Laprade Completes Solid Sportsman Debut At Auburndale

Matthew Laprade in action Saturday at Auburndale Speedway. (Right Foot Down Motorsports photo)

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.

About Matthew Laprade

Matthew Laprade is a 13-year-old Legend car and Pro Truck racer from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., who is competing primarily in Pro Trucks this year across the Southeast, as well as in high-profile Legend car events, including the INEX Winter Nationals at Auburndale (Fla.) Speedway.

He drives for Right Foot Down Motorsports, Grant Thompson Racing, and Kaden Honeycutt Racing in the Pro Truck category.

Laprade began his driving career at six years old in dirt go-karts, now having raced for more than half his life. He shocked the karting world in 2019 during his rookie season by winning the Vega Florida State Championship in the Rookie Division.

Invited to the nationals as a result, Laprade went on to capture the Vega National Championship that season in the Rookie Division, cementing his place as a young racer with prodigious talent.

Laprade’s second major championship came in 2021, when he claimed the Florida Dirt Championship Series title in the Junior 1 division, and he also added a victory in the prestigious World 100 karting event in Junior 1 that season as well.

After racing Bandolero cars for back-to-back seasons in 2022 and ’23, highlighted by a third-place finish in the Bandolero Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his sophomore Bandolero season, Laprade made the move to Legend cars for 2024. His Winter Nationals mini-series championship at Citrus County Speedway came on the strength of five race wins in five days from Feb. 12-16.

Laprade’s summer stretch in 2024 was highlighted by a top-five finish during round nine of the Summer Shootout, as well as a ninth-place finish in the Thursday Thunder Young Lions standings.

Away from the racetrack, Laprade’s competitive interests include golfing and fishing, and he golfed rounds with the PGA Junior League this year during downtime from his racing schedule. He is also a supporter of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s efforts to fight pediatric cancer.

For more information, visit his website at www.matthewlapraderacing.com.