SAMMY RAMEAU BECOMES 41ST WINNER IN SMART HISTORY
Massachusets Driver Beats Matt Hirschman in The Radford Race at “Motor Mile”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fairlawn, VA (October 3, 2023) - Sammy Rameau scores his first SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic win in his first series start. The Massachusetts driver was victorious in The Radford Race on Sunday (October 1) at Pulaski Motorsports Park in Fairlawn, VA. He became the 41st winner in series history.
Rameau led on two different occasions during the 99-lap race. He took the lead for good on lap 81 from Connecticut driver Stephen Kopcik, and held off Matt Hirschman, who hails from Pennsylvania, to become the sixth different SMART Modified winner in 2023.
“Anytime you can beat Bobby Labonte (finished 18th - crash), Ryan Newman (finished 17th - damage) and Matt Hirschman, that’s a good day,” said Rameau, who drives the number-06 Modified for his family-owned team. “Matt’s someone I looked up to a lot. He doesn’t know that; I don’t tell him; I don’t really talk to him. He’s like a doctor when it comes to racing. He’s the guy to beat. Winning this race was big; beating Matt Hirschman was bigger.”
The only guy to beat Rameau, in anything at PCMP, was Matt Hirschmam. The 60 turned fast time in qualifying and scored the Pace-O-Matic pole award, while Rameau timed in second quick. Hirschman led twice in the race and finished in the runner-up position. Coincidentally, Rameau was fastest in practice as well.
Rameau also hoarded a bunch of awards from his first SMART Modified start, including becoming the Jostens Lap Leader of the Race (67 laps led), the winner of Bell Helmets Stage One, the Bankers Life Halfway Leader and the Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger of the Race, by advancing seven positions. Rameau also set the MJ Printing & Graphics Fastest Lap of the Race on lap seven with a time of 15.482.
Andrew Krause put in an impressive performance. The New Jersey driver had to start at the rear of the field due to an unapproved adjustment to his car after qualifying due to a right front tire going down during his time trial lap. Krause ended up third at the end of 99 laps.
The top rookie in the series, Carson Loftin, was the highest finishing driver who has not yet won a Tour-Type Modified series event. His fifth place finish makes him the winner of the Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front award.
This Saturday, October 7, will be the next event on the SMART Modified Tour schedule. The Cardinal 99 will take place at Tri-County Speedway in Hudson, NC. Please visit the Tri-County Speedway website for more information on the event.
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 - Short Track Life Media Group - Twitter: @shorttracklife_
SMART Modified Tour Race #9
Official Race Results for the Radford Race - 10/1/2023
Tri-County Motor Speedway - Radford, VA - 0.416 mile
Race Length: 99L - 41.184 M - 66.231 KM
Fin - Str - Car - Driver
1 8 06ma Sammy Rameau
2 5 60 Matt Hirschman
3 23 24nj Andrew Krause
4 4 2 Brandon Ward
5 3 23 Carson Loftin
6 11 1ct Stephen Kopcik
7 1 1 Burt Myers
8 10 25 Tim Brown
9 13 02 Joey Coulter
10 16 55 Jeremy Gerstner
11 17 8F Chris Finocchario
12 18 18 Daniel Yates
13 6 15 Brian Loftin
14 19 45 Gary Young Jr.
15 2 4 Jason Myers
16 9 7ny Caleb Heady
17 12 39va Ryan Newman
18 15 18va Bobby Labonte
19 24 54 Paul Hall
20 21 11 Michael Ritch
21 7 21 Jimmy Wallace
22 20 v4 Tim Connolly
23 22 8ny Wes Gilbert
24 14 07va Dennis Holdren
25 DNS 5 Tom Buzze Jr.
Time of Race: 0h:53:01 | Cautions: 5 for 22 Laps
Lap Leaders: Rameau 67, B. Myers 14, Hirschman 9, C. Loftin 9
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Matt Hirschman (15.069 seconds @ 99.382mph)
Bell Helmets Stage Winner: Sammy Rameau
Jostens Lap Leader: Sammy Rameau
Bankers Life Halfway Leader: Sammy Rameau
Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger Award: Sammy Rameau (+7 Positions)
Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front: Carson Loftin
MJ Printing & Graphics Fastest Lap: Sammy Rameau - 15.482 seconds (Lap 7)
Pace-O-Matic Hard Luck Award: Bobby Labonte
Oval Marketing Free Tire Award: Burt Myers
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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fairlawn, VA (October 3, 2023) - Sammy Rameau scores his first SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic win in his first series start. The Massachusetts driver was victorious in The Radford Race on Sunday (October 1) at Pulaski Motorsports Park in Fairlawn, VA. He became the 41st winner in series history.
