It might not ultimately be enough to close out on a fourth World Series of Asphalt championship, but Thursday night was representative of everything Matt Hirschman does well at New Smyrna Speedway each February.
Running third on a restart with nine laps to go, Hirschman followed Jimmy Blewett past Ronnie Williams and into the first two spots, and the race was on. They raced nose-to-tail for the next six laps when Hirschman darted under Blewett in Turn 3 and took the spot.
Big picture racing, Blewett did not contest the spot from Hirschman and essentially accepted a 14-point championship advantage entering the Richie Evans Memorial 100 on Friday night. Hirschman has now won two consecutive races this week, not including the Whelen Modified Tour event held on Saturday night at New Smyrna.
"I was just looking for an opportunity," Hirschman said. "I think Jimmy was tight handling-wise. I actually, once I got ahead of him, I was pretty tight."
Hirschman couldn’t be denied.
"I did everything I could do to hold him off, my car was just too tight," Blewett said. "We were trying something tonight in anticipation of what the track is going to be tomorrow. We just missed a little bit."
Blewett essentially leads Hirschman by seven positions on the track and that dynamic was certainly on his mind in the closing laps.
"Obviously you want to win, but we’re also looking at big picture," Blewett said. "I know [Hirschman] is too. Every point counts here these last two nights. Definitely can see everybody getting real aggressive at the end of the week here."
Craig Lutz entered the night four points behind Blewett after winning the World Series opener on Monday but was taken out in an early crash and finished 31st and sits a distant sixth in the championship standings.
Ron Silk, who won Tuesday’s race, finished fifth on Thursday and is third in the standings and 34 points behind Blewett.
All that remains is the biggest show of the week in the Richie Evans Memorial 100 -- a race Hirschman says is can’t miss.
"I know one thing, we’re an entertaining group," Hirschman said. "The beginning of the race, a little off. People sure get their money’s worth with this group. These Modifieds just blow everything else away. There’s nothing that compares."
2022 World Series of Asphalt
Tour Type Modified Race 4
1. Matt Hirschman
2. Jimmy Blewett
3. Ronnie Williams
4. Stephen Kopcik
5. Ron Silk
6. Joey Coulter
7. Patrick Emerling
8. Dillon Steuer
9. Teddy Hodgdon
10. Spencer Davis
11. Andrew Krause
12. Tyler Rypkema
13. J.R. Bertuccio
14. Chris Young
15. Kyle Sisco
16. Tyler Truex
17. Chris Andretta
18. Earl Paules
19. Tyler Catalano
20. Michael Christopher, Jr.
21. Amy Catalano
22. Tommy Catalano
23. Paul Charette
24. Rich Parker
25. Chriss Ridsdale
26. Anthony Bello
27. Buddy Miller
28. Marcello Rufrano
29. Chris Dewalt
30. Jeff Malave
31. Craig Lutz
32. Jeremy Gerstner
33. Chris LaCicero
34. Tom Martino, Jr.
35. Paul Hartwig