0
0
Hartwig III Scores 602 Modified Win; McCaskill, Jackson, Jr., Mendenhall, Floars & Watson Also Winners
Photo: Matt Hirschman Racing
Lucama, NC (November 8, 2026) — Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pennsylvania, further cemented his legacy as the most successful driver in North-South Shootout history Saturday night, capturing his record 12th victory in the 24th Annual John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout in Memory of Charles Kepley at Southern National Motorsports Park. Paulie Hartwig III made it back-to-back North-South Shootout victories in the 602 Modified division, while Bradley McCaskill claimed the Chargers feature and Tommy Jackson Jr. took top honors in Legends competition. Steve Mendenhall (Vintage Modifieds), Kevin Floars (Vintage Sportsman) and Andrew Watson (Any Cars) rounded out the winners on a full day of racing at the event’s new home.
In a field that reflected the event’s North-versus-South tradition, 12 of the 23 Tour-Type Modified starters hailed from north of the Mason-Dixon Line, while 11 represented the South.
Matt Hirschman added another chapter to his remarkable North-South Shootout legacy Saturday night, capturing his 12th victory in the 125-lap Tour-Type Modified feature at Southern National Motorsports Park. The race featured multiple lead changes, hard-fought battles throughout the field and varying pit strategies that kept the running order in constant flux. Tire conservation and the timing of pit stops proved critical, with drivers gaining and losing ground as fresh tires went up against those with considerably more laps. In the end, Hirschman used a late-race charge to take the lead before holding off a determined Andy Seuss in a finish decided by just a few feet.
Fresh off his victory in the 602 Modified feature, Paulie Hartwig III led the field to the green flag with Ryan Newman alongside. Hirschman, Burt Myers and Carsten DiGiantomasso rounded out the top five starters as fireworks lit up the sky beyond the speedway.
Hirschman wasted little time moving into second, but the early laps saw plenty of position changes among the frontrunners. DiGiantomasso quickly worked his way into contention, taking second from Hirschman on lap five, while Seuss also made his way past the eventual winner. Two laps later, Seuss powered past Hartwig on the frontstretch to take command of the race.
With much of the field settling into the inside groove, passing opportunities became more difficult. Matt Swanson was among those caught on the outside, surrendering several positions before finding his way back into line. Farther back, Cayden Lapcevich and James Blewett were engaged in a spirited battle, while Jimmy
Blewett worked the outside groove in search of additional positions.
Seuss gradually established a slight advantage over Hartwig before the first caution flew on lap 18 for debris in turn four. Jimmy Blewett and Swanson took the opportunity to visit pit road for service, with both returning to competition.
The choose cone added another strategic element to the restart. With several drivers electing the inside lane, Hirschman found himself alongside Seuss on the front row. Seuss retained the lead when racing resumed, while Hartwig moved back into second ahead of Hirschman, Newman, DiGiantomasso and Myers.
The field quickly settled into single-file formation, with Newman applying steady pressure to Hirschman for third. Behind them, Jake Christman moved past Carson Loftin for seventh on lap 26, leaving Loftin to contend with Lapcevich.
By lap 30, Seuss had again opened a modest advantage, while Hartwig enjoyed some breathing room over the battle between Hirschman and Newman. With few drivers willing to venture out of the preferred groove, positions remained largely unchanged until Hartwig began cutting into the leader’s advantage around lap 40. Newman, meanwhile, continued to look for an opportunity to take third from Hirschman.
The leaders encountered lapped traffic for the first time on lap 43, when Owen Zacharias fell a lap down. Just one circuit later, contact between JR Bertuccio and Trevor Catalano in the middle of the pack sent Catalano spinning, bringing out the second caution.
That yellow flag set the stage for the first major round of pit strategy.
Seuss surrendered the lead to head down pit road, joined by a large contingent that included DiGiantomasso, Tyler Truex, Brandon Ward, Tom Martino Jr., James and Jimmy Blewett, Bertuccio, Catalano, Swanson, Loftin, Jason Myers and Eric Hersey. Burt Myers was also among those making a stop during the caution period.
Hartwig elected to remain on the track, inheriting the lead ahead of Hirschman and Newman. Christman, Lapcevich, George Skora III and Norman Newman were also among those choosing track position over fresh tires.
On the restart, Hartwig maintained control, with Hirschman and Ryan Newman giving chase. Christman took advantage of the inside lane to advance to fourth, followed by Lapcevich and Skora. Burt Myers, however, slipped up the track and lost several positions.
With fresher tires, Seuss immediately began working his way back toward the front, climbing to seventh by lap 50. DiGiantomasso, James Blewett and several others who had pitted on lap 44 followed suit, steadily advancing through traffic. Loftin was also making progress, while Jimmy Blewett began recovering positions after his earlier pit stop, passing Norman Newman and Burt Myers.
