To celebrate the fourth annual Kenny Minter Classic 110 SMART Modified Tour event at Franklin County Speedway, we are going to look back at the previous three runnings of this event. We will also touch on the back story of this race, post comments from Kenny Jr, preview this year's race and more. I would like to thank Justin Mincey, Short Track Report, Kenny Lang, Dennis Hall, Kenny Minter Jr, www.missedgear.net, Short Track Scene, Brandon White and Steve Curtiss photography along with the Franklin County Speedway Memories page on Facebook as I utilized those resources for this little project. I want to give credit where credit is due.
Part 3: The 2023 Kenny Minter Classic 110
By Julian Austin
May 24, 2024
For the third running of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic Kenny Minter Classic, the date would be shifted to Memorial Day Weekend and run primarily under the lights. May 26th, 2023 would be the date.
Coming into this race, there were four different winners in the first four events on the 2023 campaign. Matt Hirschman won the opening event at Florence while Brandon Ward and Joey Coulter gave fans a great finish at Caraway which saw Ward pick up the victory. Brian Loftin would win at South Boston and 2022 series champion Caleb Heady would win at Hickory.
Notoriously absent from that winners list was Burt Myers. Myers entered this event with back to back third place finishes. Burt hasn't had a ton of success during the first two installments but that would change on this Friday night in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Tim Brown surveys his car after posting the fastest lap in qualifying held before the event.
Tim Brown would set the early pace in the race after posting the fastest lap time in qualifying and would jump out to the early lead as Jason Myers couldn't get going on the first lap. Joey Coulter and James Civali would take advantage of the inside lane not getting going by making up multiple spots from qualifying positions.
The 2021 and 2022 winners at Franklin County Speedway John Smith and Jonathan Brown would see their days end on lap 1 and 34 with early contact into the wall.
Tim Brown would win the first stage with Coulter in second and Civali in third. Civali would reenact his 2021 performance coming from deep in the field and marching to the front. His day would unfortunately come to an end on lap 35 when he parked his Hillbilly Racing number 79 due to losing power to his machine.
70 laps into the race and Brown had led every lap to this point as he was fending off a hard charging Joey Coulter when he lost power coming out of turn four handing the lead to Coulter. The leaders would then pit during this yellow including Brown. Brown was able to recover from this but would not contend for the win going forward.
Electrical issues throughout the event caused a delay in scoring at times during the event as well as having no scoreboard up or PA System.
When the event restarted, it was Coulter, Ward, Bobby Labonte, Bobby Measmer Jr. & Burt Myers would be the top five. This is when chaos would strike. Ryan Newman gets into the wall after contact from Tim Brown. Jason Myers, Jeremy Gerstner and Johnny Kay would also be swept up in the incident in turn three. Myers would be done for the night.
The inside line once again could not get going as Bobby Measmer Jr struggled to gain traction. Burt Myers took advantage of this and would move up to third place. Measmer Jr. would pull his car behind the wall and be done for the night shortly after.
Myers who started tenth would spend the next several laps chasing his old rival Brandon Ward for second before the next yellow came out for another spin by Gerstner.
15 to go and we get a restart, Burt Myers gets by Ward on the restart after Ward gets loose coming out of three. Myers immediately chases down Coulter and would put a nerf bar on the inside a lap later. He would get to his inside in turn one on the next lap and would complete the pass in turn three to take the lead for the first time with ten laps to go. That ended up being the pass for the win as Burt Myers would claim his first SMARTY trophy since 2004 and the ninth time in his career at the time.
2023 Kenny Minter Classic 110 Top 10.
1. Burt Myers
2. Joey Coulter
3. Brandon Ward
4. Bobby Labonte
5. Ryan Newman
6. Caleb Heady
7. Brian Loftin
8. Carson Lofton
9. Johnny Kay
10. Dennis Holdren
The 2023 event moving to a night race did not disappoint. Tim Brown dominated the race early on but the competion level was intense behind him. Once Brown was no longer a threat it appeared Joey Coulter would run out of Franklin County with the trophy. Burt Myers the cagey veteran that he is bided his time and would be there when it counted to get the win. There was carnage in this one but also good side by side racing which once again puts a stamp on the point that Franklin County Speedway was made for modified racing. The concrete patches put in some trouble areas the Sunday before the race and got rave reviews. This win by Myers would propel him to winning the next two weeks at Caraway and Ace in July and August before winning the championship in the fall.
