PETERSEN MEDIA
Back in action with the USAC/CRA Series, Matt Mitchell saw some improvement as he scored an 11th place finish on Saturday night.
Hitting the Perris Auto Speedway, Mitchell started his night off by timing his A.R.T./MPD Racing/Parker Performance Engines machine in 11th fastest, putting him in the second row of his heat.
Starting fourth in the second heat, the Yorba Linda, CA driver rode the high-side of the PAS to a second place heat finish, putting him in the feature event, where he would start of the sixth row.
When the green light flashed, Mitchell began battling with the likes of RJ Johnson, and Mike Martin.
With passing tough on the hooked up track, the trio swapped positions all race long, with Mitchell finally getting the better of it.
In the 11th spot, Mitchell also hooked up in a battle with hard charging Bud Kaeding and Richard Vander Weerd.
Getting as high up as the ninth spot, Mitchell would slip back to the 11th spot.
With the race coming to a close, Mitchell began to charge on 10th running, David Cardey.
Working on Cardey for the 10th spot, Mitchell ran out of time, and ended his night in the 11th spot.
“We were a lot better then we have been,” Mitchell said. “We timed in much better, but we need to be even better, so we can give ourselves a shot, and start a little closer to the front.”
Matt Mitchell Racing would like to thank, A.R.T. Enterprises, MPD Racing, Parker Performance Engines, Caliagua, Bell Helmets, and Hedman Hedders for their support in 2013.
2013 BY THE NUMBERS: Races-12, Wins-0, Top 5’s-0, Top 10’s-4
ON TAP: Matt and his team will now look to tackle the Thunderbowl in Tulare, CA on May 18th.