By lap 60, Seuss had caught the lead group, making the difference in tire wear increasingly apparent. Lapcevich began to lose ground on older tires, while Christman continued to hold his own against drivers with fresher rubber. Jason Myers was another driver taking advantage of his earlier stop to move forward.
Seuss worked past Christman and continued his charge, closing on third-place Ryan Newman by lap 73. Christman, meanwhile, remained competitive despite his older tires, holding sixth as late as lap 72.
The third caution came on lap 76 when Zacharias stopped in turn four, giving Swanson the free pass and presenting teams with another important strategic decision. This time, nearly the entire field headed to pit road. Seuss, James Blewett and Catalano were the only three drivers to remain on the track, once again turning the running order upside down.
Following the choose cone, Seuss led James Blewett and Catalano, with Hartwig, Hirschman, Ryan Newman, DiGiantomasso, Loftin, Christman and Lapcevich completing the top ten.
The ensuing restart produced some of the most intense position changes of the night. Hartwig surged forward to reclaim the lead, with Hirschman and Newman also advancing. James Blewett got out of shape in the scramble but managed to continue, although he lost several positions. Catalano and Christman also surrendered ground as drivers on fresher tires worked their way through the field.
As the laps clicked off, Hartwig began stretching his advantage while Hirschman again found himself defending against Newman. DiGiantomasso moved past Seuss, who began losing ground on his now older tires, while James Blewett continued to slip back through the running order.
Loftin also experienced a setback following slight contact with Luke Baldwin that sent him outside the top 15, while Skora struggled to maintain his position.
At the front, Hartwig was setting a torrid pace, working through side-by-side lapped traffic and putting several competitors a lap down, including Catalano, Skora, Swanson, Martino and James Blewett. Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions continued to intensify.
By lap 100, Hartwig remained in command, followed by Ryan Newman, DiGiantomasso, Hirschman and Jason Myers. Ward, Jimmy Blewett, Christman, Bertuccio and Norman Newman completed the top ten.
DiGiantomasso, the young competitor from Wall Stadium, was particularly impressive during this stretch, working his way past Hirschman and setting his sights on Newman. The spirited battle for second through fourth allowed Hartwig to build his lead, but his advantage disappeared when Martino spun on lap 107 to bring out the fourth caution. Loftin received the free pass.
The lap 107 caution and ensuing pit stops would prove pivotal to the outcome. With teams weighing track position against the advantage of fresher tires, several elected to make what would be their final tire changes, setting up a critical sprint to the finish.
Hartwig and DiGiantomasso led the field back to green, while Jason Myers and Ward lost ground in the shuffle. Lapcevich also got out of shape, briefly stacking up traffic behind him.
By lap 111, Hartwig continued to lead, with DiGiantomasso, Newman and Hirschman in pursuit. The running order had changed, but the battles were no less intense. Hirschman was now the driver applying pressure to Newman for third, while Newman was looking for a way around DiGiantomasso.
The fifth and final caution flew on lap 113 when Jimmy Blewett, who had been running inside the top ten, lost power and slowed while attempting to reach pit road. Skora received the free pass, while Lapcevich headed to pit road with a flat tire.
The final restart set up a 12-lap dash to the checkered flag, with tire strategy once again taking center stage.
Hartwig initially maintained the lead, but Hirschman, armed with fresher tires, immediately began applying pressure. On lap 115, Hirschman made his move, taking the top spot from the driver who had controlled much of the second half of the race.
Hartwig’s bid for the sweep quickly faded as Newman and a charging Seuss worked their way past.
Hirschman wasted little time opening a sizeable advantage, but Seuss was mounting a charge of his own. After working his way past Newman for second, Seuss began steadily cutting into Hirschman’s lead.
Behind the leaders, Newman was also losing ground as Burt Myers and Christman advanced. The two soon found themselves battling for the final podium position, with Christman applying pressure to Myers as the laps ran out.
Seuss continued to close on Hirschman and, by the white flag, had reached the leader’s rear bumper. Through the final two corners, Seuss looked to the inside, drawing alongside Hirschman’s rear quarter panel coming off turn four.
But Hirschman had just enough to hold him off, crossing the finish line a few feet ahead of Seuss to secure his record-extending 12th North-South Shootout victory. Seuss raced cleanly to the checkered flag, demonstrating the sportsmanship and mutual respect that define the best of Modified racing.
Christman completed his own late-race charge with a final-lap pass of Burt Myers to claim third, with Myers settling for fourth. Fifth through tenth was Ryan Newman, Hartwig, DiGiantomasso, Jason Myers, and JR Bertuccio.
