M3 Auto Sports 2009 Season Review

Franklin, PA; Although the 2009 racing campaign counts as only one season in the record books, it was very much a tale of two different seasons for the M3 Autosports team based out of Franklin, Pennsylvania.  

“Well, there was some good.  There was also some bad!”  Co-Owner/Crew Chief Michael Gierlach’s take on the season expressed, if possible, both disappointment and excitement all at the same time.  The spoken message is clear:  “We are not satisfied with our performance.”  But  the look in his eyes tells a story of unmasked optimism for what lies ahead for this team.

Co-Owner/Driver Matt Lux echoed Gierlach’s synopsis.

“The season wasn’t great, but it wasn’t disastrous by any means.  We made some big shows at some pretty tough tracks that we had never been to.  The big reason that I was not happy was the 10 DNQ’s and the 9 DNF’s.  Those nights do not make you any money.”  

Gierlach acknowledged that he had a hunch that the team might get off to somewhat of a slow start.

“The start of the year wasn’t all that great,” reflected Gielach. “I thought that we might struggle in the beginning of the season because the car was totally different than what we were used to running,” referring to a new blue front end Rocket Chassis purchased during the off-season.   

Had the season ended in mid-summer, there is no question that the year would have been viewed largely as a disappointment.  In the first half of the season, the team recorded a top 10 finish in less than 23% of their starts.  However, the percentage of top 10 finishes more than doubled in the second half of the season, increasing to over 52%.  Prior to the start of the year, the team placed emphasis on achieving top 10 finishes every night out.  Given the amount of sanctioned races the team had on their schedule, this was no small feat.      

So what was the reason for the resurrection?  Two things come to mind. First, as referenced by Gierlach, the team purchased a new Rocket Chassis for the 2009 season in hopes of fixing some of the problems that they had been experiencing in prior years. The team spent the first few months adjusting to the differences in set-up and handling, but realized that they were not achieving the results that they had hoped they would. 

Taking a cue from fellow competitor Chub Frank’s resurgence, along with Tim Fuller’s mid-season World of Outlaw dominance, the team decided to go back to their 2007 black front end Rocket Chassis.  It must be noted that both Frank and Fuller were having great success using this very same chassis.   

In addition, the team made a shock package change and, with the help of a valuable practice session, got the car to work the way that they could not the year before.   

“We found out that the old car is a gold mine for us,” stated Lux, referring to the car and shock change.  “Our adjustments needed to be better and we killed ourselves most nights due to over-thinking.  We are grateful to Chub and Fuller for their help.” 

Gierlach concurred and added, “Early in the year, we tried many different things, but most times we got worse.  On a positive note, I know we have the ability to run with anybody on a national level.  We have proven that we can show up at a new track and not only make the show, but be very competitive.  For part-timers, we are doing very well.”    

Both cornerstones of the M3 Team are well aware that they need to become more consistent to have success against the full-time, traveling racers.   

“When you run against the level of competition that we have chosen to,” adds Lux, “the margin of error is very small.  If we are off even a little bit, it will show.” 

The boys are serious when they talk about wanting to be able to run against the best on a national level.  So serious are they that they competed in only 5 non-sanctioned events, with one of those being the $50,000 to win Dirt Track World Championships.  The team competed in only 10 total races that paid less than $5000 to win and an amazing 35 that paid $5000 or more to win.

Displaying his trademark optimism, Gierlach is confident that there are greener pastures ahead for this race team.   

“We just need to become more consistent and find what works for us,” stated Gierlach.  “I will not be satisfied until we are consistently in the top 5 or 10 against the big boys and not missing any of the big shows.  We will get there.”

If hard work is an indicator, they will be there much sooner than later.

A Look Ahead…

The initial plan for the team in 2010 is to maintain their “outlaw” approach, but stick to more regional races than they have in the past 2 seasons.  The team competed in an impressive 19 World of Outlaw events this season, but don’t look for the team to exceed or even duplicate that number in the upcoming season. 

In addition, the team does not plan on running The Great Northern Tour, the World of Outlaws Canadian swing, this 2010 season. 

“The trip was very fun for us,” reflected Lux.  “But, with the amount of prep and maintenance that is needed, in addition to taking time off work, we will probably not be doing that trip again.”

Lux implied that, initially, the team plans to start running aboard the O’Reilly All Star Series.  The team will also hit some of the major crown jewels, such as The Dream 100 and World 100 at Eldora Speedway, the Knoxville Nationals in Iowa, and the Dirt Track World Championship. 

