RPW Exclusive: The Champ Trail: SMART Mods Start At Florence, Driver News & More…
Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – The Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour (SMART) opened for the 2025 season last Saturday at the Florence Motor Speedway in South Carolina.
There were 20 Modifieds on hand. Representing the Northeast was Chris Pasteryak from Connecticut and Blake Barney from New Jersey.
Joey Coulter was two laps away from winning the SMART series race when he went to lap a slower car driven by Jack Baldwin. Coulter couldn’t quite complete the pass when Luke Baldwin drove deep into Turn 3 and sent the leader around. Race director David Hoots ordered Baldwin to the rear of the field for the offense.
Barney, who started fifth, inherited the lead when Slate Myers was called to the pit area by his uncle Jason for a tire. Barney who admittedly had a fourth place tire had pitted for a right rear on lap 30 od the 99 lap event.
Barney received a little redemption alongside of the trophy having been disqualified out of a win last April at Orange County for an unapproved intake manifold. There have been other wins taken away leading up to the checkered flag too.
In a statement, Luke Baldwin took the blame for the decisive incident. “First and foremost I want to apologize to Joey Coulter and the entire Coulter Motorsports group. Joey has always raced me with respect and is one of the last people I would want to race like that. I take full responsibility for that, I didn’t even want to try to touch him, but I messed up.”
Following Barney in the Zach Brewer Memorial 99 was Jake Crum and Joey Braun. Slate Myers and Carter McMurray rounded out the top five. Sixth thru tenth included Joey Coulter, Jack Baldwin, Daniel Yates, John-Michael Shenett and Chris Pasteryak. Burt Myers finished 11th.
The SMART series moves to Anderson, SC this weekend on Saturday, March 8.
Just got done spending 3-1/2 hours watching the Michael Stefanik Story on YouTube. It’s a must for anyone who ever knew or watched him race. Produced by Sid DiMaggio, the story is clear and concise of his entire racing career and those who helped him along the way including Sly Szaban, Peter Beal, Barry Kunell, Chris Our, Ed Marceau and most of all, his wife Julie. The Stefanik Story is well worth watching.
Modified driver Jimmy Blewett will sit out the 2025 racing season due to a medical issue the requires additional surgeries. Towards the end of the 2024 season, Modified veteran Jimmy Blewett was competing full-time on the SMART Modified Tour when he began to have abdominal pain. The discomfort increased and before the season finale at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, the Howell, New Jersey driver went to the doctors. It was determined that he had an intestinal infection known as diverticulitis. The degree in which the condition had progressed required surgery.
“They went in and did a re-section on me where they took the piece out and reconnected me,” Blewett explained. “Everything was good. I was eating. I felt great. I was planning on coming home the next morning and abruptly it didn’t hold. I had an anastomotic leak which put me septic and put me in a really bad state. Luckily for myself, I wasn’t back home. If I was back home or sitting in my chair, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now. I thank the good Lord for that.”
The medical emergency that put his 44-year old’s life in jeopardy and the subsequent surgeries have forced Blewett to sit out racing cars during the 2025 season. The thought of being on the sideline had the seven-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner emotional.
One to never sit idle, David Arute is toying with the idea of installing Sky Box seats atop the fourth turn VIP box. The view of the action at Stafford will be outstanding!
The 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® at the Stafford Motor Speedway is set for April 26-27. The NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 26, with feature events for the Late Model, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions, along with SK Light qualifying duel races that will set the field for an extra-distance 30-lap feature event on Sunday, April 27.
Among those in contention is Max Zachem who teamed up with the Prestige Motorsports team owned by Doug DiPisa towards the end of the 2023 season and is looking to build on his best Stafford finish of third from last season. “We have run about a dozen or more races together since the end of 2023 with multiple top-10’s and a few top-5’s,” said Zachem. “Stafford, Waterford, Star, and Monadnock have all been great tracks for us and we all want to win badly. We have a great bunch of guys where everyone has their job and everyone works well together. We were able to jell together right out of the gate.”
Zachem recorded his best Stafford finish of third in last year’s GAF Modified Madness event and he will be looking to build on that finish at the NAPA Spring Sizzler® with sponsorship from USNE Power on the #13 machine.
After a break-out year in 2024 Troy Talman is gearing Up for 2025 SK Modified Title Push. After racing in Stafford Speedway’s premier SK Modified® division either part or full-time for 8 seasons, Troy Talman and the #3 Casella Waste Systems team were able to notch their first three feature victories during the 2024 season. The three wins helped steer Talman to a career best fourth place finish in the SK standings and he is looking forward to once again being a contender for the SK track title in 2025.
Coastal 181, Reading For Racers has released their 2024-2025 Catalog of great books. Among the newer titles is “Lazzaro, the man and his machine”. Lou Lazzaro became one of the Northeast’ most revered drivers of all time. He was equally as good on dirt as he was on asphalt. For many years he raced and won, sometimes three to five times a week at his home tracks, the Albany Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY, Fonda Speedway in Fonda, NY and at the Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York. Lazzaro was a regular track representative for the All Star League that raced on dirt and asphalt tracks during the late 60’s. The most remarkable thing was that he did it all with the same car. One of his biggest fans believe it or not was Richie Evans. Other great reading in the Coastal 181 catalog include “Ray Everham-Trophies and Scars”, “Bugsy”, “Richie”, “Eddie Flemke” and “The Soul of a Modified” Lenny Boehlers Ole Blue. Call Coastal181 at 877-907-8181.
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.
