“Big Money” Matt Hirschman is returning full-time to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Matt Hirschman returns full-time to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Perhaps the most successful Tour-Type Modified driver from the 2013 season, Matt Hirschman will return to full-time Whelen Modified Tour action next season.
Darren McCollester
According to a report on RaceDayCT.com, Hirschman will split next season in Wayne Darling’s no. 52 car “for an unspecified portion” of the season, while running the remainder of the schedule in his own equipment.
The Darling Racing entry has finished in the top two in the championship standings in each of the last two seasons with Doug Coby. The pairing won the 2012 championship in the 52 and was the runner-up to Ryan Preece this past season.
Hirschman, 31, won the Race of Champions Series title and won 10 of the 12 events on that schedule. He entered 38 total races among the RoC, NWMT, and select open shows in 2013 and won 20 of them including the North/South Shootout at Caraway Speedway and the Turkey Derby at Wall Speedway.
Hirschman hasn’t run the full Tour schedule since 2011, but he should be comfortable heading into the season since he and Darling have raced together before. Hirschman drove for Darling from 2006 to 2009.
“I think the transition coming back together with them, it’s not going to be like starting with a new team,” Hirschman told RaceDayCT.com. “I think things are going to click pretty quickly with them again. Their reputation and their results speak for themselves and the same can be said for my program. I go into this with 100 percent confidence in both sides.”
Hirschman has two career Tour victories. He scored both wins in 2006 at Apple Valley (N.Y.) Speedway and at Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome. His best points finish in the Tour also came in 2006 when he finished second to Ted Christopher. Hirschman has totaled 15 top-fives and 40 top-10 finishes in 77 Tour starts.
“We are teaming up to make things easier on both ends, and we’ll probably spread the races out and kind of go about it that way,” Hirschman said to RaceDayCT.com. “The last few years have been incredible in terms of accomplishments in what we’ve been doing, but this presents a new challenge and an opportunity to accomplish some things that are there for me to get.”
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