WARD WINS WILD WARRIOR 100 FOR SMART MODS AT CARAWAY SPEEDWAY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Martinsville, VA (March 27, 2023) - It was Modified racing at its finest. In a race where there were plenty of “comers and goers,” Brandon Ward made the right move late in the race to capture the victory in the Warrior 100 for the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic at Caraway Speedway.
With a small tap, Brandon Ward passed former NASCAR Truck Series winner Joey Coulter with seven laps to go on Saturday (March 25) and drove to his first victory in the second SMART Modified Tour races of the season. It is Ward’s second victory in the last three races, as he recorded the triumph in the 2022 season finale.
“There’s nobody here that I’d rather race than Joey (Coulter). He’s an excellent race car driver. We wanted to win and I know he did too and the last time we were here (Caraway) Joey did win (the Revolutionary 99 in 2022),” said Ward in victory lane. “He got loose and I got into his left rear and I thought he spun. I backed out to let him gather it up because I definitely didn’t want it to go down like that.
“I knew it was going to come down to track position because one could hold the other off. Till about 20-to-go I couldn’t catch him (Coulter),” added the driver from Winston Salem, NC. “Randy Renfrow and the entire Coulter Motorsports team; I can’t say enough about them, plus Kevin Powell and Jeff Day for their support of this program - couldn’t do it without everyone.”
Joey Coulter rebounded to finish in second position after leading 25 laps. The Florida native was also the Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger of the Race by gaining 15-positions at the finish of the event after starting in 17th.
Coulter and Ward were two of four leaders in the event. Jonathan Brown, who finished sixth, led 26 laps. Brown was also the Banker’s Life Halfway Leader in the Warior 100.
Burt Myers, who was the Jostens Lap Leader of the race for being on top for 42 circuits, rebounded from a mid-race oil leak to finish seventh. Burt Myers was also the winner of Bell Helmets Stage One with Brian Loftin and Jonathan Brown also receiving bonus points at the end of 30 laps.
Bobby Measmer Jr. was the Pace-O-Matic Pole Award winner earlier in the day after setting fast time in qualifying (16.171 seconds) and finished a strong third in the Warrior 100. Tim Brown, who started first, finished in fourth, and Zach Brewer, who started 13th, rounded out the top-five finishers.
Daniel Yates won the Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front Award for being the highest finishing non-Tour-Type Modified winner. Yates was strong at Caraway; he ran as high as third at one point in the race and finished in the ninth spot.
The MJ Printing & Graphic Fastest Lap of the Race was Bobby Labonte, who turned a time of 16.620 seconds on lap five. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion finished eleventh.
The battles, all throughout the top 10, were numerous in the Warrior 100 at Caraway Speedway. To watch a replay or highlights, please visit FloRacing - the official live streaming partner of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic.
The Flying VA Classic, the third race of the SMART Modified season, is scheduled for this Saturday, April 1, at South Boston Speedway in Virginia. Also on the racing card this Saturday will be Late Model Stock Cars, Limited Late Models and Pure Stocks / Hornets. For more information, please visit southbostonspeedway.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 #2
Official Race Results for the Warrior 100 - 03/25/2023
Caraway Speedway - Sophia, NC - 0.455 mile
Race Length: 100L - 45.5 M - 63.756 KM
Finish - Start - Car - Driver
P1 - P4 - 2 - Brandon Ward
P2 - P17 - 02 - Joey Coulter
P3 - P6 - 14 - Bobby Measmer Jr.
P4 - P1 - 25 - Tim Brown
P5 - P13 - 79 - Zach Brewer
P6 - P5 - 24 - Jonathan Brown
P7 - P2 - 1 - Burt Myers
P8 - P3 - 15 - Brian Loftin
P9 - P14 - 18 - Daniel Yates
P10 - P15 - 39 - Jonathan Cash
P11 - P10 - 18va - Bobby Labonte
P12 - P22 - 07N - Riley Neal
P13 - P19 - 21 - Jimmy Wallace
P14 - P7 - 4 - Jason Myers
P15 - P8 - 7ny - Caleb Heady
P16 - P16 - 23 - Carson Loftin
P17 - P9 - 55 - Jeremy Gerstner
P18 - P11 - 45 - Gary Young Jr.
P19 - P12 - 07va - Dennis Holdren
P20 - P20 - 75 - Jason Poole
P21 - P21 - 22 - Jason Tutterow
P22 - P23 - 21nc - Dwight Sauls
P23 - P13 - 01 - Brian Weber
P24 - P18 - 12 - Cody Norman
Time of Race: 0h:59:43 Margin of Victory: 0.422 seconds
Lap Leaders: B. Myers 42, J. Brown 26, Coulter 25, Ward 7
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Bobby Measmer Jr. - 16.171 seconds (101.292 mph)
Bell Helmets Stage Winner: Burt Myers
Jostens Lap Leader: Burt Myers (42 Laps Led)
Bankers Life Halfway Leader: Jonathan Brown
Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger Award: Joey Coulter (+15 Positions)
Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front: Daniel Yates
MJ Printing & Graphics Fastest Lap: Bobby Labonte - 16.620 - 98.556 MPH (Lap 5
Martinsville, VA (March 27, 2023) - It was Modified racing at its finest. In a race where there were plenty of “comers and goers,” Brandon Ward made the right move late in the race to capture the victory in the Warrior 100 for the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic at Caraway Speedway.
