Laprade Completes Solid Sportsman Debut At Auburndale

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Matthew Laprade notched a steady eighth-place finish in his Sportsman class debut Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway.

Driving for Right Foot Down Motorsports and carrying a yellow-and-blue paint scheme on his No. 1 reminiscent of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt’s old Wrangler colors, Laprade worked through an electrical issue that hampered his qualifying effort around the quarter-mile paved oval.

Despite that, Laprade still put himself eighth at 14.250 seconds, right in the middle of the 15-car field and less than three tenths off his teammate Tim Sozio’s pole time.

Laprade maintained position from there and finished right where he started at the end of the 50-lap feature, keeping his nose clean and learning throughout the night in the late model-style cars.

“All in all, our whole doubleheader weekend was a success,” said Laprade. “The issue in qualifying Saturday was with a ground wire that led to the motor cutting out, which put me mid-pack for the race, but I learned a ton racing side by side the entire way. It’s a solid start in a new division and I know how important that building my notebook is for the future in these Sportsman cars.

“I can’t thank the people enough who are helping me every weekend to be a better driver and improve my race craft every time we hit the track,” Laprade continued. “Daniel Webster, Phil Jacques, Tim Sozio, Jesse Dutilly, and Craig Cuzzone just this weekend are a few of those teachers and I recognize how fortunate i am to have all of them and others in my corner.”

“We have a small break here now, and I’m going to enjoy time with family at the beach before we continue down the road toward Snowball Derby week in December.”

Saturday night was Laprade’s 26th race of the season. He has seven wins, 19 podiums, and 22 top fives across Legend car, Pro Truck, Sportsman, and asphalt modified competition.

Thanks go out to marketing partners Wade Tractor & Equipment, Adrenalin Powersports, Synergy SpeedLab, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their support of Laprade’s racing efforts.

After a week off, Laprade’s next scheduled time on the racetrack is Saturday, Sept. 13 at Auburndale.