ROBERSONVILLE, NC :: Shawn Balluzzo picked up a victory at East Carolina in a Modified race on Friday night. Balluzzo’s also been dominant in Langley Speedway’s Modifieds where he’s scored six wins on the season. Once a Late Model racer, Balluzzo enjoys the Modified culture and his success across the region.
Balluzzo, 58, began racing in Late Model Stock Cars back in 1986 before taking up Modified racing. In his time in Late Models, he traveled all around the region. Balluzzo enjoyed returning to East Carolina, a track he used to run at regularly back in the 90s.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been to East Carolina,” Balluzzo said. “We used to run at East Carolina back when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ran Late Models. We ran every week back when he ran there. They used to have some big special races there. We also used to do a lot of traveling. It was great to be back there. It’s totally different. Of all the tracks I’ve run a Late Model, it’s got to be the most difficult track to figure out. Langley and that are the two most difficult but I’m so used to Langley it doesn’t bother me. East Carolina is a great track, they’re super there and they’re glad to have you.”
Balluzzo said that the competition at East Carolina was stout and a sign that the division is growing across the region.
“The competition was good,” Balluzzo remarked. “The Modifieds are going in this area. We had 24 cars at the last regular race at Langley. There were 15 cars or so at East Carolina. The Modifieds are growing in this area. We had 24 cars at the last regular race at Langley. Jimmy Humblet there, Robbie Babb was there, Mike Rudy was there. A bunch of guys from Southside and South Boston that we don’t normally race with were there. It was the usual suspects and front runners from Langley.”
While many of the Langley Speedway regulars have traveled to South Boston, Franklin County, Ace and other tracks throughout the season, Balluzzo has focused on the Langley Speedway division championship but plans to travel more next season.
“The Modified guys traveled a lot. We would have also but we were chasing the seventh championship at Langley. The guys wanted to make sure we didn’t have an issue. We only have one car. Next year will be different. East Carolina is talking about running the Modifieds opposite of Langley. We could run the whole season at Langley and East Carolina. A lot of tracks are taking up this style modified. It’s much less expensive than a tour modified.”
Balluzzo said that the culture in Modified racing is much different than in Late Models and it’s something he enjoys.
“The guys in the Modifieds are much more ‘racers’ than the Late Model guys are,” Balluzzo said. “Late Model guys are points oriented; modified guys race when they feel like it and enjoy racing more. It’s quite a bit different culture than the Late Model and that is what I like about it. It’s free spirited, that would be the proper description of a modified compared to Late Model. It’s hard to describe. LMSC is just so much more expensive.”
Balluzzo sold his Late Model and has since focused on racing in Modifieds. He has scored six championships at Langley Speedway in the Modified division and is now eyeing his seventh. He leads the points by 26 over Danny Harrell with one race remaining. That race will be held on September 27th.