As far as equipment goes, the team remains excited to build on the success that they had with the old Rocket Chassis.  Affectionately referred to as Vanessa, the black front end Rocket Chassis expects to bear the burden of being the workhorse in the M3 stable.  The blue car, or Nadine, will serve as the back-up and will be undressed at certain venues throughout the season. 

The team is currently trying to unload one of their smaller Cornett Racing Engines in order to purchase another big power plant, giving them one for each car.  Both cars are currently in the process of being powder coated and the team hopes to get them ready to race in late February or Early March. 

Lux also mentioned the possibility of getting back behind the wheel of an E-Mod to run a limited schedule for the 2010 season.  Those familiar with Lux’s career can remember a 2+ year stretch from 2004 – 2006 where Lux won over 25% of his starts aboard Scott Bidwell’s Pierce Chassis E-Mod.  Stay tuned for more details as they unfold. 

Final Thoughts…

Lux requested that acknowledgement be given to his loyal crew for all of their hard work this season.

“I want to thank my dad, Brad (Lux), Nate (Keith), and Chuck (Walter) for all of their time and dedication throughout the year.  I especially need to thank Michael (Gierlach), as none of this would be possible without him.  He is the man behind the scenes that never gets enough credit. He makes this race team what it is and I am very grateful for all that he does.”

Lux went on to thank all of the team’s dependable sponsors.

“I also want to recognize our sponsors: AlturnaMats, Equipment World Magazine, Dica Outrigger Pads, Maloney Tool and Mold, Wedge Motorsports, and McCool Signs and Decals.  They have all been with us for at least a few years now and we are appreciative of their help.” 

By the Numbers…

Starts: 45          Wins: 1 Top 5:  8          Top 10:  17        DNQ:  10         DNF:  9

March – June:               Starts: 22          Wins: 0 Top 5: 3           Top 10: 5         DNQ: 6
July – November:         Starts: 23          Wins: 1 Top 5: 5           Top 10: 12       DNQ: 4

Sanctioned Series (Starts/Average Finish):         World of Outlaws (19 / 17.9)
                                                                                    O’Reilly All Stars (6 / 13.3)
                                                                                    United Late Model Series (4 / 5.75)
                                                                                    United Force (UFO)   (4 / 4.75)
                                                                                    Lucas Oil (3 / 16)
                                                                                    United Midwest Promoters (UMP)  (2/ DNQ)                                                                                                                                    Midwest Late Model Racing (MLRA)  (1 / 5)                                                                                                                                    Mid-Atlantic Champ. Series (MACS)  (1 / 10)

Unsanctioned Races:                 Hagerstown 3.14.09
                                                       Lernerville  5.15.09
                                                       Marion Center  8.29.09
                                                       Lawrenceburg, IN (DTWC) 10.18.09
                                                       Lernerville  10.25.09

States Competed(# of races):    Pennsylvania (22)
                                                       Ohio (7)
                                                       Maryland (4)
                                                       North Carolina (3)
                                                       Indiana (2)
                                                       New York (2)
                                                       Illinois
                                                       Virginia
                                                       West Virginia
                                                       Kansas
                                                       Iowa (Hot Laps)

Provinces Competed:                Quebec
                                                      Ontario

Average Finishes:                      35 Feature STARTS:  12.6^th place
                                                      26 FINISHES (w/o DNF):  8.6^th place

Other Notes:                               - Out of the 22 starts in PA, the team only failed to qualify for                                       
                                                      1 feature (4.24.09 @ Bedford Speedway - Lucas Oil)

                                                     - In PA, the team had an average finish of 11.3                        
 

Matt Lux Wins Lernerville's Steel City Stampede, World Finals to Close 2009

Franklin, PA (October 28, 2009) Matt Lux and his M3 Motorsports, Inc. race team has fought off demons all year long. The team has traveled more in 2009 than in the past hitting 38 total sanctioned events, but has had their share of bad luck while competing in two countries and ten different states.

"We've just been off all year," Lux said. "Recently we've been much better but still not where we need or want to be. We started the year with the new style Rocket Chassis and we worked real hard to get a grasp of it, I was getting more comfortable in the car, but we were not performing any better. So we chose to switch back to the old style black front end Rocket. Since then, we've been much better and I've been much more comfortable."

The last month of the season has seen dramatic improvement from the M3 Motorsports Inc. Racing Team as Matt has finished outside of the top ten just once since September 19.

