PETERSEN MEDIA
Yorba Linda, CA driver, Matt Mitchell, has had a busy but frustrating week as he traveled from his native California to Indiana in preparation for USAC Indiana Sprint Week.
“We had a couple night’s where we were right in the thick of things, but unfortunately we had some bad luck with part failures, and getting caught up in some messes,” said Mitchell.
The 25-year-old driver kicked off a very busy week by competing at the Perris Auto Speedway on the Fourth of July in the ‘Firecracker 30’, and he didn’t quite have the finish that he should of.
“We had a ton of speed at Perris, and possibly a car to win, but our luck started that night.”
Mitchell kicked the night off by timing his JW Mitchell Motorsports/JM Mancha Realtors/WEC Electric No.37 machine sixth fastest in qualifications.
Scoring a third place finish in his heat, Mitchell would then line his Sierra Sprints Water/ART Equipment/Christian Stover Foundation machine up in the third row in the feature event.
On the eight circuit, Mitchell rode in the fifth spot, but as he battled for the fourth spot him and another car got out of shape, and he was relegated to the back of the pack.
The next 22 laps, Mitchell put on a show for the large crowd as he provided his own fireworks and carved his way all the back up to the sixth spot at the checkered flag.
Following the race, Mitchell and his team hit the pavement and got all the way back to Bloomington, IN to compete in a local show at the Bloomington Speedway on Friday night.
Getting to the tight ¼ mile, Mitchell unloaded his potent MPD Racing/P1 Aero/Headman Headers entry and stopped the clocks with the sixth fastest time in time trials.
Not making the transfer out of the heat, Mitchell wound up in the B main, but would utimatley break a driveline running in a transfer spot.
“It’s not the way we wanted to start our Indiana trip, but it goes with the territory of racing,” he explained.
Saturday night the JW Mitchell Motorsports team took to the Lawrenceburg Speedway for another un-sanctioned event, and it looked to be a luck changing night for the team.
After winning his heat race, Mitchell lined up in the second row for the feature.
Sitting in the third spot on the ultra slick surface, Mitchell looked to be in prime position to end up on the podium, until lap 19 when he simply lost the handle and looped his machine.
“I am so disgusted with myself for spinning out at the end of that race,” said Mitchell. “We finally had a decent night going, and the driver got in the way.”
Sunday night he continued his busy stint in Indiana by taking to the dirt of the renowned Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo, IN.
“Kokomo was a cool track, and I am definitely looking forward to getting back there during Sprintweek,” he noted.
Lining up in the ninth row for the feature event, Mitchell immediately went to the treacherous cushion on the racy track, and began working his way forward at will.
As he got inside the top-ten, Mitchell made his way up to the eighth spot before he had a flat tire and was relegated to the pits.
“It definitely was not our week, but we are very competitive,” he said. “I think we will have some good runs with the USAC guys, we just need everything to come together.”
Matt and his team would like to thank JW Mitchell Motorsports, JM Mancha Realtors, WEC Electric, Sierra Springs Water, The Christian Stover Foundation, ART Speed Equipment, Parker Performance Engines, MPD Racing, P1 Aero, and Hedman Hedders for their support during the 2012 season.
ON TAP: Matt and his JW Mitchell Motorsports team will return to action on Thursday, July 12th in Putnumville before kicking off Sprintweek on Friday at Gas City.