PETERBOROUGH, ON- After back- to-back championship contending seasons in a Thunder Car, veteran Matt Spence has planned a sizeable step forward for his family-run race team in 2014.
“My dad and I sat down as a team at the end of last season and decided that the time is right to make the move to the Limited Late Model division”, explains Spence. “With all that we’ve accomplished the last 2 seasons in the Thunder Car division, we can’t wait to get to work on our Late Model program”.
Spence enjoyed a breakout season in 2012, earning the Kawartha Speedway Thunder Car track championship, then following up with a 2nd place finish in the Peterborough Speedway standings in 2013.
“We’re jumping into this division with both feet”, says Spence. “We plan on racing fulltime at Peterborough, as well as 3 events at Kawartha Speedway throughout the season”.
With all the excitement of a new division and hopes for a Rookie of the Year crown surrounding his operation, Spence is quick to outline his realistic goals for the upcoming season.
“This is going to be a huge learning process for our entire team. We’re coming off of two big seasons in the Thunder Car, but this Limited Late Model is a completely different animal. Our expectations are simple – we hope to leave the track each weekend with the car in one piece, and with a setup book that’s a little thicker than it was when we got there”.
After acquiring a chassis from former Peterborough champion Bryan Sudsbury in December, Spence admits the process has been time consuming.
“I can’t thank my father Tom and my crew member Tyler Mills enough, because they’ve put their hearts and souls into this car these last few months”, says Spence. “We’ve been working around the clock on this car. It’s been completely dismantled and reassembled, had the interior re-done, the pickup points changed and had most of its bolt-on parts upgraded”.
Despite the unknowns of a new car and division, Spence explains the 2014 season will still have an air of familiarity to it.
“When I look at the roster, it’s almost like a walk down memory lane. I raced alongside Craig Graham and Chris Mitchell when I first started out in Thunder Car, now they’ve now risen to the top of the Limited Late Model division. I can’t wait to get back on track with them”.
“This is just a dream come true for our entire family”, Spence says with a smile. “To be preparing for my rookie year in the headline division, and to have my Dad, my mom Debbie, my wife Sam and my son Hayden by my side while I do it, words can’t express what it means. We can’t wait for this season”.
Matt Spence will carry marketing support from Sellmunity.com, BLS Textiles, NAPA Auto Supply of Pineridge, Graphic Lettering Services and Durham Furnace Heating & Cooling.
Fans can keep up with Matt via his brand new Matt Spence Racing page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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