The two youngest sons of Tommy Baldwin Jr. contributed to Joey Coulter losing the season opening SMART Modified Tour season opener on Saturday evening at Florence Motor Speedway with Blake Barney taking advantage.
That’s actually the ultra-simplified version of what happened in the Zach Brewer Memorial 99.
First, Coulter was two laps away from winning the southern Tour Type Modified series race when he went to lap a slower car driven by Jack Baldwin. Coulter couldn’t quite complete the pass when Luke Baldwin drove deep into Turn 3 and sent the leader around.
Race director David Hoots ordered Baldwin to the rear of the field for the offense.
But there is more to what contributed to the first career victory in a Tour Type Modified for the 26-year-old from Jackson, New Jersey. At the time of the caution, Slate Myers was actually ahead of Barney but uncle Jason called the son of Burt down pit road for the right rear they had yet to take.
That was a gamble as they could have stayed out and just opted for the track position.
Barney pit for his right rear during a caution on Lap 30 and spent the rest of the race in conservation mode in the hopes that a scenario exactly like this would transpire.
It did.
“We took the tire at 30, made our bed, and we kind of knew that a lot of different things could happen,” Barney said. “It could have gone green to the end and we finish fourth today. We made our car amazing from where we are in practice and that we turned it around and showed we could win on the SMART Tour is really special.”
Barney received a little redemption alongside of the trophy having been disqualified out of a win last April at Orange County for an unapproved intake manifold. There have been other wins taken away leading up to the checkered flag too.
“It proved that after all the stuff last year, that we do belong here,” Barney said. “This team deserves to be here. I’m so lucky that I have people who believe in me and want to have fun and come down here. I just love everyone on this team.”
In a statement, Luke Baldwin took blame for the decisive incident.
“First and foremost I want to apologize to Joey Coulter and the entire Coulter Motorsports group. Joey has always raced me with respect and is one of the last people I would want to race like that. I take full responsibility for that, I didn’t even want to try to touch him, but I messed up.”
SMART Zach Brewer Memorial 99
Florence Motor Speedway
March 1 2025
- Blake Barney
- Jake Crum
- Joey Braun
- Slate Myers
- Carter McMurray
- Joey Coulter
- Jack Baldwin
- Daniel Yates
- John-Michael Shenett
- Chris Pasteryak
- Burt Myers
- Jonathan Cash
- Bryce Bailey
- Ryan Newman
- Paulie Hartwig III
- Johnny Kay
- Josh Lowder
- Brandon Ward
- Jimmy Wallace
Anonymous
March 2, 2025 at 5:00 pm
I was most impressed with the 79 car, started last, no practice because they had to put in clutch and trans. Moved through the field to second, car wouldn’t start on restart, had to go to the back, moved up and another mechanical problem put him at the end of the line, worked is way back to 2nd and finished third. It was his first race and first drive in a smart modify. Very impressive performance, watch for him in Anderson SC