LONDON, Ont. – June 15, 2017 – Matt Pritiko battled through motor problem to earn a top-10 finish in the APC United Late Model Series Meineke 100 last weekend at Flamboro Speedway. Now the London, Ont. driver hopes to find his way back to the top-five when the series resumes action in the Hy-Grade Roofing 100 at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday, June 17.
“It was definitely uncharacteristic of the No.21 Global Warranty team,” Pritiko said of his ninth-place result last Saturday. “We’re usually a top-five car. Qualifying 15th in the middle of the pack was a little different, so we are looking to rebound back and put this car back near the top spot where it was in the first race.”
Pritiko has not raced at Peterborough in a few seasons, but is excited to return to the track known as Canada’s Toughest Third of a Mile Oval.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Pritiko said. “The only time we’ve been there is two or three years ago at Autumn Colours. We ended up finishing second and I did enjoy racing there.”
While Pritiko’s No.21 Global Warranty team did battle through engine issues at Flamboro, those problems have been resolved for Peterborough. Pritiko hopes he has the same well-handling car he had at Flamboro and can take some of the lessons learned last weekend into the upcoming event.
“It has similarities to Flamboro,” Pritiko said. “It’s a tight track and if you get stuck on the outside you’re going to get freight trained. I’ll use what we learned from Flamboro this weekend to conserve the tires. It’s a fairly coarse race track as well.”
At the top of Pritiko’s game plan is tire conservation. With every driver running on the same tires, being conservative on tire wear early in the 100-lap Feature event can help push a driver over the top when it comes time to race to the checkered flag. In order to do that, Pritiko knows he needs to qualify well.
“You have to qualify up front to save your tires so you’re not battling with the people in the middle of the pack,” Pritiko said. “That’s going to be the key to success all year and the key to winning the championship.”
Patience is always important in 100-lap race, but especially at Peterborough. The track’s aging surface and tight confines with unforgiving walls do not allow much room for error and even less to correct a mistake.
“You just have to keep your head on your shoulders and stay focused. It’s probably the tightest track we go to all year,” Pritiko said. “It’s a 100-lap race and you’re never going to win it in the first 50 laps or at the green flag.”
Pritiko sits tied for third in the championship standings entering the third race of the season, just 17 points behind leader Brandon Watson. Pritiko doesn’t need any extra motivation to put the No.21 Global Warranty Toyota in Camry, but he’ll have it with several Global Warranty partners and fans in attendance.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all of the Global Warranty people this weekend,” Pritiko said. “I know they’ll enjoy the hospitality and the race. I’m looking forward to getting another podium finish just like we did in race one.”
Matt Pritiko would like to invite all Global Warranty attendees and any other fans to the pit area post-race for autographs. Additional event information on the APC United Late Model Series Hy-Grade Roofing 100 at Peterborough Speedway is available at www.apcracingseries.com.
2017 SEASON STATS
Matt Pritiko – 2 Starts: 0 Wins, 1 Top-5, 2 Top-10s
MATT PRITIKO MEDIA
Website: www.mattpritiko.com
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PRITIKO ‘S PARTNERS
Matt Pritiko is proud to partner with several dedicated marketing partners for the 2017 race season, including Global Warranty, NAPA Certfied Bodyshops, Burwell Autobody Ltd., Cadillac Industrial Cleaning, Glencoe Auto Recyclers, SellToWin.com, Aquahydrate and Palasad of London.
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