Owning It: Matt Hirschman Dominates NASCAR Mod Tour J&R Precast 150 At Seekonk Speedway

Matt Hirschman’s streak of absolute domination in NASCAR Modified Tour events at Seekonk Speedway continued Sunday. 

Hirschman led the way in practice, led the way in qualifying, dominated during the event and then held on through a dramatic green-white-checkered closing to win the J&R Precast 150 Sunday at Seekonk. 

It was Hirschman’s third consecutive NASCAR Modified Tour victory at Seekonk. He also won the pole for each race before winning the series events at the track in 2023 and 2024. 

“This has always been a tough race track but it’s a race track that I really like,” Hirschman said. “I enjoy coming here,” Hirschman said. “I look forward to coming here. It’s not an easy place to duplicate things or do it three times just because this track, you’ve got to race the track as much as you do the competitors here. I’ve lost some tough ones over the years here too by just missing it. … To put a whole day together today, start to finish, fastest in practice, won the pole, won the race, led the most laps, just can’t ask for a better day.” 

Sunday’s event at Seekonk marked the 13th series event run at the historic venue since 1987. Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., became the first competitor with three series victories at the track. Doug Coby is the only other NASCAR Modified Tour driver with multiple series wins at the track. Coby won at Seekonk in 2017 and 2019. ‘

It was Hirschman’s 10th career NASCAR Modified Tour victory and his first since June 1, 2024 at Seekonk.

Hirschman had checked out from second place running Justin Bonsignore when the fourth caution of the event flew on lap 143. On the lap 149 restart, Bonsignore was able to stay with Hirschman initially on the outside. Bonsignore crossed down to the low lane off of turn four coming to the white flag and found a lane under Hirschman heading into turn one on the final lap. Coming off of turn two Hirschman wiggled and got sideways and darted low off the corner to collect third place running Patrick Emerling. After the contact Emerling darted up the track and collected fifth place running Jon McKennedy hard into the outside wall. 

“Of course you want to protect the bottom, but then that also hurts your center corner speed,” Hirschman said of the finial restart. “[Bonsignore] was able to cross over and get a run. I gave him the space he earned. He earned that spot down there. I was hoping he was going to run me clean because I was going to use the top the best I could. I think he got loose and I don’t know what happened from there.” 

Said Bonsignore: “I was able to get under [Hirschman] there coming to the white [flag]. Just trying to stay off of him getting into [turn] one. I got so loose and I was like asses and elbows there trying to catch back up to it. And right as I was about to catch it [Emerling] was just trying to fill that hole, not anything he did wrong. It’s tough. I’m really pretty frustrated. I should have just … I had a shot there and you have to take the shot, but at the same time I wasn’t going to go in there and just run [Hirschman] to the fence because he had the best car. I was trying to get in there and at least race him hard and I just messed myself up trying to be Mr. Nice Guy.” 

Stephen Kopcik of Newtown was able to avoid the carnage coming off of turn two on the final lap to finish second and Austin Beers of Northampton, Pa. was third.  

NASCAR had originally suspended Kopcik for the Seekonk event but the suspension was later overturned on appeal. The second place finish marked a career best in the series for Kopcik over his nine series starts. Kopcik’s best finish before Sunday was a fourth place at Seekonk last season.

Beers took over the points lead in the standings. Beers had come into the event tied for second in the standings with Bonsignore, one point behind Craig Lutz. Kopcik moved from fifth to second in the standings, six points behind Beers. Bonsignore, who ended up 11th after the last lap mayhem Sunday, is now third in the standings, seven points off the lead. Lutz, who finished 12th, fell to fourth, nine points behind Beers.

Bonsignore qualified seventh but redraw the pole position and controlled at the front at the start. Hirschman started third, but quickly moved to second place. 

The first caution flew on lap four for the spinning car of Brian Robie off of turn four. On the restart Bonsignore was able to fend off the challenges of Hirschman. 

With Bonsignore leading and Hirschman in second, caution was back out on lap 21 for the spinning cars of Dave Sapienza and Max Zachem. 

The race went back to green on lap 26 with Hirschman mounting a battle against Bonsignore on the outside. After fighting in the outside lane, Hirschman was able to clear Bonsignore for the lead on lap 29. Behind them Jake Johnson was up to third. 

By lap 60 Hirschman and Bonsignore had checked out from third place Johnson by more than a second. 

By lap 88 Hirschman had left second place Bonsignore far behind, opening a more than two second lead at the front of the field. 

The third caution of the event flew on lap 96 for a Ken Heagy spin on the frontstretch, erasing Hirschman’s huge lead. 

Hirschman made quick work of getting away from Bonsignore following the lap 106 restart. Within 15 laps Hirschman had opened his advantage out front over Bonsignore to more than half a second. 

On lap 125 Kopcik went by Johnson for third with Emerling following to fourth. On lap 138 Emerling found the lane under Kopcik to move to third. 

The fourth and final caution flew on lap 143 for debris on the track, setting up the dramatic finish.