Paulie Hartwig III added another North-South Shootout victory to his résumé Saturday night at Southern National Motorsports Park, claiming his second consecutive and third overall win in the 602 Modified division. The caution-filled event was shortened to 37 laps due to the time limit, with Hartwig holding off Burt Myers to secure the victory.
Myers, aboard the PSR No. 17, finished second, followed by an impressive performance from newcomer Matthew Nance in third. Toby Grynewicz ran consistently among the leaders to finish fourth, while Brooklyn Newman rebounded from an early spin to complete the top five.
Hartwig led the field to the green flag, but Myers quickly established himself as a contender, taking the lead before the first caution on lap 10. That incident began with contact toward the front of the pack, triggering a multi-car crash that ended the nights of several competitors, including Brody Measmer, Ryden Lapcevich, John Lozyniak and T.J. Potrzebowski.
The choose cone added another element to the competition, repeatedly reshuffling the running order on restarts. Jeremy Gerstner emerged as an early challenger, trading the runner-up position with Hartwig while Myers maintained control at the front. Nance also began working his way into contention as the field navigated a series of cautions.
A major incident on lap 19 brought the race to a temporary halt. Following a restart, contact during a spirited battle involving Gerstner, Gilliatt and Nance sent cars scattering across the backstretch. The resulting pileup brought out the red flag, with two cars coming to rest on top of one another. Among those suffering significant damage was Ryan Kuhlthau, whose promising top five run came to an early end.
When racing resumed, Hartwig lined up alongside Myers on the front row. Myers slipped on the restart, opening the door for Hartwig to reclaim the lead. Nance briefly threatened to make it a three-wide battle for the top spot before settling into pursuit.
Hartwig began to establish his advantage over Myers as Grynewicz joined the lead group. Behind them, the competition remained intense, with Newman, Nance, Vincent Delaney and Riley Neal battling for positions inside the top five.
Nance’s charge encountered a setback following a lap 21 restart when contact with Grynewicz sent him scraping the outside wall. Despite losing several positions, Nance continued and mounted an impressive recovery.
Additional cautions interrupted the action, including a lap 33 spin by Joey Torchia and a lap 35 incident involving fluid on the racing surface from Josh Carey’s car. On the lap 33 restart, Myers challenged Hartwig on the outside for nearly a full circuit before falling back into second.
With the event’s time limit expiring, officials shortened the scheduled 75-lap feature to 37 laps. Hartwig maintained his advantage through the final restart to collect his third North-South Shootout 602 Modified victory, continuing his impressive record in the annual event.
Myers settled for second, while Nance’s determined comeback earned him the final podium position. Grynewicz and Newman completed the top five in a race marked by changing fortunes, aggressive restarts and numerous challenges for position.
The 50-lap Chargers feature, showcasing Southern National Motorsports Park’s headline division, served as a tune-up for the track’s upcoming Thanksgiving Classic. The 16-car field had a difficult time getting underway, with an opening-lap incident involving several frontrunners bringing out the caution before the field reached turn two.
When racing resumed, Bradley McCaskill quickly established himself as the driver to beat, building a comfortable advantage while spirited battles for position unfolded throughout the field. With just three cautions slowing the 50-lap contest, McCaskill led every lap en route to victory over Michael O’Brien. Rusty Daniels rebounded from his involvement in the opening-lap incident to finish third, while Aiden McConnaughey and Mike Chambers completed the top five.
In support division action, Tommy Jackson Jr. led wire-to-wire in the caution-free, 25-lap Legends feature, holding off a late-race challenge from New Day Motorsports Quick Time Award winner Scotty Benford. Jackson established a comfortable advantage in the early going, but Benford steadily chipped away at the margin as the laps wound down. By the white flag, Benford had closed to Jackson’s rear bumper and made one final bid for the lead. Jackson maintained his advantage to secure the victory, with Benford settling for second. Kaedin Ridenhour, David Polenz and Cody Carlton completed the top five.
The Vintage Modifieds and Vintage Sportsman shared the track for a combined feature, providing a pair of races within a race and a showcase of beautifully maintained vintage race cars. Steve Mendenhall established a commanding advantage in the Modified division over John Lozyniak, while the Sportsman competitors waged a spirited battle for their own top honors. Kevin Floars emerged victorious in the Sportsman division, holding off a determined challenge from Tristin Bruce, who steadily closed the gap but could not complete the pass before the checkered flag.
Lapped traffic proved decisive in the Any Car feature as a pair of Mustangs battled for the victory. Morgan appeared to have the race in hand with a comfortable lead until encountering a slower car, forcing an evasive maneuver that allowed Andrew Watson to close the gap. The leader duo split a lapped Crown Vic, with Watson capitalizing on the traffic to make the winning move. He cruised onto the checkers relegating Morgan to second followed by James Barbour, Wyatt Castle and Jonathan Thompson in the top five.
