By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, VA (March 22, 2025) – Matt Hirschman is the new King of the Modifieds.
The Northampton, PA resident survived Saturday’s crash-filled 125-lap race to earn the $20,000 winner’s prize that was up for grabs in the Second Annual SMART Modified Tour Pace-O-Matic King of the Modifieds powered by Dominion Energy race on URW Community Federal Credit Union Race Day.
“It means a lot,” Hirschman said of earning the title King of the Modifieds. “It’s a huge-paying race. It was a great crowd today. South Boston Speedway is an awesome place. What I am hoping is that this race has a long-standing tradition and one day I’ll be able to say I was the King of the Modifieds. I can only hope for Modified racing that the event continues to be as big as it is.”
Hirschman edged Stephen Kopcik of Newtown, CT by 2.203 seconds in a 13-lap dash to the finish that followed the race’s seventh caution period and third red flag in earning the win. Luke Baldwin of Mooresville, NC, the winner of last year’s inaugural King of the Modifieds event, finished third, Brandon Ward of Winston-Salem, NC finished fourth and Carson Loftin of Clemmons, NC rounded out the top five finishers.
Fourteen-year-old Paulie Hartwig III of Carson, NJ, Joey Braun of Long Island, NY, former NASCAR Cup Series standout Ryan Newman, Eddie McCarthy of Boston, Mass. and Jayden Harmon rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Hirschman, who has won more than 250 feature race wins and 35 championships, was dominant in the closing stages of the 125-lap race, passing Baldwin on the 77th lap following a restart to take the lead. Three caution periods followed, but each time Hirschman was able to quickly pull away from his young challenger.
“It was dominating only late,” Hirschman explained of his race. “We were off a little bit early in the race. The 16 (Ron Silk) came on strong to take the lead. We made the right strategy call and made the right adjustments because the car was better after that. I had to step up at the end and cut some really good laps and try to get a little bit of distance. The 7 (Baldwin) kept making some runs and getting inside of me. I was able to distance myself and drive on for the win.”
There were five lead changes among for drivers with Hirschman leading the final 48 laps. Baldwin led twice for a total of 40 laps. Ron Silk led 33 circuits, and Jimmy Wallace was in front for two laps.
Thirteen of the race’s 32 starters finished on the lead lap.
Peyton Sellers, Trevor Ward Split Wins In Late Model Stock Car Twinbill
Defending South Boston Speedway champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia started on the front row and led every lap in topping a field of 19 drivers in Saturday afternoon’s twin-50 lap Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division races. The win was Sellers’ 59th career win at the .4-mile oval.
“Qualifying today showed how really competitive the cars are here,” Sellers pointed out. “I was very tickled to be able to get out front and lead early and build a little bit of a cushion towards the end. The race going green helped us a little bit because my car was really free.”
Trevor Ward started 17th in the 18-car field in the second 50-lap race and rallied to earn the win and score his first career NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division win at South Boston Speedway.
“This means a lot,” Ward said. “My dad won here and he’s a big Late Model racer. To be able to start matching places he’s won at is incredible for me. I’m super, super stoked for it.”
In the opening 50-lap race Sellers edged pole winner Mike Looney of Catawba, VA by 1.250 seconds to earn the win in the race that was slowed by one caution period.
Ward finished third, Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, NC and former South Boston Speedway champion Carter Langley of Zebulon, NC rounded out the top five finishers.
The top nine drivers were inverted for the start of the second race but Ward ended up starting 17th. He quickly worked his way through the field and was challenging McCarty for the lead when contact ensued resulting in damage to McCarty’s car.
Ward assumed the lead for the restart on lap 36 and drove to a 1.335-second win over Landon Pembelton of Amelia, VA. Craig Moore of Rougemont, NC, Looney, and last year’s South Boston Speedway runner-up Blake Stallings of Danville, VA completed the top five finishers.
Sellers was involved in one of four incidents that resulted in caution periods but still managed to drive to an 11th-place finish.
There were two lead changes among three drivers with Ward leading the final 15 laps. McCarty led 28 laps and Stallings, who started on the pole, led seven laps.
Jeff Melton Wins 50-Lap STAR Super Stock Tour Race
Jeff Melton of Mooresville, NC started on the pole and led every lap en route to winning the 50-lap race for the Alliance DriveAway Solutions STAR Super Stock Tour that rounded out Saturday’s four-race card.
