Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – While it was all quiet in the northeast on this week in 2023, the 21st Annual JB III North South Shootout in North Carolina presented in memory of Charles Kepley was a success!
Over 90 cars were entered for the event! Included in the program were 125 laps for the Tour type Mods, 125 laps CARS Tour Late Model Stocks, 100 laps CARS Tour Pro Late Models and 50 laps for 602 Mods.
Matt Hirschman must feel like a yo-yo but in a good way. In recent week he raced and won at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. He left there and went to Martinsville in Virginia where he finished second. Following Martinsville it was back to Connecticut where he won the Fall Final Tri-Track event then back down south to North Carolina for the North-South Shootout which he won and this coming weekend it will be off to Riverhead on Long Island for the Islip 300.
In recent years tons of cars from New England and New York participated in the North-South Shootout. This year they didn’t. Following Hirschman at the finish was Patrick Emerling and Andy Seuss. The only other non-southerner was Jimmy Blewett who finished tenth. Southern favorites, the Myers brothers didn’t do so well. Jason finished 7th and Burt finished 12th.
Hirschman held off Patrick Emerling on a late-race restart to collect his ninth win in the 21-year history of the Modified event. Five of those wins have come at Caraway Speedway, with the other four taking place at Concord Speedway. He also took home some extra money, as he took a promoter’s challenge to start at the rear of the field after qualifying on the front row for the 125-lap event.
While Hirschman is always a favorite in an event he has dominated and now won in three consecutive years, he had to fight hard to hold off Emerling in the closing laps, including a restart with five laps to go where the two drivers made contact on the frontstretch. Emerling settled for a second place finish, believing he had the fastest car on the track at race’s end but needed more green flag racing to flex his muscle.
“I’ve got to give it up to the 14 crew,” said Emerling. “We were the fastest car at the end of the race. We were doing everything we could. We had good long run speed. That last caution was kind of inopportune for us. Emmerling alluded to the fact that he won’t be going to Wall Stadium for the Turkey Derby. “We had an awesome car. It’s just how the races go. We’ll move on to the next one. We had some fun out there, and it was our last race of the year. We’ll see everyone down in Florida.”
Two-time North-South Shootout winner Andy Seuss has scaled back his racing efforts in recent years, but proved he can still compete with the best on Saturday night with a third-place finish. However, the result came after a ton of effort to improve his car over the course of the weekend. Furthermore, Seuss had to overcome breaking a wheel early in the race, bouncing back for the podium finish.
With very little fanfare the New London – Waterford Speedbowl closed out their racing season on a cold Saturday night. RJ Marcotte picked up the SK Modified win over Troy Talman and Tim Jordan. Todd Owen, who recently won the SK Modified Track Championship at Stafford, finished fourth and wrapped up the title at the shoreline oval. Jason Palmer won Saturday’s 30-lap Late Model feature at the Speedbowl’s Crowning of the Champions Night. It was his eighth Late Model division win of the season also marked his 100th career victory at the Speedbowl. Third generation Kyle Gero was the 50 lap Truck winner and John O’Sullivan was the SK Light winner. John Bavolacco was the Mini Stock winner and Aaron Plemens was the Street Stock winner.
Now that Sean Foster has been canned as General Manager at the Speedbowl it will be interesting to see what happens at the shoreline oval which is now pretty much a ship without a rudder. As a track owner Bruce Bemer has done an admiral job of making the facility first rate but as an administrator he has no clue when it comes to advertising and promoting his events and hiring competent people to run his track.
The 2023 NEAR Hall of Fame ceremonies were held this year at the Log Cabin in Holyoke Ma. The star-studded line up of inductees included Brad Leighton, Ted Marsh, Mike Ordway Sr., Andy Santerre, John Stygar, and Mike Weeden, along with Veterans Committee inductees Al Hammond and Joe Howard.
In NASCAR Cup action, Ross Chastain secured his second victory of the season. n a fierce battle for the title against 2021 champion Kyle Larson, Blaney edged ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports driver on Lap 292 and secured second place behind Chastain, who grabbed the top spot from Denny Hamlin after a restart on Lap 282. Ryan Preece finished 14th on the lead lap.
The all new book, The Modified Years At Stafford, by the Grace of God and 600 hp, is gaining interest and has become a must have in race fans and competitors library. Race by Race, Year by Year, it’s all there. Read all about it! Books are now available on Amazon.com and Coastal 181 (877-907-8181 toll free) and are available thru Stafford’s web site in their store. Order yours now. Makes a great gift!
With the cooperation of the Arute family another book has been published with pictures and biographies of the 50 Greatest Drivers at Stafford.
The Stafford Motor Speedway had become the epicenter of NASCAR Modified racing in the northeast by the late 1980’s. From its dirt beginnings to its lightning-fast asphalt, Stafford had become the toughest and most gratifying track to score a victory. The Arute family which has owned and guided the destiny of the facility commissioned their thousands of loyal fans to name their favorite drivers. In alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:
Tom Baldwin, Gene Bergin, Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Ron Bouchard, Mario “Fats” Caruso, Rene Charland, Ted Christopher, Leo Cleary, Tim Connolly, Jerry Cook, Corky Cookman, Pete Corey, Fred DeSarro, Richie Evans, Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke, Sr., Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Ernie Gahan, Bill Greco, Bo Gunning, Ray Hendrick, George “Moose” Hewitt, Tony Hirschman, George Janoski, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Buddy Krebs, Randy LaJoie, Jan Leaty, Jerry Marquis, Mike McLaughlin, Ray Miller, Steve Park, Bob Polverari, Bob Potter, Brian Ross, John “Reggie” Ruggiero, Greg Sacks, Ollie Silva, “Wild” Bill Slater, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Carl “Bugsy” Stevens, George Summers, Jamie “The Jet” Tomaino, Maynard Troyer and Satch Worley.
Books are priced at $17.95 each and be purchased at the track at the Novelty Booth or at the Stafford Motor Speedway on line store. Books are also available at Amazon.com and at Coastal181 (877-907-8181).
