NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Craig Lutz proved to be a big newsmaker this week with the announcement that he will be heading to Danny Watts Racing for the 2022 season.
But Friday the Miller Place, N.Y. driver was on a mission to close out 2021 on a positive in the 19th John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C.
Lutz will be making his second start in the 150-lap Tour Type Modified event which takes the green Saturday at Caraway Speedway.
Last year Lutz ended up fifth in his first try at the event.
“It’s a cool track,” Lutz said. “It’s a different style of racing down here. A lot of the track’s are worn out compared to what we have in the Northeast. You’ve got to conserve and make sure you have tires at the end to be able to have a shot at it.”
For many years the North-South Shootout was an event that many fans in the hotbed of Modified racing of the Northeast didn’t get a chance to see. The rise of online streaming has changed all that and made it an event that Northern fans can get the chance to experience from the comfort of home.
PitRowTV will offer a full television broadcast style production of all the events Saturday at Caraway Speedway, including the 150-lap Tour Type Modified feature.
“It’s huge to have that,” Lutz said. “Anytime a Modified race can broadcast or televised it’s such a good thing. Anyone that can’t make gets that chance to follow along. I think it’s just good for the Modifieds that people get the chance to see what we’re doing.”
The Saturday racing card at Caraway includes the 150-lap John Blewett III Memorial Tour Type Modified feature, a 74-lap Pro Late Model feature, a 50-lap 602 Mods feature, a 50-lap Mini Stock feature and a 30-lap Legends feature.
“It’s much more than the single camera type of thing,” PitRowTV producer Tony Stevens said. “For that event we’re probably going to have anywhere from 6-8 cameras on track.”
Veteran announcers Derek Pernisiglio and Eric Brennan will have the call from the booth for all the North-South Shootout events taking place.
Qualifying for Saturday’s racing at Caraway kicks off today.
Why is he in the Hillbilly 79 at Caraway?