LUCAMA, N.C. — Some victories are measured in trophies. Others change careers, settle rivalries, or become unforgettable family memories.
For Matt Hirschman, Burt Myers, Andy Seuss and Jon McKennedy, the North-South Shootout has delivered moments that have stayed with them long after the checkered flag.
As the 24th annual John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout in Memory of Charles Kepley approaches this weekend, four former champions reflect on the competition, challenges and traditions that have made the event one of Modified racing’s most prestigious races.
With a record 11 North-South Shootout victories, Hirschman has enjoyed unparalleled success in the event. Yet, when asked which victory stands above the others, his answer was immediate.
“Definitely the first. I feel like that win shocked the modified world and put me on the map,” Hirschman recalled of his breakthrough 2006 triumph. “Prior to that win I had won some local races at Evergreen and a few RoC races but nothing of that magnitude.”
His first five victories came with his own team, making those accomplishments particularly meaningful to his family and crew. Since joining PeeDee Motorsports for the event in 2016, Hirschman has added six more wins.Today, the expectations are considerably different, but the desire to win remains just as strong.
For Burt Myers, winning the North-South Shootout carried a special significance. The North Carolina driver became the first and remains the only Southern competitor to capture the Tour-Type Modified title, winning back-to-back races in 2008 and 2009 at Concord.
“I’m honored to be the first and only ‘southern’ driver to win a NSS,” Myers said. “These races are full of the best teams in the business.”
Myers still remembers the tension of his 2008 victory, when a required pit stop before lap 100 nearly forced him onto pit road under green-flag conditions. The race stayed green until lap 96, creating a nerve-wracking situation that remains one of his most memorable Shootout experiences.
Andy Seuss, a two-time winner at Concord in 2016 and Hickory in 2019, remembers the competition as vividly as the celebrations. His first victory came despite a cut tire, an on-track incident and a strategy that ultimately saw him prevail on older tires.
“It was quite an accomplishment to beat Matt, especially at Concord,” Seuss recalled.
But his favorite memory of that victory had little to do with racing. His son, Lyle, was just three months old, and his wife, Jen, was changing him when the race ended. Lyle made his first North-South Shootout Victory Lane appearance wrapped in a blanket — without pants.
Seuss, who grew up admiring competitors such as John Blewett III and Jerry Marquis, summed up his connection to the event simply: “This race lit up my world.”
For Jon McKennedy, the 2018 Shootout marked a special achievement as he captured the final Tour-Type Modified event held at Concord. Despite having a strong race car, one particular moment remains etched in his memory.
“Listening to Tommy [Baldwin] screaming at me over the radio telling me that Hirschman was coming and to protect the bottom,” McKennedy recalled.
A winner in both Tour-Type Modified and Supermodified competition at the Shootout, McKennedy appreciates the unique challenges of each division, but considers his Modified triumph especially meaningful because of the caliber of competitors the event attracts.
Beyond their victories, the champions share an appreciation for the tradition established by the late Charles Kepley, who founded the Shootout to showcase Modified racing’s best competitors. Seuss remembers Kepley as a promoter who listened to racers and built relationships throughout the pit area, while Myers hopes the event never loses its commitment to honoring the sport’s past.
That legacy is reflected in a distinguished list of former North-South Shootout champions that also includes John Blewett III, Donny Lia, Ryan Preece, Justin Bonsignore and Max McLaughlin.