"We can still be proud about that one finish outside of the top ten," Lux said. "We finished 24^th at the Dirt Track World Championships out at Lawrenceburg (IN) Speedway. But we qualified seventh and with the season we've had, that's a victory in itself."

Lux's strong qualifying effort landed him the fastest time provisional for the $50,000 to win event but after 34 laps, Matt pulled in with steering issues on his AlturnaMATS / Equipment World Magazine / DICA / Maloney Tool & Mold / Wedge Motorsports, Cornett powered Rocket Chassis #21.

This past weekend the gremlins were finally thwarted as Matt held off challenges from Jared Miley, Gregg Satterlee, and 2009 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year contender Russell King to claim his first victory of the season at the 1^st Annual Steel City Stampede at Lernerville Speedway.

'I almost don't know how to act," Lux said with a look of relief on his face after the event. "It's been so long since we've won something, I'm not sure I know how to react to this. The car has been better so hopefully this gives us a little momentum going down to Charlotte for the (World) Finals."

Matt and the M3 Motorsports Inc. team will be in action next weekend, November 5-6-7 for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series sanctioned World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. Qualifying for both shows will take place on Thursday, Nov 5 while two separate $10,000 to-win events will take place on Friday, Nov, 6 and Saturday, Nov 7. The event will crown the champion of both World of Outlaws Sprints and Late Models and will close out the 2009 season for Matt Lux and the M3 Motorsports Inc. Team.

Matt Lux and M3 Motorsports, Inc. would like to their supporters for the 2009 season: AlturnaMATS, EquipmentWorld Magazine, DICA Outrigger Pads, Maloney Tool & Mold, Wedge Motorsports, Hilltop Beverage, Fame RV Center, JNJ Motorsports Media, Rocket Chassis, Cornett Lightning Racing Engines, Hoosier Racing Tire, Simpson Race Products, Fluidyne.

Written and Distributed by:

JNJ Motorsports Media

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Strong qualifying run propels Matt into 29th annual DTWC field

Lawrenceburg, IN;  Seventy-one late models registered times for the 29th running of the Dirt Track World Championship at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana and Matt was only bested by six of them.  The seventh place qualifying effort would prove to be instrumental for the team in their second attempt to make the field for the crown jewel late model event, paying $50,000 to the winner.  

Matt started the fourth heat outside of the front row beside Newport, Tennessee's Jimmy Owens.  Owens and third-starting Brady Smith slipped past Matt entering turn 1, pushing Matt back to third, the final transfer spot.  Matt maintained the third position for the first half of the race while doing his best to finesse his loose racecar.   Defending race champion, Brian Birkhofer, who had been applying the pressure to Matt, was able to drive under the #21 heading into turn three just before the halfway point of the heat race.  As the laps passed and Matt comfortably held 4th position, he could feel that something was going amiss with the car. Unfortunately, the driveshaft let go coming out of turn four on the final lap, causing Matt to lose three spots and cross the line, albeit without power, in the seventh position.  Instead of starting on pole for the B Main, Matt would now have to take the green in the 7th position, behind a stellar field of desperate drivers.

Fortunately, the team had qualified well enough to be eligible for a fast time provisional, awarded to the two fastest qualifiers that fail to qualify for the A Main.  The team decided to run the B Main, but pulled out of the race early to avoid potential damage as the field waged a furious battle for two transfer spots. 

The good news is that the team made the field for the 29th annual DTWC, a landmark event in the late model world.  The bad news, however, is that they would be starting in the last row and, unless they moved forward quickly, would be in the crosshairs of the leaders early in the race on the short oval.  Matt was able to stay on the lead lap for the first third of the race but pulled pitside with steering problems shortly after going a lap down.  The team officially completed 34 laps and were scored with a 24th place finish.  

Next up for the team, as the 2009 season dwindles away, is Octoberfest at Hagerstown Speedway.  Following Octoberfest, the team will take one week off in preparation for the season's final event, The World Finals in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

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MLR Team heads to Kansas while rains delay Knoxville Nationals

Kansas City, KS; After sitting idle in Knoxville, Iowa for what was going to be two straight evenings, the team got the itch to race.  After all, the guys had traveled around 12 hours to race, and, well...they wanted to race!  As luck would have it, an MLRA race was being held 3 hours down the road at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.  So, the team set off for the Sunflower State (yeah, I looked that up) in hopes of salvaging something out of the long trip.  The trip turned out to be worthwhile as it would be the only racing the team would do on this long journey to the Midwest.  Matt started 15th on the grid in the feature and drove his way to a top five finish at the end of the thirty laps.

