STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. – Matt Scappini took a somewhat unique path to joining Stafford Speedway’s limited late model division as a rookie driver.
Prior to the 2021 season, Scappini’s only racing experience consisted of a limited amount of go-kart racing and snowmobile racing.
Scappini’s lack of experience never showed itself during the 2021 season as he drove his No. 10 JRC Transportation Chevrolet to victory lane on Sept. 3. The win was part of his three top five and 20 top 10 finishes that helped him capture the tracks limited late model Rookie of the Year honors.
“It feels great considering that was my goal coming into the year,” said Scappini. “This year was my first time in a full body racecar so it was tough to predict what we could do with no previous experience. It was a big adjustment learning a completely new skill. I’ve driven snowmobiles in the past but a full body racecar is a totally different animal.
“Rookie of the Year was the most important thing for me so obviously it feels good to accomplish that and we couldn’t have really asked for much more,” he added. “We got our first win, won rookie of the year, we learned a lot about the car and it was an awesome experience. I have to thank JRC Transportation, Joseph Freedman, Joe Hamm, my team, Andrew Durand and the No. 43 late model crew, and all the contingency sponsors we had this season, R.A.D. Auto Machine, Gaston Racing Enterprises, Bakers Woodshop, New England Racing Fuel, Sunoco, and Wicked Powersports for their support.”
For a rookie driver who had never previously raced in a full-bodied car, Scappini drove like a veteran.
Scappini completed every lap of the 2021 season. He also joined Jeremy Lavoie as the only two limited late model drivers to record a top 10 finish in every race.
“Coming into this year I expected it to be tough and it was tough in the beginning,” said Scappini. “I had to learn so many new things like how to drive the car, all the rules, it was a little bit of everything like learning the process of a race day and getting into a routine. As we got more comfortable throughout each week, it slowly became easier and allowed us to focus on the actual racing.
“Consistency was very important to us,” he added. “The goal was to bring the car home in one piece every week. Even though we didn’t have the best finishes every week, being consistent allowed us to get the points that we wanted.”
Scappini notched his first podium finish in only his fifth start on June 4, and although it took Scappini until his Sept. 3 for his next podium finish, the third-place finish gave him and the No. 10 team the confidence that they could actually win a race.
“Even if it wasn’t the most pretty third-place finish, that race showed that we could do it and it was a nice confidence boost for us,” said Scappini. “It let us know that a win wasn’t that far off for us. Towards the beginning of the year we didn’t know what to expect so a win wasn’t really in the cards.
“As we progressed through the year and got better and better, the possibility was there and to actually get a win, there’s no better feeling,” Scappini added.
With his Rookie of the Year campaign now behind him, Scappini is looking forward to the 2022 season. Scappini will look to become a more consistent driver in 2022 by applying the experience he gained during the 2021 season and eclipse his fifth-place finish in the limited late model point standings.
“I’m very excited about next season,” said Scappini. “I had nerves coming into this season but now with a year of experience, I’m looking forward to showing what I can do and improving on a solid rookie season. I think I improved a lot as a driver and the team has also improved.
“We learned how to manage certain things and we know what to look for if something doesn’t feel right so going into next year we have all the basics down and we just have to focus on improvements and be more consistent towards the top five,” Scappini said. “We showed flashes this year but we weren’t able to consistently be in the top five, which I think came down a lot to me being new and learning the flow of the race and how to correct any mistakes we made.
“Hopefully that will pay off for us next season,” Scappini continued. “I don’t have a number in mind but we’d like to finish higher than fifth next season in the points and we’d certainly love to get more than one win next season.”