BURT MYERS ATOP A TIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE EARLY IN SMART MODS SEASON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Martinsville, VA (April 7, 2023) - Three races and three winners so far with the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic. With a break in the action this weekend, let’s take a look at the championship points heading into race number-4 on Saturday, April 15 at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
Matt Hirschman (Florence, SC), Brandon Ward (Caraway, NC) and Brian Loftin (South Boston, VA) have been the three winners thus far in 2023.
Out of that winning group, Ward is the top driver in the championship picture, currently second in the standings. The Winston Salem, NC chauffeur has two top-five finishes, which coincidentally came in the first two contests of the season. His only finish outside the top five is a sixth place effort at the series’ most recent race, The Flying VA Classic at South Boston Speedway (April 1).
Sitting atop the Pace-O-Matic point standings is perennial championship contender Burt Myers. The Walnut Cove, NC driver has not yet won a race this year, but he has been one of the most dominant. The Citrusafe number-1 has paced the field for 90 circuits this year; that is nearly double of any other competitor. Myers has two podium finishes, and like Ward, his worst finish is a sixth place run.
The margin between first, Myers, and second, Ward, is a mere three points. Stage points is the main difference thus far, as Burt has six points to Ward’s none.
One of the strongest performers this year has been defending series champion Caleb Heady. The Kentucky driver has led the second-most laps (55), but a series of misfortune has prevented him from capturing the desired results.
At the season opener at Florence Motor Speedway (March 4), Heady was leading when he came down pitroad during a caution with seven laps to go. His number-7ny was trapped by a lapped car during his stop which resulted in Heady losing positions prior to the restart. He rebounded for a second-place finish.
After a subpar outing at Caraway (March 25), bad luck struck Heady again at South Boston. After leading laps early in the race, Heady was marching back through the field after a pitstop when Hirschman’s number-60 car slowed dramatically. Heady was forced to make an evasive maneuver down pit road, and in doing so, lost many positions. The Tommy Baldwin Racing team is currently seventh in the standings.
Rebounding from poor starts to the season in the initial race of the year, Brian Loftin and Joey Coulter sit tied for third in the standings. Loftin turned in a strong run at Caraway before and scored a top-10 finish. He backed that up with his first victory of the year at South Boston with Shady Grady Racing.
Joey Coulter’s misfire at Florence turned into a near winning performance at Caraway Speedway (2nd). He also charged hard at South Boston to challenge for the lead early, then overcame a bump from another competitor that put him to the tail end of the field to finish in the top 5.
The “Rocket” Tim Brown is back full-time with the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic. He too got off to a slow start at Florence, but has since scored a top-five finish at Caraway and a top-10 run at South Boston Speedway. That effort has put Brown fifth in the standings.
Just outside the top-five (6th) sits Bobby Measmer Jr. Measmer too had a difficult outing at Florence, but won the Pace-O-Matic Pole Award in qualifying at Caraway and finished a season-best third in the 100-lap race. At South Boston, Measmer was in the top five when contact with another race car resulted in a flat tire. The Concord, NC driver finished 11th.
Rounding out the top 10 in points (8-10) are Jason Myers (best finish of 8th), Jonathan Brown (best finish of 5th) and Jeremy Gerstner (best finish of 8th). Brown had two top-six finishes to start the year until mechanical trouble resulted in a DNF at South Boston. Gerstner led a bunch of laps in The Flying VA Classic until tire-wear resulted in a spin with his number-55.
One of the biggest surprises this year is that Bobby Labonte is not in the top 10 in points. Currently 11th, Labonte has had speed this year. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion led laps at Florence and finished ninth. At Caraway and South Boston, Labonte was fast again, but misfortune prevented the Sadler / Stanley Racing team from a top finish.
Another pair of veterans have shown flashes of strength, but have not been consistent enough to crack the top 10 in the standings. Zach Brewer scored a fifth place finish at Caraway, but engine problems in the most recent race at South Boston put a damper on any possible momentum. The Hillbilly Racing team is 13th in the championship standings.
