RPW Exclusive: The Champ Trail: SMART Mods Continue, Luke & Burt Getting Shot At NASCAR & More…
Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – The Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour (SMART) traveled to the Anderson Speedway in South Carolina on Saturday.
Seventeen cars went to post for the 99 lap event. Luke Baldwin drove to his first SMART Modified Tour victory of the season. For Baldwin, it was a bit of redemption for what happened a week previous at Florence when he drove into the back of a race leading Joey Coulter, which resulted in both a spin and a penalty that sent them both to the rear.
He called it a mistake and rectified it this weekend by going fastest in practice and time trials, then winning the race.
Meanwhile, his older brother Jack was denied a podium thanks to Jake Crum for an incident between them with 18 laps to go. In SMART Modified Tour races, every team has one tire in the pit area that they generally always bolt onto the right rear at any point before the checkered flag. Nearly the entire field waited for the caution with 20 laps to go but Crum took his right rear on Lap 30 and spent the rest of the race hoping it would have enough grip to hold on and win the race. It did not and he quickly got passed by the younger Baldwin brother and was getting passed to the outside by the elder brother when Crum drifted up and squeezed him into the wall.
Jack Baldwin furiously climbed out of the car and shot Crum the double middle finger salute as he drove by. He then gave the same gesture to the Tomaino Racing team as he climbed over the frontstretch wall to go back to his pit area. Crum was interviewed under the red flag on the broadcast by SMART announcer Bob Dillner. What happened? Crum answered, “I don’t know man. I feel really bad. Everyone was obviously on tires. We took ours early. I had a lot of wheel in it on the bottom. I just slipped the right rear a little bit; nothing intentional. I know what that feels like. There is no one I would do that to other than Matt Hirschman. I feel really bad and I don’t know how to make it right. I know they’re pissed and I know how I felt at South Boston last year and I would never do that intentionally. I should not have made a mistake like that.” Crum was referencing an incident between he and Hirschman in the King of the Modifieds event at South Boston last spring.
Crumb can say what he wants but numerous replays implied that he moved up to block.
Fourteen-year-old Paulie Hartwig III finished second and was followed by Carson Loftin, Burt Myers and Jake Crum. Sixth thru tenth included Landon Huffman, Ryan Newman, Slate Myers, Carter McMurray and Jonathan Cash.
The SMART tour takes a week off before heading to the South Boston Speedway in Virginia for the MARCH 21-22: KING OF THE MODIFIEDS AT SOBO.
Luke Baldwin, the 2024 SMART Modified Tour champion, has signed a deal to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, March 28, the team announced Thursday. Baldwin told FloRacing that he signed a three-race deal with his remaining two races still to be announced.
Baldwin has only one full season of full-size racing experience under his belt after cutting his teeth in the Legends Car ranks. During his rookie campaign in the high-powered Tour-type Modifieds, the 18-year-old scored two wins on the SMART Modified Tour en route to 2024 Rookie of the Year honors and the series’ championship. In 2025, he started strong by capturing the pole at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener at New Smyrna Speedway, and followed that up by finishing an impressive fourth-place finish in the feature.
Burt Myers will run the upcoming Cup Series race on March 30th at Martinsville Speedway. Burt previously ran the Clash earlier this year at Bowman Gray. It’ll be his points paying debut. He’ll drive for Team AmeriVet. Lets hope Burt has better luck this time.
As of this coming Friday, March 14, two weeks remain until the season opening IceBreaker at the Thompson Speedway. Eleven divisions of racing will be featured including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series, Pro All Star Late Models, Monaco Tri-Track Modifieds, Open Street Stocks, Pro Trucks, Thompson Sunoco Modifieds, Thompson Late Models, SK Lites, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Crown Vics.
The 2025 season at Riverhead Raceway will celebrate a milestone anniversary of the Route 58 oval as the track enters its 75th year of providing stock car racing thrills and family entertainment events. Track owners Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz will get the 75th Anniversary party started with a doubleheader weekend May 3rd and May 4th. Saturday evening the NASCAR Pack the Track opener will unfold for the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racers, while Sunday afternoon the Enduro & INEX Bandolero stars take to the track for the May Meltdown program.
Built in 1949, Riverhead Raceway presented its first race on dirt in 1951. The racing surface was converted to asphalt prior to the 1955 season, and since then the 14-degree banked quarter mile oval has thrilled generation after generation of racing fans. Since 1985 Riverhead Raceway has been a charter member of NASCAR, proudly hosting Whelen Modified Tour events annually and hosting Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.
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).
