SMART TOUR MANIA! It's our Rumble In Rougemont Preview!
By Julian Austin
April 4th, 2024
(Photos from SMART Modified Tour)
For wrestling fans all over the world, this weekend is our Daytona 500 with WrestleMania taking place. Before we find out if Cody Rhodes can finish his story or if the Bloodline will be acknowledged, the SMART Modified Tour Powered by Pace-O-Matic will rumble in Rougemont North Carolina on Saturday. The Rumble In Rougemont is the fifth stop of the season. Bobby Labonte won the race in 2023 which was the season finale for the tour. His teammate at the time was Ryan Newman and Newman finished in the runner up position giving Sadler-Stanley Racing a one, two finish; however, Labonte will not be defending the race win.
Acknowledge Ryan Newman
Newman returns to Orange County wanting to pick up that one spot compared to 2023. The off season saw change for Newman and opportunity. Newman hooked up with Randy Renfrow Racing with a commitment to run the entire SMART Modified Tour schedule in 2024. The move paid off with two podium finishes to start the season at Florence and Caraway. Contact with Woody Pitkat ended his chances at a third straight podium and his bid to be the King Of The Modifieds.
Newman has done just about all there is to do in racing. A Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 win. 16 other Cup Series wins. Wins in both the Xfinity and Truck Series. An SRX Championship. Four wins on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour but a SMARTY had alluded the South Bend Indiana native. Last Saturday at Tri-County Speedway in Granite Falls North Carolina was finally the day he had been waiting for since coming to the tour.
During the middle portion of the race after starting on the front row, Newman maneuvered his way through the top ten. Even with slight contact with Joey Coulter with 48 to go, it didn't slow down the SHITI Coolers machine. While others faded, Newman used the outside to move his way past Carson Loftin for second with 36 to go. He would end up chasing Jimmy Blewett down and passing him with 28 to go and he would hold on to win his first tour win. He may not be the points leader but it's getting harder not to acknowledge how Ryan Newman is running so far this year despite those two kids nipping at his heels.
Who's Next?
In four races, there have been three different winners and all of them were first time tour winners the first time they took home the SMARTY. Carson Loftin won the first two events while Luke Baldwin won at South Boston. That made us look through the field and work to determine just who is next to grab that brass ring and take home a SMARTY for the first time? Let's look at a list of names.
Danny Bohn: Bohn has won over 15 races at Bowman Gray Stadium including its most prestigious event the Hayes Jewelers 200 back in 2022. Bohn also has starts in the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series also on his resume. Bohn is running the SMART Tour full time in 2024 and has three top tens so far in four events with a best coming at Caraway in the second event.
Showtime Jimmy Blewett: It is hard to believe that Blewett has never won a SMART Tour event. He has seven wins on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and has finished in the top 5 in nearly a quarter of his 148 career starts. He is also a six time World Series of Asphalt Champion. A mechanical issue didn't allow him to make a start at South Boston but in the other three events, he has a 6th, 4th and a runner up respectively. Blewett was leading late last Saturday when Newman passed him so do not be surprised if he adds his name to the list very soon.
Will Lambros: Lambros has primarily been a road course racer winning at such famous venues as Circuit of The Americas and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the TC America Sports Car Series for Skip Barber Racing School. This season, Lambros is making the jump to modifieds and took advantage of the redraw at Tri County by leading laps early before fading towards the end of the race finishing in 8th place tying his career best which came at Florence. Lambros has shown decent speed already so don't be surprised that once he gets more races under his belt, he gets the full feel for these cars in victory lane.
Jonathan Cash: Cash has had a tough start to the season with the only bright spot being at South Boston where he finished fourth. Cash is a teammate to Baldwin and is essentially driving the same car that Newman drove a season ago to the runner up finish for SS Racing. Cash has the equipment and the experience but just needs the luck to go his way.
Contenders for the Belt
Joey Coulter hasn't won on tour since 2022. Last season he finished in fourth at Orange County. Coulter opened up the season this year with a fourth place at Florence and had his best finish since Florence last Saturday with a seventh at Tri-County. Coulter is always someone you can rely on for a consistent top five finish and you can't rule out a win.
Burt Myers is winless so far this season. After finishing second at Florence, he only has a best finish of sixth at South Boston since then. Myers has been around this game too long and anytime you start questioning his team or count him out, that's when he puts up two or three wins in a row.
Luke Baldwin continues to put up consistent numbers this year. There is no reason to believe that will not continue Saturday.
Carson Loftin looks to retain his early point lead this weekend at a place that saw his worst career result of a last place finish in 2023. Loftin has shown great speed everywhere this season and this place is known as a palace for it.
Orange County will have a full day of on track activity Saturday with the spectator gates opening at 4:30 PM. The Rumble In Rougemont can be seen on Flo Racing if you can't make it in person which of course we strongly recommend you see racing in person!
Show Picks
Julian: Ryan Newman
Jody: Joey Coulter
Schedule of Events for Saturday
10:15 am - 12:00 pm OCS Local Division Practice
2:00pm - 3:00pm OCS Local Division Rotating Practice
3:00pm - 3:30pm SMART Modified Tour Practice Session (Final Practice speeds set qualifying order)
4:00pm Orange County Speedway Divisions Qualify (Pure Stock 1L, Late Model 2L)
4:30pm Grandstands / Spectator Gates Open
4:45pm Pace-O-Matic Pole Qualifying (Live to FloRacing) Immediately after Qualifying: ReDraw & Pit selection at SMART Registration table
5:45pm - 6:20pm Pace-O-Matic Pit Party (SMART Drivers & Cars Mandatory on frontstretch) Roll Cars to Positions approx 5:35pm
6:30pm Pre-Race Festivities (Prayer, National Anthem)
6:35pm Racing Action Begins
- Pure Stock (25L)
- Charger (30L)
- SMART Modified Tour - The Rumble in Rougemont (99L) - SMART Releases Emergency Tires during Pace Laps
- SMART Modified Tour Victory Lane / Media Availability
- Carolina Pro 602 Crate Modified (77L)
- Late Model (75L)
The King & The Kid look to remain rock solid in Granite Falls. A preview of the Cardinal 99 from Tri-County Speedway.
