203 7.661
16 20 Max Zachem Lu-Mac’s Package Store/203 8.939
17 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara/USNE Power 203 10.24
18 8 John-Michael Shenette USNE Power 203 9.863
19 31 Michael Christopher Jr Elite Towing/Baker Racing 203 12.348
20 73 Carson Loftin J/Lavalette Har 203 14.514
21 81 Mark Stewart / Eastside Building 203 15.61
22 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 203 21.434
23 7 Luke Baldwin Baldwin Automotive 202 1 Lap
24 55 Jeremy Gerstner /JTS Services & Racecar Engineering 193 10 Laps
25 2 Jimmy Blewett Gershow Recycling/ John Blewett Scrap 178 25 Laps
26 66 Timmy Solomito USNE Power/Kennedy Realty/FX Caprara 176 27 Laps
27 22 Kyle Bonsignore ChawLew Performance 155 48 Laps
28 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mfg Co. 150 53 Laps
29 99 Sam Rameau FNO Racecars 143 60 Laps
30 29 Mike Marshall MLM Diagnostics/Jusczak Electric 143 60 Laps
31 38 Bobby Labonte Cook Out 95 108 Laps
32 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine/Future Homes 33 170 Laps
2026 Season News
Hey MH60 fans! With some changes that took place during the off-season our 2026 season schedule will look a little different. Our intentions are to compete in the full NASCAR Regional WMT schedule with Pee Dee Motorsports. Our open modified schedule will change as needed. We will be opening our season next Saturday February 7th in the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200. For the 2026 trip to Florida our focus will be on that event only and we will not be competing in the World Series events following. We would like to thank New Smyrna Speedway for a long overdue increase to the tour modified purse and hope to be able to compete in future years. We are looking forward to getting out of the cold and starting our 2026 season off in a big way next Saturday night. If you can’t make it in person be sure to tune in to FloRacing.