Hard Crash Slows Laprade’s Auburndale Pro Truck Roll

Matthew Laprade surveys his damaged truck Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway. (MDL Racing photo)

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Matthew Laprade’s recent run of strong form came to a grinding stall Saturday night early in a 50-lap Pro Truck feature at Auburndale Speedway with Right Foot Down Motorsports.

Laprade was working his way forward from a sixth-place qualifying effort when two trucks made contact in front of him and broke momentum, forcing the Florida teenager to check up suddenly.

At that point, he was tagged from behind, sliding sideways before taking a second hit from the truck on his outside as he tried to slip past – destroying the right side of Laprade’s familiar, black-and-red No. 18.

Laprade slid up the banking before taking one more shot from an oncoming vehicle as he came to rest.

The youngster climbed out uninjured, but his night was over and he was left with a 15th-place DNF, as well as plenty of work ahead for owner Daniel Webster and the entire Right Foot Down crew to rebuild and bounce back quickly.

“Sometimes it’s just not your night,” Laprade admitted. “I’m thankful for safe race trucks after the impacts we took in that crash, but definitely bummed because I feel like we were better than we had the opportunity to show on Saturday.

“I can’t thank Daniel Webster enough for his support and leadership, especially because I know there’s a lot of work ahead for him to get the truck back to race-ready shape,” added Laprade. “It’s one that I just have to shake off as a driver, because we go right back to work with Grant Thompson Racing Friday night in Pensacola.”

Due to the crash, Laprade slipped to second in the class point standings at Auburndale, 24 back of new leader Carter Brown after Brown went on to win the 50-lapper from the pole.

Saturday night was Laprade’s 24th race of the season. He has seven wins, 18 podiums, and 21 top fives across Legend car, Pro Truck, and asphalt modified competition.

Thanks go out to marketing partners Wade Tractor & Equipment, Adrenalin Powersports, Synergy SpeedLab, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their support of Laprade’s racing efforts.

Laprade’s next scheduled race is Friday, Aug. 29 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., with Grant Thompson Racing in the team's No. 54 Pro Truck.

He’ll follow that on Saturday at Auburndale with his competitive debut in the track's Sportsman division for Right Foot Down Motorsports.

About Matthew Laprade

Matthew Laprade is a 13-year-old Legend car and Pro Truck racer from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., who is competing primarily in Pro Trucks this year across the Southeast, as well as in high-profile Legend car events, including the INEX Winter Nationals at Auburndale (Fla.) Speedway.

He drives for Right Foot Down Motorsports, Grant Thompson Racing, and Kaden Honeycutt Racing in the Pro Truck category.

Laprade began his driving career at six years old in dirt go-karts, now having raced for more than half his life. He shocked the karting world in 2019 during his rookie season by winning the Vega Florida State Championship in the Rookie Division.

Invited to the nationals as a result, Laprade went on to capture the Vega National Championship that season in the Rookie Division, cementing his place as a young racer with prodigious talent.

Laprade’s second major championship came in 2021, when he claimed the Florida Dirt Championship Series title in the Junior 1 division, and he also added a victory in the prestigious World 100 karting event in Junior 1 that season as well.

After racing Bandolero cars for back-to-back seasons in 2022 and ’23, highlighted by a third-place finish in the Bandolero Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his sophomore Bandolero season, Laprade made the move to Legend cars for 2024. His Winter Nationals mini-series championship at Citrus County Speedway came on the strength of five race wins in five days from Feb. 12-16.

Laprade’s summer stretch in 2024 was highlighted by a top-five finish during round nine of the Summer Shootout, as well as a ninth-place finish in the Thursday Thunder Young Lions standings.

Away from the racetrack, Laprade’s competitive interests include golfing and fishing, and he golfed rounds with the PGA Junior League this year during downtime from his racing schedule. He is also a supporter of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s efforts to fight pediatric cancer.

For more information, visit his website at www.matthewlapraderacing.com.