Laprade Ends Five Flags Regular Season On The Podium

Matthew Laprade strapping in for Pro Truck action at Five Flags Speedway Saturday. (MDL Racing photo)

PENSACOLA, Fla. – After fighting for the lead, Matthew Laprade capped his regular season Pro Truck campaign at Five Flags Speedway with a third-place finish on Saturday night.

Laprade qualified the Grant Thompson Racing No. 54 second at 18.574 seconds and started third following a four-car invert to the feature lineup.

The New Smyrna Beach, Fla., teenager jumped to the runner-up spot on the initial start and never ran outside the top three throughout the 30-lapper. In fact, Laprade briefly fought his way to the lead on a lap-22 restart, before being shuffled out late in the battle with eventual winner Steven Davis.

Laprade drifted back 3.464 seconds after that, but still hung on for his second podium finish in Pensacola in his last two starts there.

It was a confidence-building run for the 13-year-old heading into Snowball Derby week in December, where Laprade will compete in the biggest race of the year for the Pro Truck division.

“To finish the final race of the regular season at Five Flags Speedway in third after battling for the lead for several laps is a great night; I just slipped a little on the outside near the end,” Laprade reflected. “I am so appreciative for the entire Grant Thompson Racing team. Grant, Bo Martin, Cole, and Eddy have taught me so much racing [at] both Five Flags and Mobile this season. I couldn’t be more thankful for all their guidance and efforts as we’ve learned and grown together.

“We have two races left as a team this season, including the UARA race at Mobile and the Snowball Derby in December, and we want to finish strong,” Laprade added. “I also want to thank Tim Thompson for everything he’s put together for us. As we are finalizing plans for 2026, I’m definitely looking forward to more races with this group.”

Saturday night was Laprade’s 28th race of the season. He has seven wins, 20 podiums, and 23 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.

Laprade’s next planned race is the Saturday, Oct. 4 ‘Late Addition’ at Mobile (Ala.) Int’l Speedway.

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.