OSWEGO, N.Y. – Matt Hirschman made himself right at home Saturday night at Oswego Speedway and won his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race of the season in his first start.
Hirschman, who now has four career tour wins, earned his second Tour victory at the .675-mile oval in New York that has long been a Hirschman family stronghold.
Hirschman won at Oswego in 2018. His earlier Modified Tour victories both came more than a decade ago in 2008 — at Spencer Speedway in Williamson, N.Y., and Chemung (N.Y.) Speedway. The series last visited Oswego in 2019.
“I love every ripple, bump and crack in this place,” Hirschman said. “I’ve been coming here a long time and it’s a special place to my whole family. I’ve always just enjoyed coming up here. It always has a lot of character and it really suits me well. It’s tough, winning these races.”
Hirschman won by holding off Ryan Preece, the 2013 Modified Tour champion who currently races in the NASCAR Cup Series for JTG Daugherty Racing.
Preece pressured Hirschman constantly during the final 50 laps, tucking his No. 6 Chevrolet to the inside of Hirschman’s No. 60 but couldn’t make the pass for the lead. Preece was attempting to score his second Oswego victory, having won there previously in 2017.
“We were just so close, and really this has been the Hirschman house, right?” Preece said. “I’ve finished second so many times to him here. Second place isn’t all that bad. … We were one more adjustment away for maybe having a little something for Matt.”
Hirschman had qualified third earlier in the day, emerging victorious in a race that was slowed once by the caution flag.
Series points leader Patrick Emerling piloted his No. 07 Chevrolet to a third-place finish, just ahead of Justin Bonsignore, who is second in the point standings and was the most recent Tour winner at Oswego prior to Saturday. Kyle Ebersole completed the top five.
Max McLaughlin finished 11th on the evening in his fifth series start after qualifying on the pole, the first of his career with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
The finish:
Matt Hirschman, Ryan Preece, Patrick Emerling, Justin Bonsignore, Kyle Ebersole, Woody Pitkat, Tyler Rypkema, Chase Dowling, Anthony Nocella, Ron Silk, Max McLaughlin, Andrew Krause, Timmy Solomito, Chuck Hossfeld, Tommy Catalano, Kyle Bosignore, Craig Lutz, J.B. Fortin, Scott Wylie, Jon McKennedy, Eric Goodale, Mike Leaty, Walter Sutcliffe Jr., Melissa Fifield.