Rising racing star Myatt Snider says he is pleased with his adaptation from Late Model Stock Cars to the heavier and more-powerful cars raced on the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. As a matter of fact, he says he is, “having the time of my life” making the transition.
“Man, there’s just so much to take into consideration, but it’s been such an intriguing challenge,” said the impressive 21-year-old wheelman, who just completed his junior year of college. “My late model stock car weighs in at 3,100 pounds versus a 200-pound heavier ARCA car. I’m accustomed to racing a 400-plus horsepower car and now I have my right foot on the throttle of a 700-plus horsepower machine.
“Oh, and I’ve been running on bias-ply tires forever and now I’m racing on radials; better throw that into the mix, too,” Snider chuckled. “Seriously, I’m personally pleased with the process so far and to be honest with you, I’m having the time of my life.
“We raced in more than 60 late model stock car features over the last few years and I dreamed of getting a chance to advance to the next level. I feel so blessed to have this incredible opportunity and I am so thankful to everyone who had a hand in making it happen. The ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards is the logical next step in advancing up the ladder.”
The announcement of Snider’s nine-race schedule behind the wheel of Cunningham Motorsports No. 22 ARCA entry came on May 4 and the team has done an incredible job in preparing him for his series debut at Toledo Speedway this weekend.
The Jeff Caudill-led and Paul Andrews-supervised effort has tested three times entering the Toledo race weekend. The day of the announcement, the team could be found testing on the 0.416-mile Motor Mile Speedway in Dublin, Virginia. They put in a full day of testing at Toledo on May 6 and went on to prepare for the big tracks with another scheduled full day of track time today at Michigan International Speedway.
“One of the biggest things we had as a priority is being prepared as possible before we branched out to this new direction in my career,” said Snider. “I appreciate all the support I have had in that effort and I intend on making them all proud.
“We were just loggings laps and getting accustomed to the car at Motor Mile,” said Snider. “It was the first time I’d driven such a heavy car, with so much power…and on such a different tire under me.
“The testing at Toledo was so cool,” said Snider. “We spent the whole day testing with Chase (Cunningham Motorsports teammate Chase Briscoe) and we have already bonded and are learning off each other. We were on the track from nine to five and probably ran at least 130 laps. I know we completely used up two sets of tires and were able to get in a qualifying run.
“The adapting to the tires hasn’t been as difficult as I expected,” said Snider. “I really expected to feel like I was riding on rocks, and that’s not the case. The major transition is in how you have to drive the car and that’s a work in progress for me.
“The biggest adjustment for me is in the braking. In the late models, using the braking was part of the technique in getting through the corners. With these cars, it’s totally different. As Paul Andrews has preached, that brake pedal is your enemy. The more brake you use, the more heat you build into the front end. I continue to work on that and think I am really getting a big grasp on it, but it’s a work in progress.
So, what are Snider’s expectations entering his debut weekend and nine-race stretch in the tough ARCA competition?
“I hope to win a race for sure and expect to do so,” said Snider. “I want to learn all I possibly can about racing the bigger and heavier cars on the bigger tracks. It’ll continue to be a learning experience getting adapted to the radial tires. I plan on being like a big sponge in soaking up all the knowledge and experience that I possibly can.”
ARCA action on the half-mile high-banked Toledo Speedway gets under way on Saturday, May 21, with practice from 11:45 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. The final practice is set from 1:00 p.m. till 1:45 p.m., with Menards Pole Qualifying Presented by Ansell (All Positions/2 laps) beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Sunday’s (May 22) schedule begins with the ARCA Racing Series Autograph Session on the starting grid from 12 noon till 1:00 p.m. Driver introductions are slated for 1:30 p.m., with the green flag start of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps/100 miles) set for 2:00 p.m.
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