The 20 year old, a member of Andy Belmont Racing and driver of the #14 Maui Mobile Suites-JoinAPS.com Ford, has made a steady rise in the points race, and is only 14 points behind current rookie leader Dakoda Armstrong, and just behind his own cousin Nick Igdalsky. Mattioli will return to racing on Sunday, May 23rd, making his second appearance at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway, competing in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care. That race will be followed by his much-awaited return to Pocono Raceway on June 5.
"Each race, and especially at Talladega, the #14 crew shows that passion, determination, and an unrelenting will not to surrender is far more powerful than a few hundred horsepower," Mattioli said. "I have a great crew and team owner supporting me, and I am confident that our hard work will begin to pay off on track."
Mattioli's steady rise up the points list has been in spite of a series of unfortunate mishaps which have caused him to either start races at the back of the pack or lose ground from top spots during a race. They include a cut tire (Daytona), a loss of power steering (Palm Beach), fuel pick-up issues (Salem), and a broken sway bar (Texas). In his most recent outing at Talladega, Mattioli overcame an overheating engine to secure his best finish of the season.
This confidence is also shared by his team owner Andy Belmont. "I am very pleased with Chase's progress as a young driver and his potential for the rest of the season," Belmont said. "He is listening to his spotter Charlie Vest, and is doing all that his crew chief Andy Shaver has asked of him and the results are starting to come."
The break for final exams will be the final one for Mattioli going into what will be a very heavy summer schedule, which will include two ARCA races at Pocono, as well as a NASCAR Camping World Truck Race on July 31.
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