Melton won both the pole and the race when the tour made its first-ever visit to South Boston Speedway last season.
New Hampshire resident Charles Baldwin took the runner-up spot 1.290 seconds behind Melton. Cody DeMarmels of Maiden, NC, Gary Ledbetter and Chris Riendeau of Weathersfield, VT rounded out the top five finishers.
EVENT RESULTS
Sentara Late Model Twin Feature 1
Finish Car No. Driver
1 26 Sellers, Peyton
2 87 Looney, Mike
3 77 Ward, Trevor
4 6 McCarty, Bobby
5 5 Langley, Carter
6 0 Pembelton, Landon
7 1 Moore, Craig
8 55 Wertz, Mark
9 77B Stallings, Blake
10 51 Layne, Toby
11 28 Storm, Dustin
12 17M Myers, Jason
13 5S Slagle, Eddie
14 7 Sparks, Jeff
15 19 Cann, Jessica
16 4 Dudley, Kyle
17 38 Keesee, Mark Jr
18 25 Borst, Jacob
19 3 Williams, Trey
STAR Super Stock Feature
Finish Car No. Driver
1 60 Jeff Melton
2 2 Charles Baldwin
3 53 Cody DeMarmels
4 4 Gary Ledbetter
5 4VT Chris Riendeau
6 16 Brittany Cockram
7 07 Mike Cooper
8 10 Wayne McGee
9 48 Alby Ovitt
Sentara Late Model - Twin Feature 2
Finish Car No. Driver
1 77 Ward, Trevor
2 0 Pembelton, Landon
3 1 Moore, Craig
4 87 Looney, Mike
5 77B Stallings, Blake
6 55 Wertz, Mark
7 51 Layne, Toby
8 38 Keesee, Mark Jr
9 19 Cann, Jessica
10 7 Sparks, Jeff
11 26 Sellers, Peyton
12 6 McCarty, Bobby
13 28 Storm, Dustin
14 5 Langley, Carter
15 25 Borst, Jacob
16 17M Myers, Jason
17 4 Dudley, Kyle
18 5S Slagle, Eddie
SMART Modified Tour King of the Modifieds Feature
Finish Car No. Driver
1 60 Matt Hirschman
2 lNY Stephen Kopcik
3 7VA Luke Baldwin
4 4 Brandon Ward
5 23 Carson Loftin
6 73 Paulie Hartwig Ill
7 79 Joey Braun
8 2 Ryan Newman
9 20 Eddie McCarthy
10 5 1 Jayden Harmon
11 98 Landon Huffman
12 5CT Chris Pasteryak
13 1 Burt Myers
14 18 Daniel Yates
15 99 Jake Crum
16 7NY Jack Baldwin
17 6 Sam Rameau
18 33 Carsten DiGiantomasso
19 2 Joey Coulter
20 21 Jimmy Wallace
21 55 Jeremy Gerstner
22 16 Ron Silk
23 45 Gary YoungJr
24 15 Bryce Bailey
25 40 Carter McMurray
26 4 Slate Myers
27 48 Johnny Kievman
28 5 Tom Buzze
29 16VA Jonathan Cash
30 12PA Anthony Bello
31 22 Jason Tutterow
32 20H Tony Hanbury
Next Race At South Boston Speedway
NASCAR racing returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday afternoon, April 12 with the Danville Toyota Race Day event.
All four of South Boston Speedway’s NASCAR-sanctioned racing divisions will be in action with the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division competitors doing battle in a 100-lap race.
The Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division competitors will open their 2025 season with the Second Annual Kenny Meadows Memorial Limited Sportsman Feature, the season’s biggest race for the division. That race will be a 75-lap race that will pay $3,000 to the winner.
The Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division competitors will open their 2025 season with twin 15-lap races and the Dollar General Hornets Division competitors will do battle in a 20-lap race.
The first race will get the green flag at 2 p.m. Advance adult tickets for the Danville Toyota Race Day event are priced at $12. Tickets at the gate on race day will be $15 each. Suite tickets are available for $40 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate only on the day of the event.
Fans and competitors can find the latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours, and through the track’s social media channels.