SOPHIA, N.C. – Officials from Caraway Speedway have announced that the 18th annual North-South Shootout will be moving to the 55-year-old facility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several options were explored, including keeping the event at Hickory Motor Speedway or possibly cancelling this year’s event. The 18th Annual North-South Shootout will continue to be the weekend of Nov. 6-7 and will feature 150-lap events for the tour-type modified and super late model divisions. Limited late models will also be in action, along with 602 modifieds, 602 super limiteds, and mini stocks.

“We tried everything we could do to keep the North-South Shootout at Hickory, but were unable to finalize anything due to the unknowns surround the state government’s COVID restrictions,” said North-South Shootout promoter Darren Hackett.  “Luckily we have plenty of room at Caraway to social distance and we felt like moving it back here for this year was the next best option.”

Caraway Speedway hosted the North-South Shootout from 2011-2014 with the four tour-type modified races there being split between Matt Hirschman and Ryan Preece.  Hirschman is excited to try an extend his wins record in the North-South with the return to Caraway.

“2020 has been such a strange year for motorsports, nothing surprises me,” said Hirschman, who is seeking his unprecedented seventh win in the North-South Shootout. “The different rules for different states during the COVID-19 pandemic have affected everyone and we just have to do whatever we can to support these events when we can.”

Top Southern modified runner Burt Myers scored back-to-back wins in the North-South Shootout at Concord Speedway in 2008-09 and leads a strong southern contingent of modified drivers like Brian Loftin, John Smith, Bobby Measmer Jr. and Jeremy Gerstner in defense of their home turf. Hirschman realizes a win at this year’s Shootout will be tough to achieve with so many strong teams having experience at Caraway Speedway.

“Ultimately the cream will rise to the top,” says Hirschman. “Some of the Southern modified teams with a lot of laps at Caraway will be tough, but it will come down to good cars with good setups and a good race strategy to be on top at the end of the night no matter where the event is held.”