They call him Money Matt, but Thursday at at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway Matt Hirschman was making sure he made the money and the fan’s got their money’s worth.
Hirschman used a crafty and dramatic late race pass of Jimmy Blewett to take over the lead and win the 35-lap Tour Type Modified Thursday at New Smyrna Speedway.
It was the second victory in as many nights for Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., who won the John Blewett III Memorial 76 on Wednesday night.
“I know one thing, we’re an entertaining group,” Hirschman said. “The beginning of the race, a little off. People sure get their money’s worth with this group. These Modifieds just blow everything else away. There’s nothing that compares.”
Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J., held on for second and Ronnie Williams was third.
It was the fourth of five consecutive nights of Tour Type Modified division action at New Smyrna. Craig Lutz won the 50-lap division opener on Monday and Ron Silk topped the 35-lap feature on Tuesday.
Blewett has finished on the podium in all four events with a second place on Monday, a third place Tuesday and consecutive second place finishes on Wednesday and Thursday. It sets up a dramatic final night for the division championship with the running of the Richie Evans Memorial 100 Friday.
Hirschman had a tire issue on Monday and was relegated to a 12th place finish. He came back to finish second on Tuesday.
Blewett will go into the final night of racing leading the standings with 140 points. Hirschman moved from third to second in the standings after Thursday’s feature and sit’s 14 points behind Blewett. The winner of each race earns 50 points, with second place earning 48 and each position further decreasing by two points. Hirschman will hold the tiebreaker Friday with two victories already.
“Obviously you want to win, but we’re also looking at big picture,” Blewett said. “I know [Hirschman] is too. Every point counts here these last two nights. Definitely can see everybody getting real aggressive at the end of the week here.”
Lutz, who came into Thursday’s action four points behind Blewett, was involved in an early crash and ended up 31st, dropping him to sixth in the standings. Silk, who fifth Thursday, sits third in the standings, 34 points behind Blewett. Teddy Hodgon, who was ninth Thursday, sits 36 points behind Blewett at fourth in the standings.
A Chris Risdale spin with nine laps remaining bunched up the field with Williams leading, Blewett in second and Hirschman third.
On the restart Blewett got past Williams off of turn and Hirschman pushed Blewett into turn three. Blewett was able to clear Williams off of turn four with Hirschman following into second a lap later.
“The cautions just haven’t been falling our way,” said Williams.
On lap 33 Hirschman got the run off of turn two in the low lane and got under Blewett into turn three to move into the lead.
“I was just looking for an opportunity,” Hirschman said. “I think Jimmy was tight handling-wise. I actually, once I got ahead of him, I was pretty tight.”
Said Blewett: “I did everything I could do to hold him off, my car was just too tight. We were trying something tonight in anticipation of what the track is going to be tomorrow. We just missed a little bit.”
Money is Money… good race last night. I’m sure many crew chiefs shaking their heads again.
Are the engine rules for the Tour mods at NS the same as last year? I recall some complaining by Matt H. Last year(?).
Rules: http://www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org/downloads/get.aspx?i=613179