The team was impressed with not only the racetrack, but also the many friendly fans and fellow racers they encountered during their visit.  Matt commented that he wishes they would have stayed to run the second night of the MLRA event as Knoxville rained out again on Saturday.  The team decided to not run the Knoxville Nationals on Sunday due to travel and job restrictions.  Below are some pictures of the team competing at Lakeside Speedway.  Check the PHOTO page for more pictures from the event.

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MLR captures two top 5 finishes in Pittsburgher/Ultimate

Pittsburgh, PA; The combination of the annual Pittsburgher with the former Challenger Raceway's jewel, The Ultimate, made for an event-filled weekend at Pittsburgh Motor Speedway's monster half mile oval.  The unique format provided the fans with two sets of heat races on Friday evening and two 51-lap A mains on Saturday night.  The heat races lineups were determined by an inverted pill draw system.  Matt started on pole of his first heat race and cruised to an easy victory.  In the second heat, Matt started in last place due to the inverted pill draw lineup.  Matt was again very impressive as he crossed the finish line in second place, just a half car length behind the winner, Alex Ferree. 

The 51 lap "Pittsburgher" was the first feature to take the track with Matt starting in the tenth position.  As was the case in the heat races, Matt was locked in on the bottom of the racetrack and advanced to a 5th place finish.   The last twenty-some laps of the feature ran caution-free as the leaders worked through the lapped traffic.  Bart Hartman continued his hot streak as he bested the twenty-six car field from his eighth starting spot.  Austin Hubbard, Jason Covert, Jared Miley, and Matt rounded out the top five.  

The 51 lap "Ultimate", which was run approximately one hour after the conclusion of the "Pittsburgher", proved to be a very exciting contest.  Matt again took the green from the tenth starting position and immediately began his pursuit of the top five.  A myriad of cautions throughout the first half of the race prevented anyone from establishing a rhythm on the slick racing surface.  Matt did crack the top five around the midpoint of the race and went on to wage a great battle for the third position with John Flinner.  Matt eventually claimed the the spot and set his sights on the leaders, Bart Hartman, from his twentieth starting spot, and Austin Hubbard.  The three leaders eventually encountered lap traffic, which allowed Flinner to get back around Matt for the third spot.  A caution with ten laps to go bunched the field into a double-file restart.  Matt used the high line on the restart to pull alongside Hubbard for second place as the two drag raced down the backstretch with Matt gaining a slight advantage.  Hubbard was able to use the bottom of turn four to edge Matt at the line and take over second place.  Hartman, Hubbard, and Matt proceeded to leave the rest of the field behind as the closest pursuer, Jason Covert, was over a straightaway back. 

Unfortunately, the caution flag waved again with just five laps remaining.  The caution is the last thing that Matt needed to see as he had again began to work Austin Hubbard for the runner-up spot.  Hartman would again choose the high line on the restart, relegating Hubbard to the bottom and Matt right behind the seventeen year old Seaford, Delaware native.  Hubbard, who struggled on restarts all evening long, caused a traffic jam in his line at the drop of the green, allowing the outside row to advance several positions.  His start was so dramatically slow that the sixth place starter, Keith Barbara, had Hubbard cleared by the flagstand and moved comfortably into third position by turn one.  Matt was the unfortunate victim as he was shuffled from his third starting spot to 7th by the time he raced out of turn 2.  He was able to regain two more positions in the final five laps to claim another 5th place finish, but was very disappointed in the late-race turn of events.

"I knew I was in trouble when I had to restart in third behind the eleven," commented Matt in the pits afterwards.  "He had been wringing his tires all night on the starts, causing everyone to check up.  It is very disappointing because I feel like we had a 2nd place car.  I did not need that restart at the end."

"The car was great all weekend," reflected the Franklin, PA wheelman.  "I felt so comfortable driving it.  No matter where I put it, it worked." 

This comment is very telling given the recent changes made with the M3 race team.  The team took a cue from Chub Frank's late season resurgence and Tim Fuller's recent World of Outlaw domination.  About a month ago, the team was really struggling to make their cars go and decided to make a switch.  The team changed shock packages and also brought the black front-end Rocket Chassis out of hibernation.  That car has only been run twice in the last month and has worked very well both times. 

