SMART Beach Trip Kicks Off Stretch Run to Championship

The Carteret Clash On Tap Saturday Near the Crystal Coast of North Carolina (Phil Cavali Photo)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Martinsville, VA (September 2, 2026) - College football is not the only thing kicking off this weekend in America. The stretch run to the championship for the SMART Modified Tour begins Saturday, September 5, at Carteret County Speedway, in Swansboro, NC. 

Fans consider the SMART Beach Trip

near the Crystal Coast of North Carolina one of the most enjoyable stops of the season, but teams contending for a spot in the SMART Playoffs know it’s not all fun and games. 

The Carteret Clash on Saturday signifies the return of SMART Mods after a month-long break, but with only two races remaining before the playoffs begin, it’s “game on” for all those hoping to be in the title bout.

Only five drivers will battle for the championship in the final three races of the season. Currently, fourth through seventh in the standings is separated by less than 20 points, meaning anything can happen at the uniquely-shapped Carteret County Speedway. 

Sitting just outside that group is defending series champion Luke Baldwin. He and his brother, Jack Baldwin, are eighth and ninth in points. Ironically, those drivers, in that order, finished first and second in the Carteret Clash one year ago.

There have been five different winners in five races for the SMART powered by Pace-O-Matic at Carteret. Current point leader Danny Bohn captured his first series win at the Clash two years ago. Team 25 is currently 13 points ahead of former Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman, who is looking for his first victory of the season. Jake Crum is third in points and is the most recent winner with SMART (at Pulaski County Speedway - August 7).

Another former Cup star, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte, will be back behind the wheel of a modified. He won the Carteret Clash in 2021.

Carson Loftin, who recently won his first CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car race, will be back behind the wheel of a modified at Carteret. He is a two-time winner with SMART this seasonwhile running a part-time schedule.  

Bowman Gray Stadium winner John Holleman IV and Jonny Kay will be making their first starts of the season with the series.

Speaking of the stadium, the Myers family will enter three cars in the Carteret Clash. Recently crowned 12-time Bowman Gray Stadium champBurt Myers is currently fourth in the series standings. His son, Slate Myers, who won three races at the stadium this season, will return to SMART for the first time since the beginning of the year. Jason Myers, brother of Burt and uncle to Slate, will be making his first series start of the season. Jason Myers was also a winner at BGS this summer.

Watch the 600-horsepower modifieds during the SMART Beach Trip, on Saturday, September 5, at Carteret County Speedway, in Swansboro, NC. The day after the racing, many teams are enjoying a day on the beach during this Labor Day weekend. For more information on the event, please visit the SMART Event Hub.

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_).

Written by - Bob Dillner

SMART Modified Tour

The SMART Modified Tour captures the essence of one of the most legendary forms of racing in America, pavement Modifieds.  Born in 1988, these ground-pounding, 600-horsepower missiles for the SMART Tour are a must-see for any racing fan.

In 2020, Chris Williams brought SMART Modifieds back to prominence after a brief hiatus.  Due to the overwhelming popularity from its fan base, a four-race schedule in its initial year has given birth to an adventurous 14-race schedule in 2026.

This year will mark the sixth full-season of SMART Modified Tour racing since its return.  Many of Modified racing’s best drivers, from all over the country, will compete with the series, which visits 13 different racetracks in three different states in the Mid-Atlantic - North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.  

SMART Modifieds compete on grueling asphalt oval short tracks, embedded in quaint local communities, each spring, summer and fall.

Pace-O-Matic

Pace-O-Matic develops, produces, and licenses fun and entertainment in the form of skill games in various states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming, among others.  Since its founding in 2000, the organization has built a talented leadership team and a culture defined by integrity, innovation, and compliance.  Learn more at www.paceomatic.com.