Rookie-of-the-Year Contender – Matthew Wendt
Matthew Wendt is a Rookie-of-the-Year contender on the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series in 2019, but he will only be running a partial schedule of short tracks on this year’s Tour. His next stop is the “SPEARS Southwest Tour 125 presented by 51 FIFTY LTM” at Madera Speedway on June 8th. The Lodi, CA driver feels more comfortable on the short tracks, as he grew up racing on tracks such as the New Stockton 99 Speedway, ALL AMERICAN SPEEDWAY – ROSEVILLE CA and Madera’s one-third mile oval.
“I like the shorter tracks on the circuit more, because I have more experience at short tracks”, Wendt told the SPEARS Southwest tour Series. “I feel like I have a better shot at the short tracks, as they take more driver skill to do well.”
The 2016 Pacific Challenge Series Rookie-of-the-Year is excited to head back to Madera, where he has two sixth place PCS finishes, and a best SRL finish of 14th, in September of 2018. It is a track that Wendt enjoys and has shown speed at.
“I like racing at Madera Speedway, it’s a fun, fast track”, Wendt replied. “We qualified top-eight in our first race with the SRL at Madera. We hope to repeat that again.”
The two-time PCS winner has had a tough time getting to the finish of races lately. Little mechanical gremlins have kept the team from being consistent. After a solid 12th place finish at the All American Speedway event, Wendt lost a rear end in final practice at the Bullring @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The result was the end of the weekend for former PCS championship contender.
As a result, Wendt’s goal for Madera are somewhat modest, for the talented, low-budget racer.
“My goal is to qualify well, and start the race without any mechanical hiccups.”
For Wendt, each of his supporters are very important to the team, and the multi-time Stockton 99 Speedway winner. It is those sponsors that allow him to pursue his passion.
Wendt began, “I would like to thank all my sponsors; Wendt Construction, Cali Style Customs / Laid Out Graphix, 105-9 The Bull, Sonny NaborsRoofing, J & J Heating & Air, Inc., Stacy Plastering, and Blackhawk Painting. I would also like to extend a special thanks to my family for all their support!”
On June 8th, the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will run 125 laps in the “SPEARS Southwest Tour 125 presented by 51 FIFTY LTM”. The event will be broadcast on a tape delay basis on MAVTVat a date to be announced later. The SRL Super Late Models will be joined by the Spears Modified Series presented by Lucas Oil, the Legends of the Kearney Bowl, and the Madera Speedway Hobby Stocks, for a can’t miss night of racing.
Celebrating its nineteenth season in 2019, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