Rameau led on two different occasions during the 99-lap race. He took the lead for good on lap 81 from Connecticut driver Stephen Kopcik, and held off Matt Hirschman, who hails from Pennsylvania, to become the sixth different SMART Modified winner in 2023.
“Anytime you can beat Bobby Labonte (finished 18th - crash), Ryan Newman (finished 17th - damage) and Matt Hirschman, that’s a good day,” said Rameau, who drives the number-06 Modified for his family-owned team. “Matt’s someone I looked up to a lot. He doesn’t know that; I don’t tell him; I don’t really talk to him. He’s like a doctor when it comes to racing. He’s the guy to beat. Winning this race was big; beating Matt Hirschman was bigger.”
The only guy to beat Rameau, in anything at PCMP, was Matt Hirschmam. The 60 turned fast time in qualifying and scored the Pace-O-Matic pole award, while Rameau timed in second quick. Hirschman led twice in the race and finished in the runner-up position. Coincidentally, Rameau was fastest in practice as well.
Rameau also hoarded a bunch of awards from his first SMART Modified start, including becoming the Jostens Lap Leader of the Race (67 laps led), the winner of Bell Helmets Stage One, the Bankers Life Halfway Leader and the Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger of the Race, by advancing seven positions. Rameau also set the MJ Printing & Graphics Fastest Lap of the Race on lap seven with a time of 15.482.
Andrew Krause put in an impressive performance. The New Jersey driver had to start at the rear of the field due to an unapproved adjustment to his car after qualifying due to a right front tire going down during his time trial lap. Krause ended up third at the end of 99 laps.
The top rookie in the series, Carson Loftin, was the highest finishing driver who has not yet won a Tour-Type Modified series event. His fifth place finish makes him the winner of the Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front award.
This Saturday, October 7, will be the next event on the SMART Modified Tour schedule. The Cardinal 99 will take place at Tri-County Speedway in Hudson, NC. Please visit the Tri-County Speedway website for more information on the event.
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 - Short Track Life Media Group - Twitter: @shorttracklife_
SMART Modified Tour Race #9
Official Race Results for the Radford Race - 10/1/2023
Tri-County Motor Speedway - Radford, VA - 0.416 mile
Race Length: 99L - 41.184 M - 66.231 KM
Fin - Str - Car - Driver
1 8 06ma Sammy Rameau
2 5 60 Matt Hirschman
3 23 24nj Andrew Krause
4 4 2 Brandon Ward
5 3 23 Carson Loftin
6 11 1ct Stephen Kopcik
7 1 1 Burt Myers
8 10 25 Tim Brown
9 13 02 Joey Coulter
10 16 55 Jeremy Gerstner
11 17 8F Chris Finocchario
12 18 18 Daniel Yates
13 6 15 Brian Loftin
14 19 45 Gary Young Jr.
15 2 4 Jason Myers
16 9 7ny Caleb Heady
17 12 39va Ryan Newman
18 15 18va Bobby Labonte
19 24 54 Paul Hall
20 21 11 Michael Ritch
21 7 21 Jimmy Wallace
22 20 v4 Tim Connolly
23 22 8ny Wes Gilbert
24 14 07va Dennis Holdren
25 DNS 5 Tom Buzze Jr.
Time of Race: 0h:53:01 | Cautions: 5 for 22 Laps
Lap Leaders: Rameau 67, B. Myers 14, Hirschman 9, C. Loftin 9
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Matt Hirschman (15.069 seconds @ 99.382mph)
Bell Helmets Stage Winner: Sammy Rameau
Jostens Lap Leader: Sammy Rameau
Bankers Life Halfway Leader: Sammy Rameau
Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger Award: Sammy Rameau (+7 Positions)
Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front: Carson Loftin
MJ Printing & Graphics Fastest Lap: Sammy Rameau - 15.482 seconds (Lap 7)
Pace-O-Matic Hard Luck Award: Bobby Labonte
Oval Marketing Free Tire Award: Burt Myers
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.