Martinsville, VA -- Four drivers are set to battle as the SMART Modified Tour Playoffs continue on Saturday (October 11) at Tri-County Speedway in Granite Falls, NC.

The playoff scenario is a compromising one, as one of the four drivers, Luke Baldwin, Ryan Newman, Paulie Hartwig or Jake Crum, will be eliminated after the Freeman Hoosier 99.

A significant field of 28 cars are entered in the traditional event in the Foothills of North Carolina. 

Luke Baldwin leads the playoff points. With a 36 point advantage over Newman, Baldwin only needs to start the race to advance to the championship round. Baldwin has not won at Tri-County, but did finish fifth in the race last year. 

The third-generation Modified racer did compete in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model race one week ago at the 4/10 of a mile track and finished 13th.

“It’s definitely a unique place, and they’re always making changes to it,” said Baldwin, who drives the Pace-O-Matic 7va for Hermie Sadler and Bill Stanley. “To be honest, I think between the two cars, it's a very different racetrack. There are things you can do in one, but can’t do in another, so it’ll be fun to see exactly what those things are. I just want to go out, race hard and compete for a win.”

Ryan Newman is the most recent winner with SMART at Tri-County Speedway. The three-time winner this year has a significant lead over third and fourth place in points, and feels the track fits his driving style. (Click here to see the current point standings)

“It has multiple groves, which allows you to move around to pass,” explained Newman, who drives the SHITI Coolers number-2. “It’s not just a bump and run kind of track. The surface is good and the tires hold up well, so you get to race hard and not ride like some tracks.”

The heated battle is for the final transfer spot for the championship round. Paulie Hartwig, III, and Jake Crum are only separated by ten points. Hartwig, who is a freshman in high school, understands the pressure going into the penultimate round of the season.

“It’s definitely gonna be a hard one this weekend at Tri-County,” admitted Hartwig, who drives the Jersey Shore Excavating number-73. “Hopefully we can qualify well and I can at least keep him in my sights during the race. 

“I watched a lot of videos from Tri-County on FloRacing this week to help prepare since I have not raced there,” continued Hartwig. “I’ve studied the lines and how to maintain your tires. I’m pretty confident we can make the top three and be in contention in the finale at Wilkesboro.” 

Crum has the most experience of all the playoff contenders at Tri-County, although most of his starts come in a Late Model Stock Car. In 11 races overall, Crum has led more than 125 laps and has finished in the top-five on five different occasions, including a fourth place effort in the SMART Mods race two years ago.

“I think racing there over the years for sure helps. I enjoy the three-groove racing it offers. But, I don’t get complacent thinking that I have an edge over anyone,” admitted Crum, who drives the 99 modified for Jamie and Cheryl Tomiaino. “The caliber of drivers in the SMART Modified Tour the last couple of years is extremely good. And with all of these race tracks that we go to being on iRacing, everyone gets on there and makes laps and knows what they need to do.

“I don’t feel any pressure, mainly because I have nothing to lose,” stated Crum. “Obviously the math is pretty simple. I either need to beat Hartwig by 11 spots, or get stage points to help with that, or win the race. My goal is to leave with a SMARTY trophy and advance to Wilkesboro. I know my team will bring me a good car and we will all work as hard as we possibly can and if it’s not enough, then it’s not enough. As my wife (Annabeth) likes to remind me, ‘It's just a game, don’t let the game define who you are as a person.”

There is a scenario where both Hartwig and Crum could knock out Ryan Newman from the championship round. If Crum wins, Hartwig needs to finish second and Newman last (28th), for the 14 year-old to advance over the former Daytona 500 winner.

To understand more about the SMART Modified Championship Playoff, click here.

Round two of the playoffs is scheduled for Tri-County Speedway in Granite Falls, NC, on Saturday, October 11, with the inaugural running of the Freeman Hoosier 99. For more information on the event, please visit the Event Hub on the SMART Mods website.

The final and championship round of the playoffs is a two-day show at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18.

All SMART races are streamed live on FloRacing, the official streaming broadcast partner of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic.

For updates on the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic, be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: SMART Modified Tour| Twitter: @SMARTMods_ | IG: @smartmods_).

By Bob DIllner (x - @bobdillner)

SMART Modified Tour Entry List For Tri-County Speedway