LONDON, ON- Matt Pritiko is more than aware of the need for strategy entering his first career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 18th.
The 25-year old Pro Late Model regular is no stranger to CTMP, having raced there in Grand Am Series competition prior to making the fulltime switch to oval racing. With less than 48 hours until his NCATS debut, Pritiko is mindful of how disciplined he’ll need to be, come race time at the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200.
“It seems as though every year, there’s a few guys that forget this is a long race”, says Pritiko. “There’s a lot that’s going to happen. We’re going to have a lot of opportunities to make some moves. And because of that, the first half of the race will be all about survival for us”
Pritiko is in a unique position, joining a roster comprised of stock car veterans and road course stars, he is a Late Model standout with a bevy of prior road course experience.
“It’s going to be like combining both halves of my career”, explains Pritiko with a chuckle. “I grew up Karting before making the switch to the Grand Am Series. Road course racing was all I knew. But, these last few years, I’ve been 100% dedicated to learning the ins and outs of stock car racing. This is really the first chance I’ve been given to put it all together at once”
The London, ON driver will pilot a Derek White Motorsports entry, with assistance from DJK Racing’s DJ Kennington this weekend.
“Derek’s equipment is top notch”, states Pritiko. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think we’ll be contending for a top-10 on Sunday. DJ has given us a lot of valuable information and pointers”
“When you talk to experienced guys like DJ, you realize how important it is to just follow the tempo of the race”, continues Pritiko. “I’m not going to be the guy that goes out and presses the issue on lap-3. That’s just silly. We’re going to ride, we’re going to bide our time, and when the opportunity arises we’re going to strike”
The Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 is scheduled for May 18th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Gate times and ticket prices can be found at www.CanadianTireMotorsportPark.com.
Matt Pritiko’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Debut will be made possible thanks to sponsorship from Global Warranty, Toyota Town, Palasad: London’s Best Entertainment & Eatery, Serengeti Sunglasses, AQUAhydrate, NAPA Certified Body Shop, Cadillac Industrial Cleaning, Driven Steering Wheels, Burwell Auto Body, SellToWin.com, Snap’d London and In2Communications.
Fans can follow along with Matt’s pre-race preparations via his Matt Pritiko Motorsports page on Facebook, or on Twitter @MattPritiko.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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