Hopefully these changes mark the turning of the corner for the team as they head to McKean County for the ULMS finale this weekend.  

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New look meets approval of World 100 fans

Rossburg, OH;  The team decided to make a cosmetic change heading into the World 100 weekend at the historic Eldora Speedway.  The team abandoned the familiar blue color scheme in favor of a new grey base graphic design.  Matt and Chris McCool of McCool's Signs and Graphics, collaborated for weeks and eventually came up with the eye-catching new look.  The look attracted many a passerby in the pits at Eldora, a feat that is not easily accomplished given the nearly 200 other racecars.  In addition, the car received several votes for the annual "Best Looking Car" award presented by DirtOnDirt.com.  The 2009 award was given to Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC.  Click on the photos below to check out the new graphic scheme as well as photos from the Sunoco Race Fuels interview that Matt participated in along with Matt Miller and Tim Fuller.

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Busy weekend yields three top 10 finishes

Franklin, PA; A mid-week decision to abort a scheduled trip to Florence, Kentucky for the North/South 100 proved to be a good one as the team managed to capture three top 10 finishes in as many events.  Competing with the United Late Model Series(ULMS) on Thursday evening at McKean County Raceway in Smethport, PA, the team captured a 6th place finish in the Stephanie Eckl Memorial.  Matt was able to rally from his 18th starting position and advance 12 positions in the 30 lap event. 

Friday night brought the team back to Lernerville Speedway for the "Lunarville 33" UFO-sanctioned event.  Matt started 12th in the feature and finished 7th. 

The team made the long trip to Elkins, West Virginia on Saturday evening for the annual R.H. Armstrong Classic 51 lap UFO event.  Matt started the A Main in 9th position and finished 2nd in his first ever trip to the speedway in his late model. 

The team will be competing in a pair of World of Outlaws events this weekend.  Friday night will take the team to Bedford Fairgrounds for the 50 lap event.  Saturday, the team heads south to a familiar venue, Hagerstown Speedway, for another 50 lapper. 
 

Matt qualified 8th quick out of the 33 cars in attendance and started outside pole of his heat race.  Jumping out to an early and comfortable race lead in the heat, it appeared that Matt would cruise to a qualifying race victory.  However, the second place car of Steve Shaver was able to overtake Matt on lap 7 for the lead using the low groove coming out of turn 2.  Eddie Carrier, Jr. was also able to slip past Matt on the next lap, relegating him to a 3rd place finish.  Post-race inspection revealed that that the right rear tire on the AlturnaMats #21 Rocket Chassis had gone nearly flat, causing the sudden drop in positions. 

Regardless, Matt qualified for the pill draw and selected the outside pole for the 75 lap main event.  As the rains began to fall, track officials and teams scrambled to get the show started.  RJ Conley and Matt led the field to the green with Conley taking the lead coming out of turn 2.  Several cautions slowed the field in the early stages of the race as Matt did battle with Conley and Jared Hawkins for the lead.  As the race progressed, it was evident that the #21 was not handling properly as Matt battled to keep the car in the desired racing groove.  Unfortunately, Matt was not able to cash in on his best starting position of the season and faded out of the top 5, eventually withdrawing from competition around lap 63.  Matt's official finish would be 10th.

Last weekend, the team competed with the the World of Outlaw Late Model Series in two events aboard the Ohio Speedweek tour.  In the team's first visit to the Attica Raceway Park on Friday evening, the team failed to qualify for the feature.  The result was much better one night later at Sharon Speedway as the team raced to a 7th place finish.  The team has struggled mightily at Sharon the last few seasons, so it was a bit of a relief to get a quality finish at the Hartford, OH oval.

Next up, the team will travel to Florence, Kentucky for the famous North/South 100 this coming weekend.  The winner of that event will receive an impressive $50,000.  Included in the weekend plans is a trip back home to Tri-City Speedway to compete in a ULMS - sanctioned $3000-to-win event on Sunday, August 9th.  We hope to see you at the races! 

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Team nets top 10 finish in first visit to Lawrenceburg

Lawrenceburg, IN;  The team had been very anxious to visit the newly restructured Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, to prepare for the upcoming Dirt Track World Championships in October.  Unfortunately, before this Saturday, rainouts and schedule changes had prevented them from visiting the popular Midwest speedway.  In addition, the team was eager to race again because Friday's rainout at Lernerville meant that it had been 2 weeks since Matt last fastened the belts.

