Race Chatter with Matt Carter
by Angela D. Starke -Staff Writer/LM Motorsports Marketing
04/01/2008

The season opened for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series at Daytona International Speedway on February 9, 2008. The No. 46 Fort Dodge Ford Fusion of Matt Carter's took his first green-flag laps of the season behind the wheel of the championship cars for Clement Racing.

Carter knew he had a strong car for the race after posting some of the fastest laps of the December test session, but he also knew that patience would be the key to a solid race performance. Lap after lap, Carter stayed in line, worked the draft and maintained a track position within the top-six out of a field of 43 cars.

“Some advice I was given before the race was to just be patient, not move around a lot, and just stay in line for a while” said Carter.

Large wrecks and bump-drafting are the ‘norm’ for the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Daytona and Carter was no exception in his first Daytona start. Carter was involved in a late-race incident, but was able to continue with only slight damage. All said and done, when the checkered flag was waved Matt took thirteenth - a very respectable position.

“I learned to just be patient and to stay on the bottom if possible,” said Carter. “I wouldn’t have gotten shuffled to the back and run into the wall if I would have stayed on the bottom. Overall, it was a successful race for our entire Clement Racing team. I really enjoyed having my dad (Travis Carter) with me all weekend. It was great to have his experience and support behind me.”

Carter and the rest of the ARCA RE/MAX Series will have nearly two months off between Daytona and their next event scheduled for April 13 at the short track of Salem Speedway in Indiana. Carter knows he has big shoes to fill in the No. 46 Ford at Salem – the home track of nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion, Frank Kimmel.

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