By: Julian Austin
March 28th, 2024
The 2024 SMART Modified Tour Powered by Pace-O-Matic campaign rolls on to Tri-County Speedway in Granite Falls North Carolina on Saturday for race number four of the season.
Luke Baldwin staked claim to the throne by winning last Sunday's King of the Modifieds event at South Boston Speedway. The seventeen year old third generation driver and son of 2002 Daytona 500 Winning Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin set tone by posting the fastest time in practice and winning the Pace-O-Matic pole award by being the fastest in qualifying. The redraw sent Baldwin to fourth place and he would rarely leave the comfort of the top four.
After Matt Hirschman set the pace for most of the first 98 laps, Baldwin saw his opportunity and put his 7VA SS Racing machine between Hirschman and a lap car in a daring three wide move that saw the two make contact when he took the lead. Even when there was a couple of late race restarts, Baldwin was still able to hold off Hirschman to take his first career win.
"This thing was so good. The crew did an amazing job and this was a rocket ship" said Baldwin to our own Jody Freeman after the race.
So how will Baldwin do this weekend at Tri-County? Just like at South Boston, Baldwin has never raced at the facility but as we all saw last weekend, that shouldn't affect Baldwin. Baldwin is driving for the same operation that won the previous tour event at Tri-County. Bobby Labonte won last October after waging a battle with Brian Loftin. Labonte waited for Loftin to make a mistake which would be a rare feat in itself. Loftin wiggled out of turn two and Labonte was able to take advantage to win the race. Based on that performance and the momentum from SS Racing this season, Baldwin is sure to be a threat this weekend.
Speaking of the Loftin family, sixteen year old Carson stole the headlines after the first two races of the season by winning both events. Loftin experienced tire issues that caused him to lose laps and key positions on the track. Being in the back of the field last Sunday was a blessing in disguise as he was able to avoid the big pile up on the back stretch and come home with a 13th place finish.
Carson comes into this race looking to shake off last week's tough result where he will attempt to complete a double header. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be running at Richmond on Friday evening. Loftin among others will be attempting the Richmond, Tri-County doubleheader. Carson has two previous starts at Tri-County and has a best finish of sixth place last season. Loftin also turned 16 years old on March 28th, the same day this article was written so nothing would be a better present than taking home another SMARTY.
If there was a track where Brian Loftin could stop the bleeding on a tough start to the 2024 season, it is Tri-County. The father of Carson Loftin was not able to compete at South Boston due to mechanical problems. Brian won the 2022 event and was a strong contender to win last season before ultimately settling for a third place finish after being passed by Bobby Measmer Jr late in the race. There is no reason why Brian will not be a factor again this weekend.
Bobby Measmer Jr is slated to return to SMART Modified Tour competition. Measmer Jr is not running as many events this season due to wanting to spend time with his family. Measmer Jr had a tremendous hot rod underneath him last season and used some pit strategy to vault him to a runner up finish. Measmer hasn't won on the SMART Modified Tour but does have one win on the old NASCAR Southern Tour back in 2016 so he would want nothing more than to grab the SMARTY this weekend.
Defending series champion Burt Myers was the runner up in the opening event at Florence but crashed on the last lap at Caraway. It was a quiet day for the "Ace" at South Boston before settling for a sixth place finish. Myers has not won a tour race at this track but does have a runner up finish all the way back in 1998. Last season he was in fifth place. With all the attention on the kids, Burt in some ways is flying under the radar and that may spell trouble for the rest of the competition.
Ryan Newman is another driver who is attempting the Richmond, Tri-County double. Newman started off the season with podium finishes at Florence and Caraway before getting into the wall at South Boston. Newman has not competed in a SMART Modified Tour event at Tri-County but this track would seem to fit the driving style of the Indiana native. The new coat of pavement proved to be very fast last season when it was debuted. Newman you wouldn't think would have any problems adjusting.
News and Notes
Jason Tutterow scored his career best finish last Sunday when he finished in ninth place. Joey Coulter and John-Michael Shenette are the other two drivers who as of this writing are slated to also attempt the Richmond, Tri-County double. Jonathan Cash tied his career best finish Sunday at South Boston coming home in fourth. He also finished there last spring at the same track. Anthony Bello of Hillbilly Racing started 24th and grabbed his career best finish of fifth on tour. Over the last five races coming into Tri-County, there have been three first time winners including two this year. Andy Jankowiak bagged his first win in the next to last event of the season at South Boston last year. Luke Baldwin became the 41st driver to win on the SMART Modified Tour in its history.
Schedule of Events
SMART Modified Tour Practice will be from 12:15 PM to 1:00 PM.
Local Divisions will practice from 1:00 PM to 1:44 PM.
Local Divisions Qualifying starts at 1:45 PM.
Spectator Gates Open at 2:00 PM.
Pace-O-Matic Pole Qualifying at 2:15 PM.
Local Division Qualifying Resumes at 2:45 PM.
Pace-O-Matic Pit Party at 3:15 PM.
The Cardinal 99 SMART Modified Tour event starts at 4:00 PM.
Following Media Availability for the Modifieds, Local Divisions will run in the following order.
Front Wheel Drive
Vintage
Renegade
Street Stock
If for some reason you can't be at the track, you can catch the SMART Modified Tour on Flo-Racing.
-Photos are from the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic and Tri-County Speedway.