Matt Peck: Back Racing, Thanks to New Friends

Matt Peck: Back Racing, Thanks to New Friends

Matt Peck thought his season ended when it had just begun. But that wasn’t to be, thanks to help from friends he didn’t know he had.

On March 18 at Selinsgrove Speedway in Pennsylvania, Peck became involved in pileup during the feature. It wrecked quite a bit on his 2016 Bicknell — radiator, rear end, damaged body panels beyond repair, and even bent frame rails.

“So many things on the car were broken or screwed up in just one incident,” Peck, of Gibbstown, New Jersey, said.

Onlookers gave Peck space the night of the wreck. He went home dejected.

The next day, his phone and his stepfather Chuck Sayres,’ began to ring.

“A lot of people wanted to help us,” said Peck. “It was overwhelming, in a good way. We got a radiator, left-rear tube [for the rear end], and a new body. I’m grateful to a long list of people.”

Dan Sommeling, who owns the car driven by Jordan Watson and owns Danny’s Pizza Pizazz, offered the team’s spare body panels. Sommeling’s son, Dominic, of Dom’s Welding, repaired Peck’s frame.

When Peck appeared at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, the sportsman still carried the number 51 and colors of Sommeling’s car.

“It was still my old car underneath,” Peck said. “The roof, hood, and nose piece are pink because they are from my old car.”

At Delaware, Peck finished 10th in the crate 602 sportsman feature.

“That 10th-place finish was a win to me,” said Peck. “Two weeks ago, I thought I was done for the year on opening night. I never would have thought this [10th-place finish] would happen, and all thanks to the racing community.”

Fresh off a top-10 finish, Matt Peck looks to return to his regular racing haunt. This Saturday, he’ll be back at Bridgeport Motorsports Park.

Matt Peck at Selinsgrove Speedway on March 18.
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