STEVE MATHEWS PREPARING TO ENTER NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES

January 13, 2010. After two very successful outings last year and getting a taste of the competition, Nineteen year old racer Steven Mathews of New Liskeard, Ontario is now set to savor the flavour of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS) full-time in 2010 beginning with the season opener at Delaware Speedway on June 5^th.

“Speedy Steve” as he is known to his fans and Late Model competitors showed his quickness at both NCATS events he participated in last year qualifying in the top-ten at two challenging tracks; Mosport Speedway and Kawartha Speedway. Mathews would also lead the race at Kawartha Speedway for sixteen laps and overall was reasonably satisfied with his showing at both races. “The competition is so strong in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series that I thought to finish in the top-ten at our first race was pretty good” said Mathews. “While I was leading at Kawartha I got bumped by another car and ended up at the back of the field. I think we passed the most cars that day but ultimately didn’t get the finish we anticipated, again though we showed how competitive this team can be” he added.

A student of racing since he first climbed behind the wheel at age eight Mathews worked tirelessly preparing for the two NCATS races well before he arrived at the track. “I watched a lot of video of both races to learn as much about the tracks and the competition that I could” said Mathews. “I always do that before going to a track I’ve never raced at before, and I always ask a lot of questions and talk with the other competitors to try and get as much help as I can” he stated.

One of the biggest adjustments for Steve Mathews was getting used to the length of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events. “These are tough races” said the young man. “I’m used to running much shorter races so I had to learn to try and be patient instead of wanting to charge hard on every lap the way I’m used to. You need to take care of your equipment and make sure you are in a position to go hard for the finish” he added.

In addition to his two NCATS events last season the experience Steve Mathews has gained in other racing disciplines has prepared him to take the next step into NASCAR full-time. Last year alone he scored Two Late Model victories at Delaware Speedway, multiple top-five finishes at Sunset Sauble, Barrie and Peterborough Speedways including a win at the prestigious Chase for the Colours event.

In 2008 he qualified fourth in his first ever ASA series event at Dixie Speedway, claimed the most wins in the Ontario Sportsman Series taking four checkered flags, while also collecting, four poles and two track records. That season he also piloted USAC Ford Focus Midgets and Full Midgets in the Western United States scoring numerous Focus Midget victories and coming second overall in North America. Steve scored several top-ten finishes in USAC Midget races including Las Vegas and Irwindale.

During the next few months Mathews will be completing his first year of the Automotive Business Management Degree Program and Georgian College and also continue to prepare for what he expects to be an exciting rookie season in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. “I’ll be starting back into my work out program now that the holidays are over” he smiled. “Seriously though, we want to start preparing cars and getting ready for the first race at Delaware Speedway as soon as possible. The group at Mathews Motorsports has always worked hard to be prepared and bring a good car to whatever track and event we’re racing at, that really helps us succeed”.

Mathews Motorsports and their representatives are nearing completion of sponsorship agreements and expect to make official announcements shortly. You can find out more about “Speedy Steve” Mathews at his newly launched website www.stevemathews.net and also keep up with the latest news, and the teams progress preparing cars, sponsor announcements and much more on this new site. You’ll also be able to track the progress of Steve Mathews all season long in the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Of Note: Steve Mathews will also be appearing at the CPT Racing Experience this Saturday January 16^th in London, ON at the Western Fair Agriplex