Another night of modified racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, another win for Matt Hirschman.
And this one was not easy.
On Thursday’s Night 7 of the 2022 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, the Tour-Type Modified division was back in action. As was the case in Wednesday night’s John Blewett III Memorial 76, Jimmy Blewett and Hirschman on Thursday found themselves at the front of the field in the closing stages of the 35-lap event.
Hirschman passed Blewett with just two laps to go and was able to hold off his rival over the final mile on the high-banked short track.
🏁Winning Move! Matt Hirchman gets by @SHOWTIME6676 late to grab another @NASCARRoots Tour Modified win at @newsmyrnaspdwy!
📺 Live Broadcast: https://t.co/9LWIb2MIiP pic.twitter.com/LyeyxNRlgg
– FloRacing (@FloRacing) February 18, 2022
“I think Jimmy was tight, and actually, once I got ahead of him, I was actually tight,” Hirschman said of the final sequence. “I know one thing, we’re an entertaining group. People sure get their money’s worth with this group. These Modifieds, there’s nothing that compares.”
Hirschman, of course, also won Saturday night’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season-opener at New Smyrna on Night 2 of the World Series.
Blewett, Ronnie Williams, Stephen Kopcik and Ron Silk rounded out the top five in Thursday’s Tour-Type Modified race.
The Super Late Models race Thursday night also featured a repeat winner. Sammy Smith, who won Tuesday night’s ARCA Menards Series East season-opener at New Smyrna, won on Thursday ahead of Ryan Preece.
Winners of night 7 at Speedweeks! We have 1 more 100 lapper tomorrow and we’re currently in the points lead. Thanks to the whole team for the hard work all week! pic.twitter.com/wjZC53XBei
– Sammy Smith (@sammysmithSS) February 18, 2022
Preece’s second-place run was a new career high for him in a Super Late Model.
Bubba Pollard, Stephen Nasse and Justin Mondeik rounded out the top five in Thursday night’s Super Late Model race.
- Bryan Kruczek won Thursday night’s Pro Late Model race at the World Series ahead of Cory Hall, Conner Jones, Dylan Stovall and Toni Breidinger. For Breidinger, her top-five run at New Smyrna came on the heels of her pacing the field in ARCA Menards Series practice up the road at Daytona International Speedway earlier in the evening.
- Jerry Symons won Thursday night’s Florida Modified race. Terry Fisher, Wayne Parker, Jared Allison and Alan Bruns rounded out the top five.
Friday night’s action at the World Series of Asphalt features the Hart to Heart PLM 100 and Richie Evans Memorial 100.
Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed live on FloRacing.