14th place is Roanoke, Virginia’s Dennis Holdren. He started on the front row at South Boston, but struggled throughout the race. The veteran is looking for his first top-10 finish of the season.
A pair of rookies, both from Lexington, NC, have been impressive thus far. 15 year-old Carson Loftin leads the way for the freshmen. In two races this year (Florence and South Boston), his number-23 machine was in the top 5 until unfortunate circumstances took him out of contention. He is 12th in points.
Riley Neal sits 19th in the standings. His strongest outing was at Caraway Speedway where he was knocking on the door for a top-five finish.
The Hickory Hundred, the fourth race of the SMART Modified season, is scheduled for this Saturday, April 15, at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. The Sportsman division from nearby Bowman Gray Stadium (Winston Salem, NC) will also be on the racing card. For more information, please visit hickorymotorspeedway.com.
For the full SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic schedule, plus driver profiles and other information, please visit the series website at www.smartmodtour.com, and be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: SMART Modified Tour| Twitter: @SMARTMods_ | IG: @smartmods_).
By Bob Dillner - Twitter: @ShortTrackLife_ Media Group
SMART Modified Tour
The SMART Modified Tour captures the essence of one of the most legendary forms of racing in America, pavement Modifieds. Born in 1988, these ground-pounding, 600-horsepower missiles are a must-see for any racing fan.
In 2020, Chris Williams brought SMART Modifieds back to prominence after a brief hiatus. Due to the overwhelming popularity from its fan base, a four-race schedule in its initial year has given birth to an adventurous 14-race schedule in 2023.
This year will mark the third full-season of SMART Modified Tour racing. Many of Modified racing’s best drivers, from all over the country, will compete with the series, which visits 13 different racetracks in three different states in the Mid-Atlantic - North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
SMART Modifieds compete on grueling asphalt oval short tracks, embedded in quaint local communities, each spring, summer and fall.
Pace-O-Matic
Pace-O-Matic develops, produces, and licenses fun and entertainment in the form of skill games in various states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Kentucky, Illinois and Texas, among others. Since its founding in 2000, the organization has built a talented leadership team and a culture defined by integrity, innovation, and compliance. Learn more at www.paceomatic.com.
SMART Modified Tour Race #4
Official Race Results for the Flying VA 99 - 04/02/2022
South Boston Speedway - South Boston, VA - 0.400 mile
Race Length: 99L - 39.6 M - 63.756 KM
Finish - Start - Car - Driver
P1 - P16 - 15 - Brian Loftin
P2 - P10 - 5 - Tom Buzze
P3 - P5 - 1 - Burt Myers
P4 - P7 - 39VA - Jonathan Cash
P5 - P11 - 02 - Joey Coulter
P6 - P1 - 2 - Brandon Ward
P7 - P18 - 11 - Michael Ritch
P8 - P3 - 55FL - Jeremy Gerstner
P9 - P13 - 25 - Tim Brown
P10 - P9 - 4 - Jason Myers
P11 - P4 - 14 - Bobby Measmer Jr.
P12 - P8 - 7NY - Caleb Heady
P13 - P22 - 18 - Daniel Yates
P14 - P6 - 23 - Carson Loftin
P15 - P27 - 60 - Matt Hirschman
P16 - P2 - 07VA - Dennis Holdren
P17 - P25 - 01 - Brian Weber
P18 - P23 - 8NY - Wes Gilbert
P19 - P20 - 8 - Chris Finocchario
P20 - P15 - 21 - Jimmy Wallace
P21 - P26 - 18VA - Bobby Labonte
P22 - P12 - 48 - Jonny Kay
P23 - P17 - 45 - Gary Young Jr.
P24 - P21 - 24 - Jonathan Brown
P25 - P14 - 07N - Riley Neal
P26 - P24 - 22 - Jason Tutterow
P27 - P19 - 79 - Zach Brewer
Time of Race:
1h:16:10 Margin of Victory: 1.308 seconds Cautions: 7 for 47 Laps
Lap Leaders: B. Loftin 31, Gerstner 30, Heady 23, Ward 8, Cash 4, B. Myers 3
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Caleb Heady - 14.142 seconds (103.672 mph)
Martinsville, VA (April 7, 2023) - Three races and three winners so far with the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic. With a break in the action this weekend, let’s take a look at the championship points heading into race number-4 on Saturday, April 15 at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
Matt Hirschman (Florence, SC), Brandon Ward (Caraway, NC) and Brian Loftin (South Boston, VA) have been the three winners thus far in 2023.
