JACKSONVILLE, NC – Richlands driver Tyler Matthews has ascended to prominence in 2021 and is now set to make his first start in a Late Model Stock Car at his home track – Goodyear All American Speedway in Jacksonville.
Matthews, 24, from Richlands, North Carolina, has had a breakout season in 2021 – scoring two top-five finishes in the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour earlier this year driving for former NASCAR crew chief Lee McCall in the series. This weekend, he will return to the track that launched his racing career in a car owned by his friend Malik Koonce.
“I’m excited to get back to my home track where I have a lot of friends and family,” Matthews said. “I started racing at Jacksonville in the Young Guns class, then moved up to U-CAR and Street Stock. They shut down for a few years when I first got a Late Model, so we’ve tested several times over the years in hopes of racing there, but it’s never worked out.”
The car will not be the only thing that’s different from the CARS Tour for Matthews.
Goodyear All American Speedway is one of only a handful of racetracks which runs its Late Models on a scuff tire program – a program which saves racers money but has an impact on the performance of the cars. The move to a scuff tire program comes amidst an increasingly scarce supply of new tires as a sharp increase in demand combined with supply and labor shortages have caused an industry-wide shortage.
“I like the scuff tire deal,” Matthews explained. “It’s certainly cost-effective. The way tires are now, you just take what you can get. I’ve never raced on scuff tires; I’ve raced on old tires before though. In the CARS Tour, after the first 20-30 laps, you’re on old tires anyway, so it won’t be that big a deal. I like it from the cost standpoint. It makes running weekly more cost effective for your local series.”
Tyler Matthews has found plenty of success in Late Model racing in Eastern North Carolina. In 2016, he won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series North Carolina state championship because of his success at Southern National Motorsports Park just outside Kenly, where he also won the track championship, and the now-defunct East Carolina Motor Speedway in Robersonville. The following year, he won the track championship at Carteret County Speedway.
Goodyear All American Speedway is the only track Matthews has not raced or won in a Late Model yet in the Eastern North Carolina region.
To date, he has two top-five finishes in the CARS Tour, including a runner-up at Hickory Motor Speedway earlier this year where he was barely edged out at the line by two-time series champion Bobby McCarty in a photo finish.
“It’s been a really good year,” Matthews stated. “Joining forces with Lee McCall for the CARS Tour races has been really fun. We have had some strong runs.”
Matthews has also competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Saturday’s race at Goodyear All American Speedway, which will feature two races for Late Model Stock Cars, will go green at 8pm. Super Trucks, Legends, U-CARs, Chargers and Spectator Drag Races will also take place. Tickets are available at the gate on race day for $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and kids five and under free. Active duty and retired military, students and seniors all get in for just $12 with ID.
Goodyear All American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about Goodyear All American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “Goodyear All American Speedway” on Facebook, or follow the track on Instagram.