The New Day Motorsports Quick Time Awards were presented to Paulie Hartwig III (Tour-Type & 602 Modifieds), Bradley McCaskill (Chargers) and Scotty Benford (Legends).
24th Annual John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout – Southern National Motorsports Park | Lucama, N.C. | November 7, 2026
Tour-Type Modifieds (Feature Finish): 1. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA; 2. Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH3. Jake Christman, Walnutport, PA; 4. Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, NC; 5. Ryan Newman, South Bend, IN; 6. Paulie Hartwig III., Galloway, NJ; 7. Carsten DiGiantomasso, Jackson, NJ; 8. Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, NC; 9. JR Bertuccio, Centereach, NY;10. Cayden Lapcevich, Barrie, ON; 11. George Skora III, Eden, NY; 12. Norman Newman, Kincardine, ON; 13. Brandon Ward, Winston-Salem, NC; 14. Carson Loftin, Clemmons, NC; 15. Matt Swanson, Harvard, MA; 16. James Blewett, Howell, NJ; 17. Tyler Truex, Mayetta, NJ; 18. Trevor Catalano, Ontario, NY; 19. Tom Martino Jr., Red Bank, NJ; 20. Owen Zacharias, Myrtle Beach, SC; 21. Luke Baldwin, Mooresville, NC; 22. Jimmy Blewett, Howell, NJ; 23. Eric Hersey, Ronkonkoma, NY.
602 Modifieds (Feature Finish):1. Paulie Hartwig III, Galloway, NJ; 2. Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, NC; 3. Matthew Nance, Ronda, NC; 4. Toby Grynewicz, Callaway, VA; 5. Brooklyn Newman, Statesville, NC; 6. Vincent Delaney, Islip Terrace, NY; 7. Billy Both, Rahway, NJ; 8. Chris Hettinger, Dryden, MI; 9. Riley Neal, Walkertown, NC; 10. Gary Young Jr., Burlington, NC; 11. Steve Whitt, Forked River, NJ; 12. Jeremy Gerstner, Wesley Chapel, FL; 13. Ethan Truell, Winston-Salem, NC; 14. Joey Torchia, Galloway, NJ; 15. Joshua Carey, Lake Havasu City, AZ; 16. Adam Gilliatt, Lexington, NC; 17. Ryan Kuhlthau, Howell, NJ; 18. Brody Measmer, Concord, NC; 19. Ryden Lapcevich, Troutman, NC; 20. John Lozyniak, Green Cove Springs, FL;21. T.J. Potrzebowski, Elmira, NY.
Chargers (Feature Finish): 1. Bradley McCaskill, Wendell, NC; 2. Michael O’Brien, Mount Olive, NC; 3. Rusty Daniels, Grantsboro, NC;4. Aiden McConnaughey, Holly Ridge, NC; 5. Mike Chambers, Timberlake, NC; 6. Brandon Head, Goldsboro, NC;7. Davis Renfrow, Kenly, NC; 8. Brian Obiedzenski, Franklinton, NC;9. Rylan Speight, Emerald Isle, NC; 10. Landon Burbage, Washington, NC; 11. Wesley Johnson, Tarboro, NC;12. Timothy Brown, Jacksonville, NC; 13. David Barnes, Lucama, NC; 14. Gavin Holland, Princeton, NC; 15. Bobby Morris, Kinston, NC.
Legends (Feature Finish): 1. Tommy Jackson Jr., Poquoson, VA; 2. Scotty Benford, Swansboro, NC; 3. Kaedin Ridenhour, Linden, NC; 4. David Polenz, Mooresville, NC; 5. Cody Carlton, Camden, NC; 6. Dillon Spain, Raleigh, NC;7. Derik Gacom, Hinckley, OH; 8. Landon Barefoot, Faison, NC; 9. Paxton Smith, Youngsville, NC;10. Landen Pederson, York County, VA; 11. Michael Bivens, Hubert, NC; 12. Jayden Glennerster, Calverton, NY; 13. Brody Shortino, Kenly, NC; 14. Joe Strickland, Salisbury, NC; 15. Neil Gacom, New York, NY; 16. Haiden Thomas, Albuquerque, NM.
Any Cars (Feature Finish): 1. Andrew Watson, Raleigh, NC; 2. Bradley Morgan, Wendell, NC; 3. James Barbour, Waterford, MI; 4. Wyatt Castle, Virginia Beach, VA; 5. Jonathan Thompson, Richlands, NC; 6. Mike Sliger, Kenly, NC.