Twenty-six cars entered the pits for the event, sanctioned by the O'Reilly All Stars Late Model Series.  Matt qualified 15th overall which meant a 5th place starting spot in the heat race.  Matt was able to advance 2 positions in the heat and cross the line in 3rd place.  By virtue of this finish, Matt would start the A Main in 7th place.  Incidentally, the powers-that-be decided that the feature would be shortened to 30 laps.  Matt battled the stout field and challenging racetrack throughout the duration of the 30 laps, advancing as far forward as 6th and dropping as far back as 10th.  Several cautions slowed the action, including the final one on lap 27 with Matt running comfortably in 7th.  With the field bunched together, Matt would take an unsuccessful stab at 6th place.  Unfortunately, the move left the door open for the 8th place car to slide Matt in turn 4 heading for the white flag.  The move dropped Matt one spot as he eventually crossed the line in 8th place, marking the 3rd time in 5 All Star starts that Matt had finished in the top 10.  

The team now begins preparation for the upcoming weekend - one in which they will race four straight evenings aboard the World of Outlaws' Ohio Speedweek.  Matt currently sits 18th in the World of Outlaw points and 10th in the All Star points despite missing many of the events for each series.   

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Sarver, PA;  After visiting 6 different venues in 7 days aboard the Great Northern Tour, the World of Outlaws convoyed to Lernerville Speedway for its richest event of the season.  But before the Firecracker 100 was to begin on Friday, the fans were treated to a make-up A main from May 5th's "Showdown in Sarvertown".  Matt took the green from the 19th position and immediately began to advance positions on the super-fast, tacky surface.  As the drivers raced inches apart at a breathtaking pace, it was inevitable that if anyone got out of shape, there was going to be a mess on the track.  Enter Bad Luck Schleprock.  On lap 9, while approaching the top 10, Matt was on the unfortunate end of another driver nearly spinning in front of him, causing a 4 car pile-up.  The incident left the car severely damaged and, thus, unable to continue. 

Friday night's events kicked off with 2-lap, single car time trials.  Sixty-one cars took a time with Matt registering an 18.069, good enough for 11th fastest.  Matt started the heat race outside pole on a track that was 180 degrees different from the night prior when lap times were in the 15 second range.  Hitting your marks and getting into a rhythm would be a must to advance to the 100 lapper on Saturday night.  Matt ran the first half of the race in 2nd place behind pole sitter Rob Blair, with Maryland's Jamie Lathroum working Matt in third.  Lathroum used a high line pass coming out of turn 4 on Matt to take over the runner-up spot as Blair continued to set the pace.  It appeared that the top three would check out on the field and secure their spots in the main event the next day.  However, the race was just getting interesting.  One lap later, Blair's mount slowed to a stop coming down the front stretch, handing the lead over to Lathroum.  As Matt hounded Lathroum for the lead, Boom Briggs and Dave Hess, Jr. traded paint battling for the final transfer spot.  Two cautions, the last of which came on lap 12, brought the two leaders back to the pack and set up some late-race drama.  On lap 13, Briggs pushed his way under Matt coming out of turn 2 to take over the 2nd position.  As Matt was pushed off the backstretch, Hess closed in on Matt and made the first of what would be a lot of contact entering turn 3.  As the drivers took the white flag and entered turn 1, Hess did his best impression of a rally car driver and jumped the inside retaining berm in a desperation attempt to take the third spot.  The 44 car wildly bounced its way back back onto the track and into the side of Matt's car pushing him up the racing surface.  Unfortunately, Matt was unable to recover from Hess's stunt and wound up finishing an extremely disappointing 5th place.  Keith Barbara served as the beneficiary of the incident and slipped into the final transfer spot at the checkers, with Hess no better off than 1 lap prior, coming home in 4th.  Check out www.dirtondirt.com for video highlights. 

Running a race that he should have never been in, Matt drove the wheels off the AlturnaMats Rocket and advanced from his 6th starting spot to finish 2nd in the first of two B mains, qualifying for the Firecracker 100.  The run including a dramatic pass of Hess with 5 laps to go that brought the capacity crowd to its feet.  By virtue of the finish, Matt would start in the 21st starting position for the 100 lapper.

In the feature, Matt methodically battled the best drivers in the country as well as an extremely slick racetrack for 100 laps and came home with a 13th place finish.  Pleased with his run, Matt reflected on the Firecracker as well as the entire Great Northern Tour:

"We had some good runs up there (in Canada and New York), even though our finishes really do not necessarily show it," responded the Franklin, Pa driver.  "We didn't catch many breaks, that's for sure."