Part 2: The 2022 Kenny Minter Classic 110
By Julian Austin
May 23, 2024
(Gary Putnam leads Bobby Labonte and others around the first turn during the 2022 Kenny Minter Classic 110 at Franklin County Speedway.)
We take you back to April 10th, 2022. The SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic came to Franklin County Speedway for the second running of the Kenny Minter Classic 110.
The early part of the 2022 season was dominated by one name. "Money" Matt Hirschman. Hirschman won the opening two races of the season at Florence Motor Speedway in South Carolina and Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama North Carolina. Young Caleb Heady scored his only win of the season at Caraway Speedway in the third event of the season before Hirschman won the event which honored another Virginia legend, Ray Hendrick at South Boston Speedway.
With Hirschman not in the field, Heady would be the only driver in the field with a victory on the season. Heady would back that run up with a third place finish the following event at South Boston held the previous week before this stop at Franklin County. Heady was off to a great start to the season up to this point with three podium finishes in the opening three events on tour.
The "Ace" Burt Myers started the season with a fourth place at Florence, third at Southern National and second at Caraway. A sixth at South Boston would be his worst finish in the opening handful of races in 2022.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte burst on the Southern Modified scene in 2021 with two wins on the campaign and a third place points finish. Although he hadn't won yet in 2022, he hadn't finished any worse than sixth on the young season.
In 2021, Mount Airy North Carolina's John Smith started in 12th and won the event holding off James Civali. Smith would not make the trip to Callaway in 2022 and with Frank Fleming also not making the trip that would mean that there were no former winners in the field at Franklin County Speedway on this day.
Brandon Ward set the early tone by putting up a lap of 13.012 seconds around the gritty 3/8ths mile track. The field would be inverted by the random pill draw and that put Gary Putnam up front Local favorite Dennis Holdren would overtake Putnam early before the first yellow fell on the speedway for a crash involving Dan Speeney and another local favorite Craig Young.
It would not be long before Jonathan Brown would assume his place in the lead and be the man to beat. Brown hooked up with Virginia State Senator Bill Stanley and former NASCAR Xfinity Series winner Hermie Sadler heading into the season. This new race team would have it's ups and downs just like any other new operation but this was it's finest moment of the season thus far.
Jeremy Gerstner who travels the circuit from way down in Wesley Chapel Florida would be a strong contender all day driving for Hillbilly Racing which had ran so well in 2021 with James Civali driving. Gertsner led several laps on this day and would win the opening stage of the event.
Stage two saw Bobby Measmer Jr with the early advantage but Brown would assume the lead shortly after where he would stake claim for most of this race. After a caution involving another local favorite Paul Hall who was a teammate to Gerstner for this weekend. The second part of the race would be plagued by timing and scoring issues along with parts of the track coming up in the corners. Track officials worked feverishly to fix these issues.
Once the issues were fixed, Brown was still in control of the race with Bobby Labonte and Brandon Ward trading second and third several times. With 40 laps to go, Paul Hall brought out the yellow for a spin in turns one and two. The leaders would duck onto pit road and just about every driver would go for that one sticker tire. Bobby Labonte would be the only driver of note to try and take advantage of track position.
It didn't take long for Brown to take the lead again while Bobby Labonte would drop back. Brandon Ward would peek to the inside of Brown with 29 to go but was not able to get around him. He would get to the bottom of Brown with 27 to go and the two combatants would continue racing side by side as Jeremy Gerstner would rebound from his early spin to enter the third spot.
Ward would continue to chase Brown and it appeared that we may have a repeat of the 2021 version of this race. Ward would try the high lane but it would not work as they approached lapped traffic. Greg Butcher who was trying to stay on the lead lap was on the high side of another car when Brown had to put the binders on to avoid hitting Butcher. This is when trouble struck in turn one. Brandon Ward climbed over Butchers right rear and spun himself out of second place trying to get by him. This was after Brown and Ward made slight contact leading into this portion of the race. An unfortunate end to what was shaping up to be a classic battle between Ward and Brown.
(Jonathan Brown leads Jeremy Gerstner around the first turn late in the 2022 Kenny Minter Classic 110)
The restart would come with 16 laps to go with Jonathan Brown still in front and Gerstner moving up to second but an incident involving Caleb Heady would slow the field down immediately. Heady would be knocked out of the race and this would end up 16th which would end up being tied for his worst finish of 2022 with the other coming in the season finale at Pulaski County Motorsports Park.
