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Success has come in bunches for “Big Money” Matt Hirschman.

He’s won the last three championships in the Tri-Track Open Modified Series and went undefeated in all five starts this year.

The 34-year-old, for the most part, stays away from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, only entering a couple races a season. And he’s perfectly fine with it, too. In Hirschman’s eyes, the Tri-Track Series maintains a level of respect between drivers that the NASCAR Tour lacks.

“There is a lot less respect there [Whelen Modified Tour] than a lot of other places,” Hirschman told Short Track Scene. “Certain race directors or organizations are going to have you walk a straighter line than others. I think more equipment gets torn up in that series, more than any other, and that’s a product of over-aggression and a lack of respect.

“I also compete in that series on a limited basis. I do a little bit of everything when it comes to modified racing. I have my choice of, ‘if I don’t like it, I don’t have to go too,’ but it tends to be a little bit more that way.”

But, why is the Tri-Track Series a tour of choice for “Big Money” Matt? The answer may not be difficult to figure out.

“I’ve always liked the open shows, and that’s probably where my notoriety started, was my success in them,” said Hirschman. “Just have bigger-paying races, they tend to be more special shows that come like once a year,.. I like the special feel and the higher purses.”

“When this whole Tri-Track thing came together, it sort of brought together the few open shows that were left out there, and really strengthened them.”

The mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has been taken to heart by Hirschman and his No. 60 racing team. Currently, there are no plans for a major shakeup in 2018.

“Probably not,” said Hirschman when asked whether there would be any changes in where the team chooses to run in the future. “You have to ask yourself, ‘Why would you want to change what I’m doing right now, with it being as successful as it’s been?’ Part of being successful is sticking with what you know and building on that.”

“To totally change things up, not that we couldn’t adapt and find success doing something else, but I kind of like to perfect what we’re doing. I think that this year has been a product of that.”

Matt Hirschman’s Tri-Track win streak currently stands at five. With no significant changes planned for the future, that streak may not be in jeopardy of ending come 2018.

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Paul Lambert is an aspiring collegiate journalist. A writer and broadcaster, Paul's excited to cover New England short track racing in 2022. Paul has also been published in the Boston Herald, Speedway Illustrated and on Autoweek.com.

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