The SMART Modified Tour returns from its “Spring Break” for its first race in five weeks. There are a lot of storylines going into the Kenny Minter Classic at Callaway’s Virginia’s Franklin County Raceway, so let's take a few at a few of them. 

RYAN NEWMAN & FAMILY TRIPLE HEADER WEEKEND

While Kyle Larson attempts to pull a Memorial Day double, Ryan Newman and his family will have a very busy Memorial Day weekend as well. On Friday, at Franklin County Raceway, Newman will pilot his No. 2 SMART Mod at the super-fast .374-mile high banked oval. Newman has struggled in the Randy Renfrow Modified at times this year but put the Aggressive Hydrolics machine in victory lane at The Rumble in Rougemont at North Carolina’s Orange Country Speedway in early April. 

Right after he hops out of the Tour Mod, he will put on a radio and switch to dad-mode as 14-year old daughter Brooklyn will compete in a 50-lap 602 Crate Modified feature event. After racing on dirt at Millbridge Speedway the past few seasons, Brooklyn has been getting her feet wet racing full-sized cars in the Crate Modified ranks. She had a smooth run, finishing fourth, at Orange Country. 

After their feature races are complete at Franklin County, the Newmans will race to a local airport and fly north to Indiana. On Saturday, Newman will strap into another pavement open-wheeled racecar, a midget, to compete in “The Little 500” at Anderson Speedway. The 2008 Daytona 500 Champion looks for his first win in the famed midget racing event that takes place the night before the Indianapolis 500. Newman has competed in the race twice, with a top finish of sixth in the 2024 edition. 

Bob Dillner, the voice of the SMART Modified Tour on FloRacing, will be taking the trip from Franklin County to Anderson Speedway with Newman as he will be working at the event as well.

THE BOWMAN GRAY DOUBLE 

Three drivers racing in the SMART Mod Tour race at Franklin County will be pulling the SMART / Bowman Gray double. Burt Myers, son Slate Myers and Paulie Hartwig III will also compete at the Stadium in Twin 25-lappers on Saturday night.  That race, and all the races at the Madhouse, can be watched live on FloRacing.

BURT MYERS' NEW LOOK

Speaking of Bowman Gray, Burt Myers is fresh off his 100th career win at the Stadium. Last week’s victory in the first Twin 25 was the 99th Modified win for the “Ace.”  He has won at the Stadium in his lone attempt in the Sportsman division and currently sits second on the all-time wins list at the famed quarter-mile. Myers brings that mojo and a familiar look back after the SMART Mod Spring Break. Gone is the new-look black and blue scheme, replaced by the familiar black and white Citrusafe No. 1 livery. 

BAD TO THE BOHN

Danny Bohn looks to make his first start of the 2025 season on the SMART Modified Tour Friday at Franklin. Another first for the native New Jersey driver is the combination of he and Team 25, owned by Michael “Andretti” Smith. The potent 25-ride has been driven by Bobby Labonte, Tim Brown and Tom Buzze Jr. in recent seasons.  The team, and Bohn, have been absent from the Tour in 2025. In a twist, event sponsor Clarence’s Steakhouse has hopped on board with the team. Team 25 will be re-numbering their car to No. 26 in honor of the eatery’s long-standing legacy in Modified racing with drivers like Satch Worley, Paul Radford and more. 

CLARENCE’S BRINGS THE BONUS’

Clarence’s Steakhouse is putting down the sauce for some extra bonus cash for the 110-lap Kenny Minter Classic. $500 will be awarded to the pole-sitter if he can win the race from the lead-starting spot. Clarence's will also award the race-leader a $375 bonus paid at laps 25, 52, 78 and 104.

IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE CLASS KEEPS ROLLIN’

The impressive group of young Racing Electronics Rookies look to continue making their mark on the Tour in 2025. 14-year old Paulie Hartwig III became SMART’s youngest winner at the April running of the Hickory Hundred at Hickory Motor Speedway. Hartwig is second in SMART points 15-markers behind Luke Baldwin. 

Long Island native, Joey Braun, has been impressive in the Hillbilly Racing No. 79 entry. Braun sits fifth in points with a pair of top-five finishes, topped by his third place run in the season opener at Florence. He was also impressive in his debut on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at North Wilkesboro finishing eighth. 

Carter McMurray looks to regain the magic that saw him start 2025 with two top-ten finishes. In five races, the driver of the Bass Pro Shops #40 has an average finish of 13th. Carter is the son of former NASCAR racer turned Fox analyst Jamie McMurray. 

Bryce Bailey has been the fastest rookie in SMART, netting three Pace-O-Matic Pole Awards in five races, but has only mustered one top-five finish in the Shady Grady Racing No. 15 ride. 

Rookie Jack Baldwin has been fast at all five SMART races but had back-to-back crashes at Anderson Motor Speedway (SC) and South Boston Speedway’s (VA) King of the Modifieds event, giving the Tommy Baldwin Racing 7NY two DNFs. 

If SMART rookie Slate Myers takes the win at Franklin County, he would be the first father-son combo to win in SMART competition at Franklin County. The win would also make the Myers family the only family to have three-generations of Tour winners with Dad Burt and grandfather Gary having SMART victories.

LUKE BALDWIN RIDING MOMENTUM

The defending Champion of the SMART Modified Tour, sophomore driver Luke Baldwin, has carried his title-winning-ways into the 2025 season. Contact with race-leader Joey Coulter at the season opening race at Florence that led to being sent to the rear of the field, resulted in a ninth-place finish.  But since Florence, Baldwin has been locked in with four top-five finishes in four races including a win in the Pace-O-Matic 99 at Anderson. Baldwin has been getting his feet wet racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Thorsport. He also comes off an impressive runner-up finish with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at North Wilkesboro. 

JAKE CRUM LOOKING TO RETURN TO THE TOP

Jake Crum led the points for a period of the season with his Jamie Tomaino owned No. 99 team.  The North Carolina Late Model veteran has become a mainstay in the Southern Modified scene. He started out the season with a second and fifth place effort before a tangle with Jack Baldwin during the King of the Modifieds race put a dent into his season. Crum ran strong in the Hickory Hundred, finishing sixth.  The 34-year old, who has made 17-career starts with SMART, is still looking for his first victory on the Tour.

OTHER NOTABLES

Landon Huffman, fresh off a sixth-place finish in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock race at North Wilkesboro Speedway will race at Anderson for the first time in his Shamrock Racing No. 98. 

Blake Barney, the winner of the first race of 2025 in the Zach Brewer Memorial at Florence, is a late entry in the Justin Gumley potent No. 27 Modified. 

Daniel Yates will not be doing the Bowman Gray double as waits for an engine. However, the Yates Paving #18 will be competing in the Kenny Minter Classic.

The SMART Modified Tour has competed at Franklin County nine-times since the Tour’s inception in 1989.  There have been eight different winners in the Tour’s history at Franklin County. Junior Miller is the only two-time winner taking the checkers in 1996 and 2021. Burt Myers is the only driver entered with a previous win at the Virginia oval.