Hermie Sadler (right) teams up with Virginia State Senator Bill Stanley (left) to form SS Racing.
CONCORD, NC — Retired NASCAR competitor Hermie Sadler and Virginia State Senator Bill Stanley have partnered to form SS Racing with plans to compete in this year’s SMART Modified Tour.
Sadler and Stanley, of Franklin County, Virginia, teamed up last year to promote the SMART Modified Tour event at Motor Mile Speedway. The relationship between the two continued to grow, leading to the formation of SS Racing. The team plans to do a full-time entry and a second part-time entry to the SMART Modified Tour. Both cars will be sponsored by Pace-O-Matic, a Georgia-based gaming software and entertainment company.
Jonathan Brown, a 20-time modified winner at Bowman Gray Stadium, will drive the team’s full-time entry. The second car is driven by Sadler and other well-known NASCAR personalities. The new SS Racing team will be housed and managed by Phil Stefanelli of PSR Products.
“Bill is a friend first and foremost, but he is also a passionate fan and supporter of grassroots racing, especially in Virginia,” said Sadler. “Being part-owner of this team gives us yet another vehicle to promote the SMART Modified Tour and short track racing, not just in Virginia, but throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. We are ready to rock.”
“I am looking forward to the upcoming 2022 SMART Modified Tour season and I am excited to co-own SS Racing with my good friend and racing legend from Virginia, Hermie Sadler,” said Stanley. “Our pursuit of a SMART Tour championship in the team’s inaugural season will involve both drive and determination, a personality trait that Hermie and I both share, because frankly, we hate losing more than we like winning. This team and the SMART Tour will also focus on the short circuits in Virginia that are the foundations of the history of stock car racing in America, and we look forward to promoting those historic circuits, the communities around them and the newly created Virginia. Tourism’s ‘Stock Car Heritage Trail’ as we embark on this amazing journey.”
Stefanelli and his organization PSR Products helped introduce Sadler and Stanley to the SMART Modified Tour last year. That relationship has blossomed, leading to the formation of the SS Racing team that will see not only Sadler’s return to the seat, but Brown’s pursuit of the SMART Modified Tour championship.
“I am incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to partner with Hermie and Senator Stanley this season to chase the SMART Tour title,” said Brown. “We’ve had a lot of conversations about our expectations for the 2022 season and everyone involved has the same goals. With Hermie’s experience, the support of Senator Stanley and Pace-O-Matic, and the fleet of new PSR Modifieds we’ll be putting on the track this season, I know we’ll have all the tools we need to succeed this week. and a week out.”
“From the moment I first met Hermie and Senator Stanley, I could see how passionate they were about building a successful team that can not only win races but also showcase the small businesses in their area” , Stefanelli adds. “Their eagerness for success is something that aligns with the values we have at PSR. We are going to join all our efforts to chase checkered flags every time our SS Racing cars take to the track.”
SS Racing will make its SMART Modified Tour debut on March 5 at the season-opening event at Florence Motor Speedway in South Carolina.