Back It Up: Matt Hirschman Gets Second Consecutive Tour Type Mod Win At New Smyrna World Series

Matt Hirschman celebrates victory for the second consecutive night in Tour Type Modified action at New Smyrna Speedway (Photo: Jim DuPont)

NEW SMYRNA, FLA. – Through Thursday this year’s Florida Tour Type Modified action has been about an abundance of winners. 

Chuck Hossfeld won last Saturday at Bronson Speedway. Then it was Doug Coby, Ryan Preece and Matt Hirschan scoring wins the first three nights of Tour Type Modified action at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. 

Thursday Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., snapped that streak of variety by becoming the first repeat winner in Tour Type Modified action in Florida. 

Hirschman used an aggressive three-wide move on a lap 28 restart to grab the restart and led the rest of the way in winning the 35-lap Tour Type Modified feature Thursday at New Smyrna. 

“That was pretty exciting actually,” said Hirschman, who started ninth in the 20-car field. “I really didn’t think tonight was going to be out night after our pole qualifying effort. We’ve definitely got to do better there. We missed the opportunity for the invert completely. But I made a few more changes, stuff I wanted to try and at first I didn’t think it was really probably any good, but it really came in well.” 

Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. was second and Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y. third. 

Solomito went to the lead past Doug Coby on a lap eight restart. Tommy Catalano moved to second on a lap 18 restart and then dogged Solomito on another restart when Solomito restarted on the outside lane. 

On a lap 28 restart Solomito decided to take the inside, but was Hirschman restarting in third who took advantage of Solomito and Catalano fighting for the lead. 

Hirschman went low under both Solomito and Catalano to take over the lead on the lap 28 restart and never trailed again. 

“It was just the right opportunity,” Hirschman said. “I don’t know if we had the fastest car, but I made one good move. That was what we needed.” 

Said Solomito: “We just overworked the right front tonight. We’ve been loose the last couple nights so we tightened the car up finally and just overworked the right front. I let [Catalano] have the bottom on that one restart and he used me up for three laps and I couldn’t let him have the bottom again.”

Hossfeld used the third place to take over the points leading heading into the final night for the Tour Type Modified division on Friday with the running of the Richie Evans 100 Memorial. 

“It’s been fun here,” Hossfeld said. “We race, then we eat, then we drink and then I try to get an adult hug in and repeat. Do it again tomorrow. Every day the same thing.” 


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Comments

  1. What a fluke, The bullring specialist scores another win on a “real” track.
    It was also nice to see those superior Tour drivers get out of his way for the night.
    I mean Tim Solo really? You run Tommy Cat up on a restart with a mirror full of MH?
    You ain’t on the Island anymore buddy. Giving the 60 an open bottom is like tearing up
    a winning lottery ticket
    ( somebody run down to the basement and check on Dareal..I’m worried about him).

  2. “Big Money Matt” goes back to back, and has to be considered a favorite for tommorow nights 100 lap race, as well as the overall championship. Now can we show the guy some respect? Is he driving a TA3, Or is he beating them with an ” old” design?

  3. Matt gets no respect because he doesn’t run ” the tour” full time. What people forget is that there is more to modified racing than “the tour”, including other touring series. It’s nice to see him whooping up some “tour” regulars. Puts things in perspective.

  4. I don’t know if there was a full moon or if racing on successive nights is a familiarity brings contempt type of deal but last night was bizarre.
    Risdale spins and brings out the caution, fires it up and is on his way. During the caution gets in some kind of dust up with a Caroll or Carolls that ends up with a rear tire sitting on the nerf bar. How is that even possible?
    Amy Catalano running her usual steady race with another good finish in sight and is spun causing one of many melee’s. I can’t even remember them all.
    Then the parting of the seas for Hirschman that has already been well mentioned.
    Hopefully they got it out of their systems with many working all night to fix the wrecked cars they created.
    Smartest move of the night. Sapienza for taking a pass.
    Best quote of the night Hossfeld slipping in the “adult hug”.
    Hossfeld tonight for the championship. Why? Cause he’s the coolest cat around and it’s his time.

  5. Will you people listen to yourselves? They are on 20 and 30 Hoosier tires, running sprint races. Good god. Where is the 51,15, 46, 3, 6, 7ny?? No one down there besides the 2 car is even a threat on the tour. How many wins on the tour does any one of those drivers have last season? 1? Maybe 2?? Rob P I don’t care how many races they won in 1996 either bro. It’s what you did yesterday that counts. Let’s not get too excited about who does what down there. Heck that 17 car had a top 5!

  6. The other bob says

    That whole Risdale-Carroll thing was weird. Did anyone see how that happened?

