Contact Inhibits Matt Mead’s Pro Late Model Debut at New Smyrna

Legend car standout Matt Mead made his pro late model debut this past Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway with Anthony Campi Racing. Despite contact and a spin mid-race, Mead was still able to secure a top ten finish.

 

Mead tested successfully with Campi in December, earning him a chance to race the No. 81 at New Smyrna, and the positive results continued during Friday testing. On raceday, he once again climbed behind the wheel for the first qualifying session of his career, a part of the game many new late model racers struggle with for their first few events. Matt clocked off the seventh quickest time and prepared to take the green flag from inside row four for the 50-lap feature.

 

After the green flag fell, Mead settled in and began to learn the pace of the race from the more seasoned competitors around him. Gradually, as his confidence built and the car improved, Mead began working his way forward. While attempting a pass to crack the top five, Mead lost control of his No. 81 Toyota and spun. Even with damage on the racecar and a newly-learned lesson under his belt, he was still scored ninth at the conclusion of the 50-lap event.

 

“It was great to be back after a while off, I used much of practice to get used to the car and track again,” Mead explained. “I was happpy with our performance through most of the race, had great long run speed and we were catching cars ahead of us who were faster and further ahead. It’s a shame I made a mistake that ended a top five run, but now I can learn from it and be ready for the next one.”

 

Matt Mead’s next event with Anthony Campi Racing comes in two weeks, again at New Smyrna Speedway, on April 15. It is the second of 11 scheduled races Mead has on the docket for 2017.

 

For more information on Matt Mead, visit his website at MeadRacingTeam.com and follow him on Facebook (@meadracingteam), Twitter (@mead_24) and Instagram (@mattmead24).