Sadler-Stanley Racing (SS Racing) returned to the track on Sunday afternoon, March 10, at Caraway Speedway in North Carolina for the second race of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic season.
NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Labonte returned to the lineup for the first of multiple SMART Modified Tour events this season for the former SS Racing winner and 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion. He was joined by Luke Baldwin and Jonathan Cash, the two full-time SS Racing drivers for the 2024 season for SS Racing.
Labonte and Baldwin posted times inside the top-five in practice, while Cash was 14th. In qualifying, Labonte posted the third fastest time, while Baldwin was 7th and Cash followed deeper in the pack.
Right before the race, Labonte redrew to the pole position. He ran inside the top-five for the duration of the 100-lap event and scored a podium third-place finish. Labonte won the final two races of the SMART Modified Tour season in 2023 and started off his efforts for 2024 with a strong day at Caraway on Sunday in the Pace-O-Matic No. 18.
Baldwin was collected in a wreck early and the team had to come up with some strategy to get him back in the game. He pitted for a fresh Hoosier tire during the first stage break, then stayed out and took over the lead after the second stage while others pitted. Baldwin would lose some spots in the final laps, but bring the No. 7VA home with a seventh-place finish. Cash had a day filled with ups and downs that resulted with a finish outside the top-10, but the No. 16VA team continues to push and make improvements each time on the track.
The next race for the Sadler-Stanley Racing team will be the $20,000 to win King of the Modifieds event at South Boston Speedway with the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic on Saturday, March 23. Both Luke Baldwin and Jonathan Cash will drive machines to compete for the big prize in what is quickly becoming one of the crown jewel Modified events on the East Coast. The race will be live on FloRacing.TV.
For more information on team driver Jonathan Cash, fans should visit Jonathan Cash Racing on Facebook. For more information on team driver Luke Baldwin, visit him on Facebook and Instagram at Luke Baldwin Racing and also follow Tommy Baldwin Racing across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information on Bobby Labonte, fans can visit BobbyLabonte.com and also follow him on social media.
For more information on Sadler-Stanley Racing, visit the all-new Sadler-StanleyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook at SS Racing for the latest updates, including from the track on race day.
SS Racing Photo
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