Out of that winning group, Ward is the top driver in the championship picture, currently second in the standings. The Winston Salem, NC chauffeur has two top-five finishes, which coincidentally came in the first two contests of the season. His only finish outside the top five is a sixth place effort at the series’ most recent race, The Flying VA Classic at South Boston Speedway (April 1).
Sitting atop the Pace-O-Matic point standings is perennial championship contender Burt Myers. The Walnut Cove, NC driver has not yet won a race this year, but he has been one of the most dominant. The Citrusafe number-1 has paced the field for 90 circuits this year; that is nearly double of any other competitor. Myers has two podium finishes, and like Ward, his worst finish is a sixth place run.
The margin between first, Myers, and second, Ward, is a mere three points. Stage points is the main difference thus far, as Burt has six points to Ward’s none.
One of the strongest performers this year has been defending series champion Caleb Heady. The Kentucky driver has led the second-most laps (55), but a series of misfortune has prevented him from capturing the desired results.
At the season opener at Florence Motor Speedway (March 4), Heady was leading when he came down pitroad during a caution with seven laps to go. His number-7ny was trapped by a lapped car during his stop which resulted in Heady losing positions prior to the restart. He rebounded for a second-place finish.
After a subpar outing at Caraway (March 25), bad luck struck Heady again at South Boston. After leading laps early in the race, Heady was marching back through the field after a pitstop when Hirschman’s number-60 car slowed dramatically. Heady was forced to make an evasive maneuver down pit road, and in doing so, lost many positions. The Tommy Baldwin Racing team is currently seventh in the standings.
Rebounding from poor starts to the season in the initial race of the year, Brian Loftin and Joey Coulter sit tied for third in the standings. Loftin turned in a strong run at Caraway before and scored a top-10 finish. He backed that up with his first victory of the year at South Boston with Shady Grady Racing.
Joey Coulter’s misfire at Florence turned into a near winning performance at Caraway Speedway (2nd). He also charged hard at South Boston to challenge for the lead early, then overcame a bump from another competitor that put him to the tail end of the field to finish in the top 5.
The “Rocket” Tim Brown is back full-time with the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic. He too got off to a slow start at Florence, but has since scored a top-five finish at Caraway and a top-10 run at South Boston Speedway. That effort has put Brown fifth in the standings.
Just outside the top-five (6th) sits Bobby Measmer Jr. Measmer too had a difficult outing at Florence, but won the Pace-O-Matic Pole Award in qualifying at Caraway and finished a season-best third in the 100-lap race. At South Boston, Measmer was in the top five when contact with another race car resulted in a flat tire. The Concord, NC driver finished 11th.
Rounding out the top 10 in points (8-10) are Jason Myers (best finish of 8th), Jonathan Brown (best finish of 5th) and Jeremy Gerstner (best finish of 8th). Brown had two top-six finishes to start the year until mechanical trouble resulted in a DNF at South Boston. Gerstner led a bunch of laps in The Flying VA Classic until tire-wear resulted in a spin with his number-55.
One of the biggest surprises this year is that Bobby Labonte is not in the top 10 in points. Currently 11th, Labonte has had speed this year. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion led laps at Florence and finished ninth. At Caraway and South Boston, Labonte was fast again, but misfortune prevented the Sadler / Stanley Racing team from a top finish.
Another pair of veterans have shown flashes of strength, but have not been consistent enough to crack the top 10 in the standings. Zach Brewer scored a fifth place finish at Caraway, but engine problems in the most recent race at South Boston put a damper on any possible momentum. The Hillbilly Racing team is 13th in the championship standings.
14th place is Roanoke, Virginia’s Dennis Holdren. He started on the front row at South Boston, but struggled throughout the race. The veteran is looking for his first top-10 finish of the season.
