The Modified Regional East Series heads to The Dirt Track at Charlotte for Race 4, and this is where the season can really start to separate into “contenders” and “everyone else.” Charlotte is fast, momentum-heavy, and rewards drivers who can run committed entries lap after lap without giving away exit speed. With four races still left in this 7-race championship, the points are tight enough that Charlotte can swing the whole tone of the stretch run.
The headline entering this week is the standings: Brayden E Carter is the new points leader with 34, and Aidan Strawberry is right there at 30. That gap is only four points, and with the scoring format (12 to win, one less per position behind, plus 1 point for qualifying fast time) it doesn’t take much for the pendulum to swing back. Strawberry already proved at Lincoln that even a rough start doesn’t end his night—he salvaged enough points to stay within striking distance. Now the pressure shifts back to Carter: can he back up his Lincoln win with another top-tier points night and start building breathing room?
Right behind the top two, the next tier is quietly dangerous. Brenden McGlothlin has been the model of consistency and sits third at 25, while Branson Woodward is fourth at 24 despite missing a race—meaning every time he’s shown up, he’s been a factor. If either McGlothlin or Woodward lands a big Charlotte result, this can turn into a four-driver points scrum fast. And don’t forget the “one-race impact” names: Justin Thomas (11) is still within range if he returns and hits a win, while Jonathan Hanson and Evan Nugent are tied at 9 and have already shown they can run near the front.
Now, here’s why Charlotte is such a fascinating stop: the track history is loud. In the all-time Charlotte win stats, Colton Zimmer stands above the rest with 5 wins in 7 starts—a ridiculous strike rate at a place that’s supposed to be difficult to master. And the winners list is short but telling: James Richard2, Evan Seay, and Barrett Bishop each have a Charlotte win as well. Charlotte doesn’t hand out trophies evenly—when a driver “gets” this place, they tend to control it. If Zimmer appears on the grid, he’s instantly the benchmark.
Season 1’s Charlotte race is also a great blueprint for what winning looks like here. Zimmer didn’t just win—he led 12 laps and closed the deal in a 20-lap event, with Bradley W Carter and Brandon Holtmeier right behind him in a stacked podium. Aidan Strawberry was in that Season 1 field too, and even without a headline finish, that experience matters: Charlotte is a rhythm track, and every prior lap here helps when it’s time to push on the edge. The bigger question for this season is whether the current points leaders—Carter and Strawberry—can turn Charlotte into a momentum swing, or if this becomes the week someone else steals the spotlight and compresses the standings even tighter.
With the points lead newly flipped and Charlotte’s “specialists” looming, this round feels like a turning point. If Carter wins again, he starts to build control of the championship. If Strawberry answers back, the fight becomes a coin flip. And if McGlothlin or Woodward grabs the big points haul, suddenly Charlotte becomes the race that turns this into a true multi-car title battle.
SEASON 1 – CHARLOTTE RESULTS
- Colton Zimmer, 2) Bradley W Carter, 3) Brandon Holtmeier, 4) Brayden Donaldson, 5) Hunter McDougall, 6) Christine Arter, 7) Scout Neff, 8) Chase Giddens, 9) Aidan Strawberry, 10) Mitchell Huddleston, 11) Dillon Eisenberg2, 12) Jeremiah Johnson, 13) Zachary Audet, 14) Jordan Lafon, 15) David Gillean, 16) Jeffy Thompson2, 17) Cade Nelson
CURRENT TOP 10 IN POINTS (After 3 Races)
- Brayden E Carter (34), 2) Aidan Strawberry (30), 3) Brenden McGlothlin (25), 4) Branson Woodward (24), 5) Justin Thomas (11), 6) Jonathan Hanson (9), 7) Evan Nugent (9), 8) Dylan Alton (8), 9) Casey Borgmeyer (8), 10) Samuel Wright5 (8)
