Jonathan Cash scores first SMART Modified Tour win at Coastal Plains

JACKSONVILLE, NC – Jonathan Cash scored his first career SMART Modified Tour victory in Friday night’s Cardinal 99 at Coastal Plains Raceway.

Cash started in the fifth position and spent most of the race inside the top-five, methodically working his way up through the field.  With five laps remaining, Cash was able to get to the inside of defending race winner Ryan Newman. The following lap, he completed the pass and drove away en route to the biggest win of his career.

“It’s pretty big,” Cash said.  “I mean, it’s been a while since I won in a car so this right here is just pretty awesome.  It stacks up.  It is up to the top of my board for sure.”

Being able to pass Newman in the closing laps made the win even more special for Cash.

“That guy right there is a legend man,” Cash stated.  “He’s done so many things, Daytona 500 winner, and he is an awesome guy.  You know, it’s something I’ve been wanting for a long time and finally got it.”

Cash’s victory celebration will be short-lived as the SMART Modified Tour will race at Carteret County Speedway near Emerald Isle on Saturday night.  Last year, Cash finished in the runner-up position at the flat track in Swansboro.

“We ran really good at Carteret least year,” Cash commented.  “Had a good long run set up and I think we can go over there and run good for sure.”

The handling faded in the closing laps, relegating Newman to a third place finish after Joey Coulter was able to get past him on the final lap.

“We just got too lose,” Newman said.  “That changed tire we put on, it grew too much and, in the end, we had way too much stagger and got me loose and that cost us a race.  We definitely had the best car… Just really disappointed because we had a car to win tonight and didn’t win with it.”

Newman has already set his sights on redemption tomorrow night when the series heads to Carteret County Speedway.

Coulter took his runner-up finish in stride.

“The 16 and those guys were really, really good,” Coulter said.  “We had a big decision to make on that restart whether to go up top or stay on the bottom.  Hindsight’s 20/20, but I mean, I think we made the right call staying on the bottom.  Obviously, the two guys, Newman and Randy [Renfrow] and them, they’re gonna be tough every week.  They won this race last year, so I was glad we got them at the end.  That’s some good hard racing.”

Danny Bohn finished in the fourth position while Jack Baldwin finished fifth.  Carsten Digiantomasso, who led laps early, finished in seventh while another early-race leader, Slate Myers, came home in 12^th.

The SMART Modified Tour will be in action on Saturday night at Carteret County Speedway.

Unofficial Results
Cardinal 99 – Coastal Plains Raceway (Jacksonville, North Carolina)

1. #16VA – Jonathan Cash
2. 02 – Joey Coulter
3. #2 – Ryan Newman
4. #25 – Danny Bohn
5. #7NY – Jack Baldwin
6. #73 – Paulie Hartwig
7. #33 – Carsten Digiantomasso
8. #17 – Bryce Bailey
9. #1 – Burt Myers
10. #99 – Jake Crum
11. #45NY – Max Hanley
12. #4 – Slate Myers
13. #15 – Jeremy Gerstner
14. #21 – Jimmy Wallace
15. #7VA – Luke Baldwin
16. #18 – Daniel Yates
17. #48 – Jonny Kay
18. #79 – Joey Braun