"We are definitely happy that we did it and we feel like we got better and that was the priority.  Hopefully, things will start to turn around.  It was a long trip, but we had fun, though."

When asked about what lies next for the team, Matt shrugged his shoulders and stated simply, "I'm ready to go home."

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6.18 - Ohsweken, Ontario;  Total Cars: 42    Qualifying Position: 16th     Heat Start: 4th     Heat Finish: 10th     B Main: Scratched
A lap 1 wreck in the heat race caused considerable damage and the team was unable to continue for the evening.

6.20 - Drummondville, Quebec;   Total Cars: 26   Qualifying Position: ---     Heat Start:  ---    Heat Finish: ---
Rains following the hot lap sessions forced the cancellation of this event.

6.21 - Cornwall Speedway, Ontario;  Total Cars: 29   Qualifying Position: 9th   Heat Start: 3rd   Finish: 3rd     A Main Start: 9th    Finish: 13th

6.22 - Can-Am Speedway, New York;  Total Cars: 31  Qualifying: 16th    Heat Finish: 7th     B-Main: 1st     A Main Start: 19th     Finish: 15th

6.23 - Canandaigua Speedway, New York;  Total Cars: 33  Qualifying: 15th   Heat Start: 5th   Finish: 4th   A Main Start: 12th   Finish:  15th

6.24 - Big Diamond Speedway, Pennsylvania; Total Cars: 46  Qualifying: 26th   Heat Start: 7th    Finish: 3rd    A Main Start: 10th   Finish: 11th  
 

Franklin, PA; The evening began inauspiciously as the team was unable to make a qualifying lap due to a faulty master cylinder.  Starting scratch on the 12 car heat, Matt picked his way through the field to finish 6th, good for a 12th starting spot in the 40 lap feature.  As has been the case in the previous two visits to Tri-City, it was evident that Matt would be one of the front-runners at the end of the event, which took place completely in daylight conditions.  After slipping back to 14th place at the end of the first lap, Matt began to methodically work through the strong field of cars.  Matt's final pass came on lap 34, propelling him into the 6th position.  Despite putting heavy pressure on  Dave Hess, Jr. and Boom Briggs throughout the final five laps, Matt was unable to crack the top 5.  Despite missing 4 events, Matt remains in the top 10 of the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions points battle as he currently sits in 9th place.  Unfortunately, the team will not attend the series' next event at Tyler County Speedway, but has several more scheduled throughout the remainder of the season. 

The team now prepares for the most grueling stretch of races that they have ever attempted, 9 races in 10 days.  The first 6 of those races are part of the World of Outlaw's Great Northern Tour, a tour which includes visits to 2 provinces and 2 states.  The final 3 races will all take place at Lernerville Speedway.  The tour was originally scheduled to allow 1 day of rest before the Outlaws do battle for the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville, but a rainout from the May 5th WoO show filled the June 25th rest day with the make-up consolation race and feature.  As the team members make their final preparations for the tour, we wish them the best of luck up north.  For a full listing of the events of the tour, visit the Matt Lux Racing  Schedule page. 

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Rossburg, OH;  First lap qualifying contact with the wall set the tone for a disappointing weekend for the M3 team at the famous 1/2 mile speedplant in Western Ohio.  Three-fourths of the way through what appeared to be an outstanding qualifying lap, Matt made contact with the wall in turns 3 and 4, causing significant damage to the racecar.  The team did make a 2nd qualifying run, but Matt needed to make sure he registered a respectable time in order to have any chance in the heat race.  His official time on his 2nd lap was a 16.79, good for 70th place overall out of the 116 car field.  A disappointed Matt reflected on the qualifying effort.  "The car was great in hot laps and in that first qualifying lap.  I got through 1 and 2 great and I drove it into 3 right up against the wall.  It felt fine, but then I hit the wall and couldn't get off of it.  It turns out that I had a left rear tire that had gone down.  On the second lap, I just had to make sure I got a time.  I was very cautious."

Matt was unable to get anything going in his heat race as he finished right where he started, in 12th place.  By virtue of the finish, he did not qualify for a C Main, thus ending his hopes of making his first A Main at Eldora Speedway in four attempts.   The team will be in action this Sunday back home at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, PA for an O'Reilly All Star event.  Next Tuesday, the team will depart for their Canadian tour with the World of Outlaws.

