CONCORD, N.C. — Matt Hirschman knew exactly what it would take to win the newly renamed John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout modified race Saturday night at Concord Motorsport Park.
Using the same strategy he used a year go, Hirschman became the first repeat winner in the five-year history of the Shootout, taking the checkers after a near race-long battle with Eric Beers.
Hirschman pitted for fuel after a caution on lap 32 but took no tires, opting instead for track position that would put him at the front of the 27-car field for good with 42 laps remaining. Each car was required to make one pit stop.
“I’ve just got a feel for what I like,” Hirschman said. “I had something that worked last year, and I came back with it. When I’ve got something that works, I’m going to beat it until it doesn’t work anymore.
“We did it last year, and I felt like we could probably do it again, and we did.”
Hirschman’s Hoosier tires had just enough for the 100 green-flag laps to hold off Beers and hand Hirschman his sixth victory of the season.
Bobby Santos III finished third ahead of a charging Burt Myers in fourth, and reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Donny Lia was fifth.
Myers started third but fell to mid-pack in his ill-handling No. 1 before landing on the right setup during the final caution of the race, which came with fewer than 20 laps to go. Myers had the time to reach and pass Lia with six laps remaining, but could never get to the rear bumper of Santos.
“We tightened it up because it was about as loose as it could be, and after we did that, it set it on fire,” Myers said. “I just wish it could’ve been that good earlier in the race. It would’ve been nice to have a car that good the whole race. Definitely, a green-white checkers would’ve suited me just fine.
“I was catching them, but I knew I was running out of laps.”
The fifth and final caution of the night flew on lap 83, giving Beers one final shot on a restart.
Inside of 10 laps to go, the top three cars of Hirschman, Beers and Santos had pulled away from the rest of the field, making it a three-car race for the checkers.
“Eric and I are good friends, and he raced us clean,” said Hirschman. “I try to give everybody respect and I think I get it most of the time in return. The respect I’ve received this year, I think I’ve earned. I’ve earned some recognition and some respect from my fellow competitors…It’s good, hard, clean racing.”
Hirschman said he was proud to both repeat as champion and win the inaugural race carrying the name of John Blewett III, who was killed in a crash this past summer at Thompson Int’l Raceway.
“It brings back a lot of memories,” Hirschman said. “Last year, I was getting pictures taken, and I remember him coming in and congratulating me — and then the words he said in the press. He gave me a lot of compliments, and it really meant a lot to me, coming from him.
“He won this race two of the first three years, and now I’ve won it twice. It gives me great satisfaction that I beat him last year. I wish he was here again… It’s an honor to win the first one in his memory, and I hope he would be proud again.”
The finish:
Matt Hirschman, Eric Beers, Bobby Santos III, Burt Myers, Donny Lia, Eric Rudolph, Les Hinckley, Dale Quaterley, Woddy Pitkat, Ryan Preece, Pete Brittain, Brian Pack, Johnny Bush, Ronnie Silk, Jimmy Blewett, Jamie Tomaino, Chuck Hossfeld, Billy Pauch, Charlie Pasteryak, Brian King, Darren Scherer, Gene Pack, Andy Suess, Ken Wooley, Jr., Frank Fleming, Randy Butner, James Civali, Todd Szegedy, Rick Kluth, Jason Myers, Bobby Grigas, Ted Christopher, Josh Nichols.