Paulie Hartwig III keeps turning heads as he prepares for his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Paulie Hartwig III has accomplished more before his 15th birthday than some racers achieve during their entire careers. He’s won races at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway, sat on the pole for the Islip 300 at New York’s Riverhead Raceway and, most recently, won his first Tour Type Modified and 602 Modified features this week during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. “Everyone thinks it’s easy,” Hartwig said. “We have to work for it.” Hartwig’s wins in the 602 Modified division Sunday and the Tour Type Modified division Monday during the World Series have further cemented his place as a top Modified prospect. RELATED: Watch the World Series of Asphalt on FloRacing Getting here hasn’t been easy for Hartwig or his family. His father, Paul Hartwig Jr., was a racer for more than 20 years before retiring last year following a runner-up finish in a 602 Modified race at New Smyrna to put all the focus on his son’s racing career. “I’ve got to focus on my kid,” an emotional Hartwig Jr. said at the time. “He’s just too good for me to waste any time.” That focus will be taken to a new level this season as the Hartwig family shifts their focus to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, where Hartwig III will drive his family’s No. 73 for the full season once he turns 15 on Feb. 21. [caption id="attachment_499571" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Paulie Hartwig III (left) stands with his father Paulie Hartwig Jr. on Monday night at New Smyrna Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)[/caption] “We’ve wanted to (race with the Modified Tour) for a while,” Hartwig III said. “The payout really helps us. Everyone thinks we have a lot of money, but we don’t. It’s not easy. My dad only does landscaping. That’s all he does. We don’t have a lot; that’s why we have a lot of supporters that help us.” On the surface, joining the Modified Tour -- the oldest division in NASCAR -- as a 15-year-old may seem foolish or downright absurd. Based on his experience thus far, it’s the opposite. Hartwig over the last two years has been racing against many of the same drivers he’ll face on the Modified Tour. When he won Monday’s Tour Type Modified feature, he beat three previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions, one of whom is the most recent NASCAR Cup Series race winner. That’s why Hartwig Jr. didn’t bat an eye when asked whether his son is ready for the Modified Tour. “I’m not scared. He’s raced against all of them at Riverhead. He’s raced against all of them at the North South Shootout. He’s already shown he belongs there,” Hartwig Jr. said. “We finished second to Matt Hirschman at the North South Shootout. We went to Riverhead when he was 12 years old and sat on the pole (for the Islip 300).” [caption id="attachment_499572" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Lisa Hartwig and Paulie Hartwig Jr. celebrate as their son Paulie Hartwig III wins Monday's Tour Type Modified feature at New Smyrna Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)[/caption] Hartwig III is being realistic about his expectations for his maiden Modified Tour season. He knows there will be a learning curve, which is why his goal is to soak in as much as possible and, hopefully, prepare himself for a championship run in 2027. “This year, we’re really going to be really consistent. We’re going to try and stay in the top 10 in every race,” Hartwig III said. “It’s really going to be tough. We’re going to be racing against a lot of really good guys. “All these tracks are going to be really new to us. This year is just going to be a learning curve, and next year is going to be the year we go after it. This year there is going to be no expectations, and we’re just going to be learning.” The challenge, Hartwig Jr. admitted, is that they have taken Hartwig III as far as they can on their own. If he’s to advance beyond the family team, he’ll need the support of major sponsors or a different team owner to help elevate him to the next level. “This is all I can do,” Hartwig Jr. said. “We’ve got a lot of great friends that back this whole program. I promise you, I came down here with $3,000 in my bank account. There is no extra money. “I know he belongs there. It’s just a matter of financially keeping him there.” The future awaits Hartwig III, and if his week thus far at New Smyrna Speedway is any indication, his future is as bright as the Florida sun. “This is a dream come true,” Hartwig III said after Monday’s Tour Type Modified win. “It’s really cool to win here. Winning yesterday with the 602 and now the Tour Mod, it’s pretty damn cool.”