It was touted as the Frost Bite Winter Nationals, however with 75 degree weather it was more like a Modified Spring Sizzler at Orange County Speedway in NC.

Matt Hirschman of Northhampton PA, a northern modified series campaigner, overcame Ronnie Silk with less than 8 laps left in the Ollie Jenkins Memorial ASA modified season opener.

And it couldn’t have happened at a better time as Hirschman has no type of ride lined up this year.

“This win helps that’s for sure” he says “but this will open the doors up.”

Most of the race belonged to Silk who led the most laps and started on the pole. However he was followed most of the race by Hirschman, who started outside, Charlie Pasteryak and George Brunnhoelzl III. Jimmy Zacharias did lead briefly during a round of pit stops.

While leading the trio, Silk in the Hills/Coors Light Special, was trying to weave his way thru traffic and spun out a lapped car that trapped Tony Hanbury, Brunnhoelzl and Pasteryak.

Silk at that point became a different type of car though after the race he said he just got beat by Hirschman who passed him clean on the outside.

“The 42 (Tony Hanbury) could have gotten out the way and let us go however I got into a lapped car. I hate it for Brunnhoelzl” he said.

Despite the letdown, Silk finished second and Pasteryak was third. Brunnhoelzl would rebound from the skirmish and was fourth followed by JR Bertuccio.

The race saw only four cautions and not much at all was torn up allowing drivers a big sigh of relief during a sluggish economy.

Help on pit road was really needed as independent drivers like Scott Rigney needed help in getting pit stops completed because of a lack of volunteers. In fact Rigney got help from the Gary Myers race team.

“I tell you with the economy the way it is its hard to find help” says Rigney who placed a fine ninth place finish that may allow to enter the next race.

The race saw 18 cars start in the season opener for the ASA Modified Tour.

Defending North-South Shootout winner Burt Myers found himself in an awkward pit situation when he didn’t get a flagmans signal for the pits being opened up. The tour officials didn’t change the call and Myers lost a lap when he tried to maintain track position by staying out. He would struggle to an 11th place finish. He was a contender at the first part of the race.

For a season opener, the weather couldn’t have been better. Many thought there were much more attendance than expected.

The race was run under the ASA banner but run like the North-South Shootout rules at Concord.

The next race for the ASA Modified comes up May 9th at the Franklin County Speedway in Callaway VA.

In the meantime, the (NASCAR) Whelen Southern Modified Tour now takes shape with a race scheduled March 15th at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro NC. That race will be a 150 lapper at Russell Hacketts ½ mile speedway.
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