Positive Weekend Has Team Optimistic

By DAVE SULLY - After a slow start at Lernerville due to mechanical issues to start the season, the team rebounded nicely. Following a much needed win at Merrittville on Saturday, May 17th, Mat scored a hard-earned fourth in the 100 lap DIRT.car 358 Series on Monday, May 19th, after winning his heat, but drawing twelfth for the feature. He actually got as high as third, passing Tim McCreadie, but McCreadie fought back for the position at the end.

Fast forward to last weekend which started with a bang, as Mat parlayed a seventh place starting spot and a bargain basement motor to win on Friday night at Lernerville. To say the win was unlikely under the circumstances would be an understatement. After the primary Big Block motor was damaged two weeks in a row at Lerrnerville, it was suggested that they try a motor which Randy had picked up at Super Dirt Week last year.

Mat picks up the story, explaining, “We didn't even know if it ran. We stole the motor, basically, and went out and ran good with it.” Mat actually got in a few laps with it at Humberstone the previous Sunday after their show was over. Mat noted, “It ran good at Humberstone. It stayed together, which was what we wanted. We took it down to Lernerville. Lernerville's a little bit bigger. In the heat race, we lacked a little bit of power, but in the feature, we were good. The race car was great. The motor was great. It was just our night.”

The following night, back at Merrittville, Mat was looking for two in a row, but it wasn't to be. After winning the previous week, the handicapping put Mat in eleventh on the grid in a very competitive field of cars. He got what he could out of the car, given the conditions, ending up sixth. Chad Chevalier, who started on the pole and was very fast, picked up the win, holding off a late charge by Pete Bicknell.

Mat observed, “It was tough. Guys were racing really hard tonight. The car wasn't that good, but it was just the case that we started eleventh and Chad started on the pole. It might have been a different scenario if we had started on the pole (Keep in mind that to start on the pole, your previous week has to be a disaster.) or up toward the front. Pete came through pretty good. We weren't a good enough race car to go from eleventh to first. I would have liked to have got Jonesy to get in the top five, but it's a case where everybody's fast right now. Everybody got new stuff over the winter. It's only the second or third race. You can't get that advantage like you used to get. There's twelve guys that can win any night. That will keep it interesting.

With renewed enthusiasm following the win at Lernerville, and solid runs at Merrittville, including a win, the team needs to build on their successes, which they will make every effort to do.