Wisconsin Driver
Moves to North Carolina, Will Also Work Full-Time With Sharp Racing
CONCORD, NC
(January 13, 2006) –
Super
Late Model veteran Ryan Mathews is
taking a bold step in 2006. The 25-year-old Wisconsin-native has made
the big move south to North Carolina
to
make the next step in his racing career, which will include a
part-time schedule of races in the ARCA Re/Max Series, driving for
Eddie Sharp and his Sharp Racing team.
“I’m pretty excited about it. It
will be different and challenging, of course, but I’m excited to try
and prove myself on a speedway level,” said Mathews. “Hopefully, this
will help me get some further opportunities down the road.”
Mathews is scheduled to make his
debut at the half-mile Toledo Speedway on May 21st. He
will then make his superspeedway debut with the team on June 16th
at Michigan International Speedway. Currently, Mathews is scheduled
to run at least eight races during the 2006 season.
“I was looking at Hooters Pro Cup
Series or the ARCA Series,” said Mathews. “Both are great series, but
I was guided by some people to go to ARCA for the speedway
experience. I really want to get more experience and to see if I can
standout in front of some of the NACAR folks. Hopefully, ARCA will
lead me to some opportunities in the future.”
In 2005, Sharp Racing partnered
with several different drivers to finish seventh in the final owners
point standings. The team recorded five, top-five finishes and nine,
top-10s en route to their seventh-place position in the final point
standings.
“We pride ourselves on discovering
and working with new and up-and-coming talent,” said Sharp, a former
champion crew chief in ARCA. “Based upon Ryan’s resume and his past
credentials, I think Ryan really fits that mold. I think he is going
to be a great addition to our team and I’m looking forward to helping
him succeed, achieve his goals and hopefully move to the next level.”
Mathews will also work full-time in
the Sharp Racing shops and travel with the team to each and every
event to help further his relationship with the entire team.
“I’m really excited to get the
opportunity to work in a bigger operation like the one Eddie Sharp
has; one that has 20 employees or so compared to the two or three that
we have with my Late Model operation. I’m excited to drive, but I’m
really excited to learn about those cars, the setups and stuff. We
don’t get to learn about those aspects of racing, like the body and
the aero packages, while racing on the short tracks. This is a great
opportunity that Eddie is giving me.”
Mathews is a veteran short track
pilot and has been around racing since first climbing into a car at
the age of 15. Mathews has since competed in as many racing series as
possible, finding success in all of them, including a stellar career
in the Super Late Model ranks. In addition to all of his successes in
Super Late Models, which includes more than 50 career feature
victories, he’s competed with the CRA Super Series, ASA National Tour,
American StockCar League and the Hooters Pro Cup Series. Mathews has
also made one ARCA start prior to the 2006 season, coming in 1997 when
he raced at the Springfield, IL, dirt mile while driving for Tom
Bigelow.
For more information on Ryan
Mathews and Sharp Racing, please contact Zach Drager at (704) 454-5111
and be sure to visit
www.ryanmathews.net.
