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ARDC: Matt Parsons is Focused on his Racing Future

16 March 1998

Easton, Pa. -- Matt Parsons is a fifteen year old who already has eight points championships in his racing resume. And, in 1998, Parsons may be the fastest and most focused fifteen year old in the Micro Sprint division anywhere. Last year Parsons ran his first full year in a Micro Sprint after several successful racing seasons with the New York State Microd Association and the Southern Tier Microd Club. In 1995 and 1996, Matt broke every New York State Microd Association speed and time record and he still holds those records.

Matt Parsons didn't visit Victory Lane in 1997, but he took on the challenge of racing Micro Sprints on asphalt. The Micro Sprints were turning lap times on the quarter mile Mahoning Valley Speedway at around 10 seconds a lap and many of the Micro Sprint veterans stayed away from this track because of the danger of those high speeds. Parsons, however, was not intimidated at all. He gained valuable experience in a faster race car and he also earned the respect of his fellow competitors. Randy West of Barto, Pa., who won 14 Micro Sprint races in 1997 and was the Mahoning Valley Micro Sprint Champion, offered some comments about Parsons. "It was a pleasure to run with him. He's a good, young driver with a bright future. He takes the time to learn about the race car and does most of the work himself." Matt finished second in the final point standings and would have had his name on a Rookie of the Year trophy, too, if the track had presented such an award in the Micro Sprint division. Matt Parsons was also recognized by the fans of the speedway. He was voted "Most Popular Driver" in a contest that was held by Program Dynamics, Inc. throughout the 1997 racing season. Those drivers with the most votes in each division were awarded trophies by the ballots submitted each week from the race fans. It's not surprising to know that Matt Parsons also excels academically. He received a Distinguished Honor Roll Award in 1997 for a GPA of 98.7.

This year the Parsons race team has sponsorship from Predator Racecraft and will have a Predator chassis and parts available to the team. The 1997 Leader chassis that was raced on asphalt last year will be converted back to a dirt car and used as a back up. Advanced Racing Systems in Indianapolis, Indiana is helping Parsons with shocks and analysis service from Cory Phillips. The family owned business, Air Flow Tech in Elmira, New York, is doing metal fabrication for the two Micro Sprints. Matt explains the plans for Matt Parsons Motorsports this year. "We are going to run Path Valley Speedway on Friday nights and the Greenwood Valley Action Track on Saturday nights. I want to get as much seat time on dirt as possible this year."

Matt Parsons is accustomed to running at the front of the pack in anything he races and 1998 is expected to produce some winning rides for Parsons Motorsports. So, it won't be long before Matt Parsons masters the art of winning in a Micro Sprint. As far as his future in racing, Winston Cup is his ultimate goal. But, this young driver is taking his racing career one step at a time and has a plan to reach that ultimate goal. After gaining experience in the Micro Sprint ranks, his focus will be on the American Racing Drivers Club. This means that the name "Matt Parsons" should probably appear in the ARDC Feature Win Summary by the year 2000.