Two Runner-Ups For Laprade In Gulf Coast Pro Truck Double

Matthew Laprade poses following a second-place finish Saturday at Mobile Int'l Speedway. (Grant Thompson Racing photo)

PENASCOLA, Fla. and MOBILE, Ala. – A pair of runner-up finishes in Pro Truck action made for a positive kickoff to a new association for Matthew Laprade on the Gulf Coast.

Laprade received an opportunity to pilot the No. 54 entry for Grant Thompson Racing in races at Five Flags Speedway and Mobile Int’l Speedway, and the 13-year-old from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., took full advantage.

He posted the second-fastest lap in qualifying at Five Flags, before starting third and running inside the top five all race long. Though Laprade slipped back to fifth just before the lap-10 benchmark, he steadily worked his way back forward in the second half of the 25-lap feature.

Laprade made a pass on veteran Jared Maupin for third on lap 21 and held the place to the checkered flag. He was then promoted to second in the official results following the disqualification of the original second place finisher in post-race technical inspection.

The 30-lap weekend finale at Mobile went even stronger for Laprade, who started fifth but showed steady pace throughout the race. Though he dropped one place to sixth on the start, Laprade made his passes methodically, advancing inside the top five by the halfway point of the main.

A strong restart on lap 19 elevated Laprade to third, and he then made a successful move on Maupin for runner-up honors with seven laps left at the Mobile half mile.

Though Laprade didn’t have the time to chase down Steven Davis – who won both nights – he still felt confident in the strength he showed against drivers who have routinely dominated the Pro Truck scene in the Gulf Coast region over the years.

“I really want to thank Grant and John (Thompson) and the entire GTR team, as well as all my supporters, for giving me this opportunity at Pensacola and Mobile,” said Laprade. “Two second-place finishes with a new team is a great showing, almost as good as we could have possibly hoped for.

“Both nights, we had to work our way forward after the starts, which I feel like taught me a lot about how the regular drivers who are fast at these two tracks race each week,” Laprade continued. “It also gave me the chance to continue improving my skills working through traffic and maintaining my composure along the way. I’m happy with what we’ve done so far, but know there’s always more to learn.”

Laprade’s efforts at Five Flags and Mobile give him four top fives in Pro Truck action this season, and he’s only finished worse than fifth once in 13 races between Pro Trucks and Legend cars.

His overall season record includes five wins, 10 podiums, and 12 top fives in 13 starts. Laprade’s five victories to date came during INEX Legend car competition at Florida’s Auburndale Speedway in February.

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 is scheduled to return to Pro Truck competition Saturday, May 3 at Houston (Texas) Motorsports Park, making his second appearance for Kaden Honeycutt Racing and owner Kirby Honeycutt.

He finished fifth during his first race for Honeycutt at Houston on April 19.

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 and the Cook Out Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

He drives for Right Foot Down Motorsports 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 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.

Fans can visit https://matthewlapraderacing.com/ or follow Matthew Laprade Racing on Facebook to keep up with his racing endeavors.