On the next restart, Brown would have to deal with Gerstner but only for a short amount of time. He would sprint ahead of the "Flyin Floridian" and end up getting his first win of the season after finishing runner up the previous week at South Boston. It was his third career win on the tour. Gertsner would get a career best second while Measmer Jr, Myers and Labonte completed the top 5. Local fan favorite and 2024 Mini Stock Championship leader at Franklin County Speedway Dennis Holdren of nearby Roanoke would finish sixth.
(Jonathan Brown poses in Victory Lane with the SMARTY following the 2022 Kenny Minter Classic 110. Photo Credit: Short Track Report)
2022 Kenny Minter Classic 110 Top 10 finishers
1. Jonathan Brown
2. Jeremy Gertsner
3. Bobby Measmer Jr.
4. Burt Myers
5. Bobby Labonte
6. Dennis Holdren
7. Brandon Ward
8. Jason Myers
9. Brian Loftin
10. Gary Putnam.
I was at this race in 2022. This was the weekend that lit the fire inside of me to pursue being involved with the media aspect of motorsports. Although this race didn't have the carnage 2021 had or the number of lead changes, it was still a memorable race due to the close racing throughout the field. I re-watched this race on Flo-Racing and enjoyed it again as I did two years ago when I was there in person.
Two years in a row, Hillbilly Racing showed up to Franklin County only to finish second. Would the streak continue in 2023?
Jonathan Brown has reduced his racing schedule since this win to focus on his family. His dominance of this event gave us a glimpse of the talented driver Brown was and is as well as what SS Racing would provide in the coming years. Brown would lead the most laps at 84 while Gerstner, Measmer Jr and Johnny Kay would be the only other three leaders.
In the next installment of the series, the 2023 Kenny Minter Classic 110 would see the tour run on Memorial Day weekend and on a Friday night? Would that change the dynamic of the event? Only one way to find out.
Part 1: The Inaugural Kenny Minter Classic 110
By: Julian Austin
May 22, 2024
The covid 19 Pandemic impacted every single walk of life in 2020 and 2021. Racing schedules were either canceled altogether or altered in significant ways. Public gatherings were not allowed in many states including North Carolina which is a hotbed for auto racing down south. Bowman Gray Stadium canceled their entire 2020 season and delayed the start of the 2021 season until June of 2021 which is quite the contrary from its normal April start.
As some tracks were able to open up with limited gatherings, an opportunity was presented and Franklin County Speedway was the backdrop. The stars at Bowman Gray Stadium needed and wanted a place to run and they did at 3/8ths mile bullring nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. During 2020, Franklin County Speedway would hold modified races and that was enough to whet the appetite of both racers and fans alike.
Modified racing has had a long history at Franklin County Speedway. Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, Paul Radford, Billy and Jimmy Hensley, Joe Thurman, Hank Thomas and Satch Worley. A who's who of legends and talented racers have turned laps at the Callaway Virginia short track.
The SMART Modified Tour hosted four events in 1995 and 1996 and one in 1999. Many changes took place in Southern Modified racing including NASCAR sanctioning a Southern Tour in addition to it's traditional northern tour. Southern modified racing for many years faced struggles with an identity, car counts and other hardships.
After NASCAR no longer promoted a southern tour, Chris Williams had the vision to bring back the SMART Modified Tour in 2020. This was an attempt to resurrect Tour Type Modified racing in the south. The pandemic allowed the tour to run only four races that first season but the buzz that was created was enough for the tour to march into 2021 ready for a full schedule.
When Bowman Gray Stadium postponed the start of the 2021 season, an opportunity came up for SMART tour officials to add another race to their schedule that was not previously on the original schedule.
As told to Brandon White of Short Track Scene in an article written back in 2021, track romoter Langley Austin said that Modifieds have always been well-received by fans at Franklin County and is excited to have the series visit his facility."
“This is Modified country up here,” Austin said. “There are many fans in our immediate area that don’t attend races unless we are running Modifieds. We’re glad to be able to give them the show they’re looking for and with what the SMART Tour has morphed into, it’s a series that every track wants to get to their venue.”
The SMART Modified Tour typically will honor a legend from modified racing for their events. Kenny Minter was chosen as the driver to honor for this race. Kenny was the 1993 SMART Modified Rookie of the Year and competed in many races at Franklin County Speedway. Tragically, Minter lost his life at Caraway Speedway in October of 1995 and the tour immediately retired the number 10 from competition. The new race at Franklin County Speedway would be known as the Kenny Minter Classic 110 an ode to his number and would be the longest race of the season as it still is to this day.