A pair of rookies, both from Lexington, NC, have been impressive thus far. 15 year-old Carson Loftin leads the way for the freshmen. In two races this year (Florence and South Boston), his number-23 machine was in the top 5 until unfortunate circumstances took him out of contention. He is 12th in points.
Riley Neal sits 19th in the standings. His strongest outing was at Caraway Speedway where he was knocking on the door for a top-five finish.
The Hickory Hundred, the fourth race of the SMART Modified season, is scheduled for this Saturday, April 15, at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. The Sportsman division from nearby Bowman Gray Stadium (Winston Salem, NC) will also be on the racing card. For more information, please visit hickorymotorspeedway.com.
For the full SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic schedule, plus driver profiles and other information, please visit the series website at www.smartmodtour.com, and be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: SMART Modified Tour| Twitter: @SMARTMods_ | IG: @smartmods_).
By Bob Dillner - Twitter: @ShortTrackLife_ Media Group
SMART Modified Tour
The SMART Modified Tour captures the essence of one of the most legendary forms of racing in America, pavement Modifieds. Born in 1988, these ground-pounding, 600-horsepower missiles are a must-see for any racing fan.
In 2020, Chris Williams brought SMART Modifieds back to prominence after a brief hiatus. Due to the overwhelming popularity from its fan base, a four-race schedule in its initial year has given birth to an adventurous 14-race schedule in 2023.
This year will mark the third full-season of SMART Modified Tour racing. Many of Modified racing’s best drivers, from all over the country, will compete with the series, which visits 13 different racetracks in three different states in the Mid-Atlantic - North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
SMART Modifieds compete on grueling asphalt oval short tracks, embedded in quaint local communities, each spring, summer and fall.
Pace-O-Matic
Pace-O-Matic develops, produces, and licenses fun and entertainment in the form of skill games in various states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Kentucky, Illinois and Texas, among others. Since its founding in 2000, the organization has built a talented leadership team and a culture defined by integrity, innovation, and compliance. Learn more at www.paceomatic.com.
SMART Modified Tour Race #4
Official Race Results for the Flying VA 99 - 04/02/2022
South Boston Speedway - South Boston, VA - 0.400 mile
Race Length: 99L - 39.6 M - 63.756 KM
Finish - Start - Car - Driver
P1 - P16 - 15 - Brian Loftin
P2 - P10 - 5 - Tom Buzze
P3 - P5 - 1 - Burt Myers
P4 - P7 - 39VA - Jonathan Cash
P5 - P11 - 02 - Joey Coulter
P6 - P1 - 2 - Brandon Ward
P7 - P18 - 11 - Michael Ritch
P8 - P3 - 55FL - Jeremy Gerstner
P9 - P13 - 25 - Tim Brown
P10 - P9 - 4 - Jason Myers
P11 - P4 - 14 - Bobby Measmer Jr.
P12 - P8 - 7NY - Caleb Heady
P13 - P22 - 18 - Daniel Yates
P14 - P6 - 23 - Carson Loftin
P15 - P27 - 60 - Matt Hirschman
P16 - P2 - 07VA - Dennis Holdren
P17 - P25 - 01 - Brian Weber
P18 - P23 - 8NY - Wes Gilbert
P19 - P20 - 8 - Chris Finocchario
P20 - P15 - 21 - Jimmy Wallace
P21 - P26 - 18VA - Bobby Labonte
P22 - P12 - 48 - Jonny Kay
P23 - P17 - 45 - Gary Young Jr.
P24 - P21 - 24 - Jonathan Brown
P25 - P14 - 07N - Riley Neal
P26 - P24 - 22 - Jason Tutterow
P27 - P19 - 79 - Zach Brewer
Time of Race:
1h:16:10 Margin of Victory: 1.308 seconds Cautions: 7 for 47 Laps
Lap Leaders: B. Loftin 31, Gerstner 30, Heady 23, Ward 8, Cash 4, B. Myers 3
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Caleb Heady - 14.142 seconds (103.672 mph)