  7. Crazy watched the race on fanschoice. Catalano pushed Timmy up the track at least 3X by my count. Pay back is you know what.

  8. Crazy, you are so freaking predictable. You have been quiet until MH started winning and now your gums start flapping. You are just to obvious dude!

  9. Crazy watched the race on fanschoice. Catalano pushed Timmy up the track at least 3X by my count. Pay back is you know what.

    You may be right Ken L it’s the way of the Tour but all I’m saying is Tim Solo running Cat cost himself the win possibly. Thanks humpy dump. Matt’s been winning a long time maybe that’s why my gums are so sore. Got anything else intelligent to add?

  10. Steve, don’t drag me into this mess. Couldn’t tell you what happened 20 years ago, never cared for the tour till a few years ago. Do have to disagree though, a guy who won a championship 10 years ago, is still a champion.

  11. Anyone who doesn’t respect the history of racing is not a racer. Some things that happened in the past affect the way we race today.if Geoff Bodine hadn’t uilt a cavalier back in ’81 guys would probably still be racing Pinto’s. Never forget the ones who raced before us.

  12. Rob P I worked on mods for 40 years so you don’t have to tell me about respecting the modifieds. You just have to acknowledge that modern day success is from evolution and hard work. To bash LFR is like bashing Tom Brady. Don’t hate success and hard work. Respect it.

  13. Not bashing LFR. With CD and Troyer coming out with new cars, and Brad selling Fury cars, it will be interesting to see how LFR fares in the coming years. I still believe success depends on talent. If your team doesn’t have the talent, your not going to perform even with the best equipment. Oh, don’t forget about SPAFCO, and Race works,. This season is shaping up to be interesting.

  14. Rob P. I’m thinking LFR willl be just fine. Brad has been out of the scene for years so I doubt and fury mods will sell from there. CD and Raceworks??? Come on dude. Please don’t post things like that. Makes you come off as desperate if you believe they will return. It’s Troyer bs LFR period. My cash is on the company that has been killing it for 5 years. Not Troyer either Incase your mind is working in slow motion.

  15. Rob P your funny. It’s not LFR Fury Troyer cd or any company against any other company. It’s Fuller against Colton, Flemke, Grala etc. it’s people not companies. Fuller will win this battle every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Just look at the past 5 seasons. The SKs, ROC and other series better hope he doesn’t show up there because the result will be the same as it is on the tour. Total domination. EVERY team that has made the swap with his guidance has made dramatic improvements. Ask any LFR customer their thoughts then go ask a Troyer or CD customer what they think of their chances going into the 2019 tour season. The 16 and 07 were the ONLY new Troyer cars at Smyrna. Call them up and ask how they feel about 2019. Then call Sapienza, Lutz, Benjamin and Bonsignore and see what there thoughts are. I bet I know the answer but I feel you really need to hear it yourself.

  16. Ok, I concede. It’s LFR and TROYER on the tour. Maybe Colton wakes up and starts giving the teams more support, or maybe he’s content to be winning races oeverywhere else Fuller has built a reputable shop, and deserves to see his hard work pays off

  17. Excuse me Connor but the series winning car at New Smyrna was a new Troyer. The car that won 3 times
    was an (old) new Troyer. Be careful with your facts. They are all good pieces but it matters huge who is rubbing on them. There is no “chassis war” as some think.

  18. I still think it comes down to taken. The 2 and 51 have arguably the best crew chiefs. Pair that with good equipment and good drivers and you gave success. I think if either of these teams had a new TROYER the results would be compatible. Fuller does give more support than the others in years past, maybe that changes, maybe it don’t. Don’t forget ” the tour” is not the only place modified race.

  19. Garry,
    I may be wrong on this, but as far as I know any chassis repairs on LFR cars are done at Raceworks by Ed Flemke. If that is still true, then when Flemke works on them does that make them Raceworks cars? Also if Raceworks is still doing the repairs does LFR even own a welder? And would anyone over there know how to use it? Last question. If it is true that Flemke is doing these repairs, why?

  20. It’s not even Fuller against Colton, Flemke, Grala, Etc. It’s the COLLECTIVE talent on each team. No amount of support from a chassis house or reseller can help a team that doesn’t have what it takes. The midpack cars run all the same parts as the top 5 teams. They are perennial midpack cars. The 2 lost a couple team members and lost its mojo, even though Colby-Moran are still there. The team is only as good as the collective talent . Put Fifield in the 51 and she will still be seconds slower than JBon. A team is only as good as its weakest talent. Even Colby-Moran can’t compensate for the members that team lost.

    The top 5 teams can take any chassis and make it work.

    Cars haven’t gotten faster, laps times are the same. JBon looks better because the 2 fell off.

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