ST/ULMOT: Delaware Champ Matt Pritiko Set for APC United Late Model of Ontario Tour

After finishing second in points three straight years in a row, Matt Pritiko broke through and scored the championship as he was crowned as the 2014 Late Model Champion at Delaware Speedway.

“It was a huge year – won this championship and the Grisdale Triple Crown Championship, and had it a ton of wins. It was a great year,” he commented. “We have a really awesome set-up that really works at every single track that we go to. Everywhere we do run, we are really quick, top-five, top-three or winning it. Can’t thank the guys at the shop enough. Can’t thank Ron Pearn enough – he knows everything there is to know. His son Cole is doing a good job working on Truex Jr.’s car so we have a ton of support from everyone at the race shop. It’s going to be an awesome 2015.”

The championship marks the accumulation of success for a driver that made the shift from road course racing to oval racing just four years ago.

“We got into this four years ago from running the Grand-Am Series and it’s a whole different ball-game,” he shared. “You definitely race differently, brake differently, but I actually really didn’t like driving these cars when I first did it – but I really do now. It’s a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.”

For 2015, Pritiko will return to Delaware Speedway in search of another championship, while running the full APC United Late Model of Ontario Tour, and the Grisdale Triple Crown. The excitement is high for the APC tour, as it is something that many drivers feel was necessary for the pro late model division.

“It definitely needed something like this,” he commented. “Every other series has one main series, and the APC Series is going to be amazing and was definitely needed. We’re really looking forward to traveling.”

While tracks across the province have posted the Pro Late Model division in the past, Pritiko says it’s nice to now have a points fund to go with it.

“I think we’ve ran everywhere that this series goes, but it’s nice to have the same class going to each facility to race in short track racing,” he commented. “Each of us has a track that were familiar with, though, so I think it’s going to mix things up with guys this year. We’re looking forward to it.”