On May 8th, 2021, the tour would compete in the first annual Kenny Minter Classic 110. 18 cars would show up including Cup Series driver Ryan Preece who had already notched a win in his belt at South Boston Speedway the previous race. Other winners in 2021 up to that point were Matt Hirschman at Carraway and future tour champion Caleb Heady taking the checkers at Florence.
Brian Loftin would take advantage of the pill draw invert and lead the field from the pole. series point leader Burt Myers would start second. Bobby Labonte, Jason Myers and Chuck Hossfeld would round out the top five. Preece would start sixth, Gary Putnam seventh, Frank Fleming who was the only former winner on the tour at the facility would line up eighth. Jeremy Gerstner and Chris Fleming would complete the top ten starters.
Burt Myers would take the lead early from Loftin but the story early in this race was James Civali driving for Hillbilly Racing. Civali started 16th and would use the outside lane to his advantage to mow through the field as Myers and Loftin exchanged the lead.
James Civali competes during the 2021 Kenny Minter Classic 110 for Hillbilly Racing
(Photo credit goes to Steve Curtis Photography and www.missedgear.net)
By lap 20, Civali was already up to fourth. It was apparent he was not trying to save anything as he wanted to claim that stage win and go to the front.
When the caution came out for Chris Fleming's spin, Civali was in second place behind Loftin on lap 35.
Loftin couldn't get going on the restart and lost positions to Civali, Chuck Hossfeld, Myers and Preece. Civali would win the first stage but barely as Hossfeld and Preece were close behind.
Lap 46 Hossfeld takes the lead and starts to check out as Civali fades.
Ryan Preece and Chuck Hossfeld would keep the Franklin County Crowd on the edge of their seats while battling for the lead as the top five were nerf bar to nerf bar after a restart.
Civali brings out a caution on lap 64 when he spins out. At this point, everyone pitted for that one precious sticker tire. Hossfeld, Loftin, Myers and John Smith applies that fresh tire on the right rear while Ryan Preece tries his luck with the right front.
Frank Fleming who pitted earlier takes the lead when he doesn't pit. Hossfeld tracks him down along with Loftin, Preece and Myers but they are not able to get around Fleming. At this point, James Civali is back in the top five as Hossfeld does all he can to get by Fleming.
With 15 laps to go, Burt Myers decided it was go time. He gets by the smoking Hossfeld and a few laps later, het gets by Fleming for the lead as the caution comes out for Jason Myers crashing into the front stretch wall. Officials made the decision that the caution came out before Myers was able to get by Fleming.
Hossfeld's great day comes to an end when officials observed his machine leaking fluid.
Burt spins the tires on the restart and can't get going! He squeezes local favorite Dennis Holdren into the wall. During this, Ryan Preece also gets into the wall and shows his displeasure to Chris Fleming on the track. Preece is done.
Fleming and Myers bring them back for the restart since a lap wasn't complete and James Civali pulls off one of the most daring moves seen all season splitting Fleming and Myers for the lead. Myers pulls to the outside and Civali runs him up the track but he comes back as Bobby Labonte is on Civali's nerf bar. Burt loses it in turn four and hits the wall bringing out a caution.
We have a restart and Civali pulls away after Bobby Labonte spins the tires. John Smith who hasn't been a contender all day is now second. Civali doesn't have the exit speed from the corner and Smith gets into him with Bobby Labonte on the outside. Smith is in the grass and keeps going as Civali and Labonte make contact sending Labonte around with two to go.
Civali and Jason Myers (where did he come from) line up first and second. Smith gets by Myers with one to go. Smith gets into Civali on the back stretch and slides to the inside to take the victory in a finish for the ages.
John Smith celebrates in victory lane at Franklin County Speedway following the 2021 Kenny Minter Classic 110
(Photo credit goes to Steve Curtis Photography and www.missedgear.net)
It was Smith's third career win and as of this moment, it has been his last win on the tour as of May of 2024.
Go out of your way to watch this race. I was not at this race unfortunately. I have no idea what I was doing that day to stop me from doing so. I watched this race flag to flag. This race is on You Tube as it was televised by Speed51.com. This was a tremendous race and an event fitting for Kenny Minter. It has everything you want in a short track race. Battles up front, tempers and good, hard, competitive racing. The 2022 version will have a tough act to follow.
There were 12 official lead changes at the line but there were twice as many unofficial lead changes. Frank Fleming led the most laps at 34 while six other drivers took turns leading throughout the race. For a 110 lap modified race, that is as good as it gets.