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It’s an instant crown jewel event for Modified racing in America. The Pace-O-Matic King of the Modifieds will pay a minimum of $20,000 to the winner of the 125-lap event on Saturday, March 23, at South Boston Speedway for the SMART Modified Tour. 

As rumblings moved through the Modified community in recent weeks, it has sparked an interest from Modified teams from north and south. The event will be a five-tire race for what will be one of the most lucrative purses of 2024. More details regarding the event will be announced soon. 

“The SMART tour is very excited to create a crown jewel event at the iconic South Boston Speedway, one of the premiere racing facilities in the country. We have been working towards holding this race for a few years. and now with the extraordinary help from Senator (Bill) Stanley (VA), our primary sponsor Pace-O-Matic and some new local Virginia sponsors, we can now showcase the power, greatness and history of both Modified race cars and their drivers with this upcoming event,” said Chris Williams, SMART Modified Tour Series Director. “It’s also an honor to have this race in southern Virginia, where so many great modified drivers have made their mark in racing; it is therefore both proper and fitting to name this race the ‘King of The Modifieds.” 

Dating back to its inception in the late 1950s, South Boston Speedway has been an epicenter of Modified racing. And now, it will host one of the largest events in the United States for this genre of stock car racing. 

“We’re kicking our 2024 season off with a brand new crown jewel. The King of the Modifieds is going to be a can’t-miss event,” said Brandon Brown, General Manager of South Boston Speedway. “Every driver and team is going to want to win this race — especially in its inaugural year. It’s going to give our fans an incredible show, and you all know what a show the SMART Modifieds put on here at South Boston Speedway. I can’t wait until race day.” 

SIGN-UP COMING SOON 

The SMART Modified Tour is scheduled to release an entry blank for the event soon. The 36-car field will be determined through single-car qualifying and a last-chance race. The top-18 in SMART Modified points, who attended the first two events of 2024, are guaranteed starters in the Pace-O-Matic King of the Modifieds event at South Boston Speedway on Saturday, March 23. 

Last year, South Boston Speedway hosted two SMART Modified Tour twice in 2023, with Brian Loftin winning the first event on April 1 and Andy Jankowiak taking the second event on October 15. 

In 2024, SMART fans will be treated to 15 races at 13 different facilities in the tri-state region of North and South Carolina, as well as Virginia. 

Burt Myers captured the 2023 championship for the SMART Modified Tour in the season’s final race in October. The contest at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC was won by Pace-O-Matic driver Bobby Labonte. 

Advance tickets for all of South Boston Speedway’s 2024 events may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www. southbostonspeedway. com or by calling the speedway office at 434- 572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours. To see the entire schedule for the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic, as well as all the latest news and information, visit the series website at www. smartmodtour.com. 

The latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway can be found on the speedway’s website and social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway during regular business hours. 

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 15-race schedule in 2024. 

This year will mark the fourth 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.