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Franklin, Pa;  Attempting to rebound from a difficult evening the night before at Hagerstown Speedway, the team returned home to Tri-City Speedway, the track where Matt cut his teeth as a racecar driver.  Matt has collected 20 career wins in the Emod and Pro Stock divisions at the oval, but has yet to capture that elusive first Late Model victory.  The team gladly made the 2 mile trip down 417 in hopes of improving on their impressive 18th to 5th place run for May 3rd's ULMS show at Tri-City.

Unfortunately, Matt's first win at Tri-City will have to wait at least two more weeks as he crossed the finish line of the 30 lapper in 5th place.  The stat sheet does not tell the whole story of the what an exciting race the drivers put on for the shivering cold crowd. Four of the top 5 finishers started in the top 5, with 3rd starting Boom Briggs taking the victory over 4th starting Robbie Blair, but there was plenty of jostling for position up front.  Matt started the race in 5th and found himself back as far as 7th and up as far as 3rd as he and the other drivers battled their way around and uncharacteristically rough racetrack.  With under 5 laps left, Matt finally saw some clear track and set his sights on 4th place, occupied by Eldred's Bob Close, the current ULMS point leader.  As Matt reeled in Close, he could feel the heat from 10th place starting Jared Miley, the Pittsburgh hotshoe who has been on a tear of late.  With 2 laps remaining, Miley made his move on Matt, a middle-groove dive in turn 3.  Miley successfully cleared Matt, but slid up the track in turn 4, allowing Matt to turn under him and pull even as the two raced down the frontstretch to take the white flag from starter Todd Beichner.  Matt was able to complete the pass of both Close and Miley coming of the bottom of turn 2, but their momentum from the high side pulled them even with Matt as the three raced door-to-door down the backstretch.  Miley let it all hang out as he exploded ahead of the other two racers entering turn 3, but again his momentum pushed him to the high side of the turn.  It appeared that Matt would be able to again drive under Miley to take 3rd, however, it was not to be as Matt's front end washed up upon contact with the rut that had tormented the drivers all evening long.  Close was also able to steer around Matt on the high side.  Miley got his mount turned and held on to the 3rd place, with Close and Matt right behind. The 5th place finish was certainly not what the team was looking for, but they will learn from this run as they will be back to compete at Tri-City in two weeks with the O'Reilly All Stars.

This weekend, the team will be heading to the famous Eldora Speedway to compete in the Dream 100, Late Model racing's biggest single-race payday, paying $100,000 to the winner.  Each time the team visits the legendary oval, they learn something new and run a little better.  Best wishes to the team as they look to fulfill their DREAM.  

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Franklin, Pa; The team traveled to Chillicothe, Ohio on Saturday then right back to the Keystone State on Sunday to compete in back-to-back O'Reilly All Star Late Model Series (OASLMS) events.  Saturday's action at KC Raceway began with Matt registering a 4th place qualifying effort against his fellow competitors in the group qualifying format utilized by the All Stars.  His loaded heat race left little margin of error, but early contact with another car on the front stretch dropped Matt back to a 6th place finish in the heat.  Breaking away from the field with eventual winner, Steve Shaver, Matt cruised into the 50 lap feature by virtue of the B Main.  Matt started 20th in the field and was able to pass his way up on a tight track to finish 14th overall.

Visiting Central Pennsylvania Speedway for just the 2nd time ever, Matt captured the top qualifying time in his 12 car group.  Unfortunately, a redraw of 4 for the heat moved Matt back a row and ultimately contributed to his early exit.  While maneuvering his way into 2nd place, another car drew contact with the #21, causing Matt to spin in turn 2.  The contact resulted in heavy front end damage and left the crew scrambling to repair the AlturnaMats-sponsored Rocket Grand Prix in time for the B Main.  Starting 14th in the B Main, Matt lit up the capacity crowd with some high-side heroics and advanced himself into the 50 lap A Main via his 3rd place consolation finish.  Early in the feature it appeared that Matt would continue his assault on the field as he again used the high line to navigate through the field.  Unfortunately, after an early caution, the car developed handling issues and Matt decided to not risk further damage and pulled pitside on lap 19.  Matt's official finish was 22nd. 

The team will make the quest to Hagerstown Speedway to compete against the World of Outlaws Late Models this Saturday and head back home on Sunday for a ULMS show at Tri-City Speedway. 

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