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March 3, 2025
New Jersey Driver Scores First Series Victory in Zach Brewer Memorial at Florence
Phil Cavali Photo
Martinsville, VA (March 3, 2025) – As the southern racing community honored one of its own, Blake Barney claimed his first SMART Modified Tour victory in the 2025 season opener, the Zach Brewer Memorial, at Florence Motor Speedway, in Timmonsville, SC.
The last three laps of the 99-lap race were filled with drama. Leader Joey Coulter spun off the front bumper of defending series champion Luke Baldwin, which resulted in a penalty for Baldwin, who had been running second at the time.
During the caution period, most of the field pitted for a new Hoosier tire. Among the group of drivers that stayed out was New Jersey driver Blake Barney. He held off a hard-charging Jake Crum in a battle to the checkered flag.
“This is unbelievable,” said the 25-year-old Barney in Pace-O-Matic Victory Lane. “We took our tire at lap 30 and made our bed there. I was just saving our stuff for the rest of the race. I knew the bump was coming (from Crum), so I drove it so hard going into turn three and four on that last lap, that by the time I was coming off of turn four I was sideways. Thanks to him for running me clean. I am so honored to win this race in honor of Zach Brewer. My heart goes out to his family. Now we’re going to celebrate a win.”
For Barney, the win is vindication for him and his Justin Gumley Motorsports team. Last year, they finished first in the Orange County Speedway event in Rougemont, NC, but the win was stripped from him due to an engine violation found in post-race tech.
“This just proves that with all the things that happened last year, we belong here,” explained Barney. “We got disqualified at Orange County, so to be able to come back here and do this, we just kind of prove that we are one of the best teams. It feels amazing and unbelievable to do it in the first time that we are back.”
Crum, who is filling in for Jimmy Blewett this season in the Jamie and Cheryl Tomaino number 99 car, nearly grabbed his first victory with the SMART Mods.
“First of all, this is Jimmy’s seat and I’m just filling it. We’re praying for him, and we all are hoping it goes well for him,” said Crum of Blewett’s medical condition that he spoke about to FloRacing last week.
“I just didn’t want to be that guy to drive off in there and wreck him,” said Crum of the race for the win on the last lap. “He (Blake Barney) took his chances and rolled the dice, and they deserve it. It’s unfortunate (we didn’t get the win), but this feels really good.”
Three SMART Modified Tour rookies finished in the top five. Carter McMurray finished fifth in the Bass Pro Shops number 40, while Slate Myers picked off fourth in the Bryson Bros. Aerial Solutions number 4. Joey Braun, driving the 79 for Hillbilly Motorsports, was the top-finishing rookie in third.
The next event for the SMART Modified Tour is also in the Palmetto State of South Carolina. The SMART Mods will make a return to the Anderson Motor Speedway, in central South Carolina, on Saturday, March 8.
The biggest race on the 2025 schedule comes in the third race of the season, as the “King of the Modifieds” returns to Virginia’s South Boston Speedway on Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22. Tickets are now currently available for that race and can be purchased by clicking here.
The SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic, announced its full schedule for 2025 in early December of 2024.
All races are streamed live on FloRacing, the official streaming broadcast partner of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic.
For updates on the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic, be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: SMART Modified Tour| Twitter: @SMARTMods_ | IG: @smartmods_).
Written by: Will Battershell
SMART Modified Tour Race #1
Unofficial Race Results for the Zach Brewer Memorial – 03/01/2025
Florence Motor Speedway – Timmonsville, SC – 0.4 mile
Race Length: 99L – 39.6 M – 63.756 KM
Finish Start Car # Driver Sponsors Laps Points
1 14 27 Blake Barney / North American Construction 99 40
2 2 99 Jake Crum / Mount Airy Toyota 99 39
3 17 79 Joey Braun (R) / Highmark Building Efficiency 99 38
4 12 4 Slate Myers (R) / Bryson Bros. Aerial Solutions 99 37
5 15 40 Carter McMurray (R) / Bass Pro Shops 99 36
6 1 02 Joey Coulter / TORCH Eyewear / Molecule 99 35
7 11 7ny Jack Baldwin (R) / Mohawk Industrial 99 34
8 19 18 Daniel Yates / Yates Grading & Paving 99 33
9 4 7va Luke Baldwin / Pace-O-Matic 99 32
10 20 8 John-Michael Shenette / Eighty-Two General Contractor 99 31
11 6 5ct Chris Pasteryak / Dawley’s Collision & Custom 98 30
12 8 1 Burt Myers / Pinnacle / Citrusafe 98 29
13 10 16va Jonathan Cash / Pace-O-Matic 98 28
14 5 15 Bryce Bailey (R) / K2 BBQ Sauces 98 27
15 13 2 Ryan Newman / SHITI Coolers 97 26
16 3 73 Paulie Hartwig III (R) / Jersey Shore Contracting 97 25
17 16 48 Jonny Kay / A-Best Forklift 97 24
18 7 63 Josh Lowder / Lowder Construction 88 23
19 9 04 Brandon Ward / KevinSaysYes.com 44 22
20 18 21 Jimmy Wallace / Carolina Drilling 3 21
Time of Race: 1h:21:03 | Margin of Victory: 0.093 seconds | Cautions: 5 for 34 Laps
Lap Leaders: Jake Crum 43, Joey Coulter 28, Paulie Hartwig III 26, Blake Barney 2
Pace-O-Matic Pole Award: Bryce Bailey – 17.230 seconds (83.575 mph)
Bell Helmets Stage Winner: Paulie Hartwig III
Jostens Lap Leader: Jake Crum – 43 Laps Led
Bankers Life Halfway Leader: Jake Crum
Pace-O-Matic Hard Charger Award: Joey Braun (+14 Positions)
Carolina Drilling Blast to the Front: Jake Crum
Bankers Life Fastest Lap: Paulie Hartwig III – 17.749 seconds (81.131 mph – Lap 5)
Pace-O-Matic Hard Luck Award: Joey Coulter
Oval Marketing Free Tire Drawing: Bryce Bailey
