A potential new face of Tour Type Modified racing has truly arrived.
Carson Loftin, a 15-year-old third-generation short tracker, broke through for his first career victory in the SMART Modified Tour season opener on Saturday at Florence Motor Speedway and it came against some of the all-time greats.
Matt Hirschman
Ryan Newman
Burt Myers
And he beat them all straight-up.
The winning pass was made on Hirschman, who led the most laps, with 18 remaining in the Peanut Patch 99. Hirschman had started to fall back to Loftin, the winning pass taking place without incident, but Hirschman then gave up another spot to Luke Baldwin and eventually spun from contact with Myers.
The race resumed and Loftin drove away to his first victory in a Tour Type Modified.
“I’m speechless man,” Loftin said. “I can’t thank this crew enough. My crew chief’s mom passed away this week and I really wanted to do this for him. I want to make this a career. I want to make racing a career. I got to keep racing and winning races so I can’t thank these guys enough for giving me this chance. It feels good.”
His father, 20-time NASCAR Tour Type winner Brian Loftin, said he wasn’t surprised at all.
“I’ve seen his work ethic, and how much he studies and how much he works towards this,” the elder Loftin said after his own 11th place finish. “We need to start worrying about him doing this to us every week.”
Again, it’s who he beat on Saturday that was most impressive.
“Hirschman, all those guys are great drivers,” Loftin said. “I knew it was going to be hard to beat him but these guys gave me a great race car and I was able to make it happen. I hate he didn’t get the finish he should have but to win against those guys feel really good.”
Myers finished second and detailed the incident with Hirschman.
“When Carson got under him, then (Baldwin) got together with him and I don’t know exactly what happened but Matt went off the track and when he came back down and kept coming,” Myers said. “When he came down, I thought he was going to hold that normal Matt Hirschman line because I was there. He kept coming down and spun himself out.”
https://twitter.com/FloRacing/status/1764067011741569031
Overall, Myers said he was pleased with his car and just missed it by a little bit.
“One little adjustment away from going to victory lane but everyone worked hard and the car responded well. That’s why they call it racing and not winning. You don’t get to win all the time.”
Ryan Newman, who is racing full-time on the tour this season, begins his championship pursuit with a podium.
“These cars are so much fun,” Newman said. “Florence or anywhere and these cars are so much fun. Big power, very little aero. It’s the ultimate race car and that’s why we’re doing this in 2024.”
SMART Tour Peanut Patch 99
Florence Motor Speedway
March 2 2024
- Carson Loftin
- Burt Myers
- Ryan Newman
- Joey Coulter
- Luke Baldwin
- Jimmy Blewett
- Danny Bohn
- Will Lambros
- Brandon Ward
- Jason Myers
- Brian Loftin
- Matt Hirschman
- Anthony Bello
- Tom Buzze
- Blake Barney
- Jonathan Cash
- Frank Fleming
- Randall Richard
- Gary Young Jr
- Jason Tutterow
- Bryce Vailey
- Gary Putnam
- Jimmy Wallace
- David Pletcher
