Hirschman Tests with Gillette-Evernham
Loudon, NH — NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Matt Hirschman was on hand Tuesday at the open test session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and got behind the wheel of a NASCAR Camping World Series East car for the first time when he tested with Gillette-Evernham Motorsports.
Hirschman has seven top 10s and a win through nine NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races in 2008 and currently sits in third place in the standings. On Tuesday he tested the No. 9 Dodge of Gillette-Evernham Motorsports at Loudon, the same car that Kasey Kahne drove at Iowa Speedway in May. For Hirschman, who has had a lot of success in the open-wheeled world of Modified racing, it was his first time driving a fendered car.
“First time out, it was quite a bit different, but by the end of the day I felt pretty comfortable that I would be ready to race one,” Hirschman said. “I was happy with how it went.”
Hirschman split time on Tuesday in the No. 9 with Kevin Swindell, a regular USAC competitor. Gillette-Evernham will enter the car in the four remaining races on the NASCAR Camping World Series East schedule, but has yet to decide which drivers will fill the seat at each stop.
Also on hand to test Tuesday for car owner Dave Davis in the No. 03 was Joey Polewarczyk Jr. Davis plans to put Polewarczyk behind the wheel for the NASCAR Camping World Series race at Loudon on Sept. 12. Polewarczyk, a regular Late Model driver in the American Canadian Tour, finished third in the prestigious TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains (Maine) Speedway in July, just behind Kevin Harvick and Glen Luce.
A total of eight NASCAR Camping World Series East teams tested at New Hampshire on Tuesday. In addition to the two Davis cars, other drivers on hand included Joseph Masessa, Jeff Anton, Steve Park, Alan Tardiff, Dustin Delaney and Jody Lavender.
The participating cars were not outfitted with transponsers, so no times were recorded.
The NASCAR Camping World Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hold a doubleheader of racing action this Saturday, Aug. 23 at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR PR