With a small tap, Brandon Ward passed former NASCAR Truck Series winner Joey Coulter with seven laps to go on Saturday (March 25) and drove to his first victory in the second SMART Modified Tour races of the season. It is Ward’s second victory in the last three races, as he recorded the triumph in the 2022 season finale.
“There’s nobody here that I’d rather race than Joey (Coulter). He’s an excellent race car driver. We wanted to win and I know he did too and the last time we were here (Caraway) Joey did win (the Revolutionary 99 in 2022),” said Ward in victory lane. “He got loose and I got into his left rear and I thought he spun. I backed out to let him gather it up because I definitely didn’t want it to go down like that.
“I knew it was going to come down to track position because one could hold the other off. Till about 20-to-go I couldn’t catch him (Coulter),” added the driver from Winston Salem, NC. “Randy Renfrow and the entire Coulter Motorsports team; I can’t say enough about them, plus Kevin Powell and Jeff Day for their support of this program - couldn’t do it without everyone.”
Joey Coulter rebounded to finish in second position after leading 25 laps. The Florida native was also the Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger of the Race by gaining 15-positions at the finish of the event after starting in 17th.
Coulter and Ward were two of four leaders in the event. Jonathan Brown, who finished sixth, led 26 laps. Brown was also the Banker’s Life Halfway Leader in the Warior 100.
Burt Myers, who was the Jostens Lap Leader of the race for being on top for 42 circuits, rebounded from a mid-race oil leak to finish seventh. Burt Myers was also the winner of Bell Helmets Stage One with Brian Loftin and Jonathan Brown also receiving bonus points at the end of 30 laps.
Bobby Measmer Jr. was the Pace-O-Matic Pole Award winner earlier in the day after setting fast time in qualifying (16.171 seconds) and finished a strong third in the Warrior 100. Tim Brown, who started first, finished in fourth, and Zach Brewer, who started 13th, rounded out the top-five finishers.
Daniel Yates won the Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front Award for being the highest finishing non-Tour-Type Modified winner. Yates was strong at Caraway; he ran as high as third at one point in the race and finished in the ninth spot.
The MJ Printing & Graphic Fastest Lap of the Race was Bobby Labonte, who turned a time of 16.620 seconds on lap five. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion finished eleventh.
The battles, all throughout the top 10, were numerous in the Warrior 100 at Caraway Speedway. To watch a replay or highlights, please visit FloRacing - the official live streaming partner of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic.
The Flying VA Classic, the third race of the SMART Modified season, is scheduled for this Saturday, April 1, at South Boston Speedway in Virginia. Also on the racing card this Saturday will be Late Model Stock Cars, Limited Late Models and Pure Stocks / Hornets. For more information, please visit southbostonspeedway.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 #2
Official Race Results for the Warrior 100 - 03/25/2023
Caraway Speedway - Sophia, NC - 0.455 mile
Race Length: 100L - 45.5 M - 63.756 KM
Finish - Start - Car - Driver
P1 - P4 - 2 - Brandon Ward
P2 - P17 - 02 - Joey Coulter
P3 - P6 - 14 - Bobby Measmer Jr.
P4 - P1 - 25 - Tim Brown
P5 - P13 - 79 - Zach Brewer
P6 - P5 - 24 - Jonathan Brown
P7 - P2 - 1 - Burt Myers
P8 - P3 - 15 - Brian Loftin
P9 - P14 - 18 - Daniel Yates
P10 - P15 - 39 - Jonathan Cash
P11 - P10 - 18va - Bobby Labonte
P12 - P22 - 07N - Riley Neal
P13 - P19 - 21 - Jimmy Wallace
P14 - P7 - 4 - Jason Myers
P15 - P8 - 7ny - Caleb Heady
P16 - P16 - 23 - Carson Loftin
P17 - P9 - 55 - Jeremy Gerstner
P18 - P11 - 45 - Gary Young Jr.
P19 - P12 - 07va - Dennis Holdren
P20 - P20 - 75 - Jason Poole
P21 - P21 - 22 - Jason Tutterow
P22 - P23 - 21nc - Dwight Sauls
P23 - P13 - 01 - Brian Weber
P24 - P18 - 12 - Cody Norman
Time of Race: 0h:59:43 Margin of Victory: 0.422 seconds
Lap Leaders: B. Myers 42, J. Brown 26, Coulter 25, Ward 7
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Bobby Measmer Jr. - 16.171 seconds (101.292 mph)
Bell Helmets Stage Winner: Burt Myers
Jostens Lap Leader: Burt Myers (42 Laps Led)
Bankers Life Halfway Leader: Jonathan Brown
Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger Award: Joey Coulter (+15 Positions)
Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front: Daniel Yates
MJ Printing & Graphics Fastest Lap: Bobby Labonte - 16.620 - 98.556 MPH (Lap 5