Source: ESI Rocky Mountain Challenge Series Public Relatio
Date: 08/24/2007

BOISE, Idaho -- When ever you say the word rookie, visions of inexperience and arm chair racers come to mind. While many people might be content to sit on the sidelines and dream or complain it is the truly brave who make their dreams a reality. Matt Faulkner of Cedar Hills, Utah is just such a person. After spending his youth watching races he has made the transition from fan to racer and with two races left on the ESI Rocky Mountain Challenge Series schedule he leads the CarbonX Rookie-of-the-Year standings.

We sat down with the rookie driver on the eve of the NAPA “125” that will be run at Rocky Mountain Raceways located outside Salt Lake City, Utah tomorrow night and a track where he hope to score his first top ten finish of the season in front of family and friends. We asked Matt a few questions about his racing experiences and about his season.

1) What has been the toughest aspect of your rookie season?

The toughest part of my rookie season has definitely been the extreme learning curve. Other than the few races we ran last season, no one on my team has had any racing experience other than watching it on TV. Building the car, maintaining the car, racing the car, scaling, adjusting valves, preparing tires, setups, spotting, and everything else were completely new to us. A few days before our first race, we had just installed the motor and thought we were ready to rock. Then our engine builder asked us if we had squared or scaled the car yet. My crew chief and I just looked at each other like “What’s that?” Thinking back, that was a pretty funny moment. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way since then, and we’re constantly excited to learn more. 2) What have you learned by racing with the veterans of the RMCS this season?

Having the opportunity to race in the RMCS, I have learned that the competitors really are the “real deal”. There is definitely a lot more to this than driving a car in a circle; having a fast car is not enough. There is a lot of skill required to drive these cars to their potential, and that is still the biggest challenge I currently face. After having the chance to race with the veterans in this series, I have gained a great appreciation for the talent they possess, and the time and effort they put into preparing their cars for each race. 3) Describe your racing background and what about the RMCS appealed to you?

My racing background includes a third place finish in the pinewood derby when I was nine years old. I’ve also won twelve or thirteen Nextel Cups on my Playstation 2. I also raced my Ford Focus at the RMR midnight drags a couple of times. From there, I was able to make the big jump into the RMCS. It’s been a really big jump. Playstation racing is fun, but the real thing is both a total rush and a much bigger responsibility. I’m stoked to have had the chance to get a taste of real racing.

4) How important is the rookie title to you and why?

The rookie title is very important to us. Everything we’ve done so far this season and last season has been with that goal in mind. We raced the maximum number of races last season to remain eligible for the rookie of the year this year. Being so new, we felt this was critical to have any shot at the rookie title this year. It’s certainly not over yet, but I’m extremely excited to be in a position to win that title at this point in the season. The 2007 RMCS Carbon X Rookie of the Year sounds a whole lot cooler than any of my other racing credentials!

5) What chassis do you run? Who builds the motor? Who is your crew chief? Who are your main sponsors?

I run a Victory Circle chassis with a circa 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix body that I luckily have not been forced to update (due to not crashing) yet. Steve Flatt of The Machine Shop in Lindon, UT builds my motors, and that guy has been bullet-proof all year long. I have never had an engine related issue, and that has been very nice with everything else we’ve had to learn this year. Darrell Johnston is my crew chief and, much like me, has had a severe learning curve to deal with. He’s learned a lot, and is becoming quite the pro at the track. Darrell has been a guy I can always count on. My main sponsor is Simons and Associates Engineering owned my in-laws, Bob and Lynn Simons. My family has allowed me to turn my dream of racing cars into a complete reality. What a sweet opportunity they’ve provided me with!!! Slipshod Resto’s, which is my one-man Volkswagen restoration and customization company, also sponsors the car. They’ve been a great sponsor as well.

6) What has been your greatest highlight this season and why?

Leading a couple of laps at the last race at Magic Valley Speedway was definitely a big highlight of my season. I realize I only led like two laps, but I lead another 20 or so under caution that didn’t count, so I felt like I was up front for a good while. Yeah, that was pretty awesome. Kellen Frey (fellow rookie) got the initial lead at the start, but then I drove it in hard into three, ran him up the track, and got the lead coming out of turn four. Sorry for pushing you up the track Kellen. I think that was probably one of those overexcited rookie moments.

7) As the season winds down, other than the rookie title, what are your goals?

Other than winning rookie of the year, our goals are to not wreck ourselves or anyone else. Finishing is very important to us, and it’s always nice to keep the car in one piece. I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job of this so far. I think only a handful of guys have completed more laps than us. The competitors in this series have been very courteous to me as I have gotten up to speed this year. I’d like to thank all the drivers for being patient with me this year.

8) Describe racing at RMR. What is the biggest challenge there?

RMR is my home track. It’s always fun to race there since I usually have a lot of friends who come and watch. I have typically run better at MVS, but we had a really good setup at RMR last time, only to be slowed by overheating issues. Dave Minegar helped me out with the overheating problem (Thanks Dave!), so we should be full throttle again for this race. I’m excited to see how it goes.

9) Who have you learned the most from this season? Have the veterans given you any advice?

Though I’ve learned a lot from many of the veterans in the RMCS, Jeff Hillock has by far been the biggest help to our team. He’s been my driving coach, our setup coach; Darrell’s spotting coach, our parts supplier when we need to borrow something, and the overall mentor to our team. Jeff has made us look a lot more knowledgeable and experienced than we really are, and I am extremely grateful for all he has done for us.

10) When you are not racing, what do you like to do? What do you do for a living?

When I’m not racing, I like to work. I usually work like 70 to 80 hours a week at Slipshod Resto’s pimping out old Volkswagens for local guys and even non-local guys. I love my job. When I’m not working though, I like to pretend to be a rock star and play Guitar Hero. I just can’t seem to get enough of that game. Most of all, I enjoy hanging out with my lovely wife Krista. She is so cool about racing; she actually was the one who suggested I get into racing. She has been very supportive of my hobby, even though it requires a lot of time away from home. I’d like to thank her, and all my family and friends who have helped get me started in this sport. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends!!!

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