Story by Chris Roy
Once again the NELCAR Legends are returning to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, to race on the 1.6 mile road course. The legend cars are reaching speeds in excess of 110 mph as they race down the front stretch and one of the drivers looking for his first career win, is Matt Chagnot, from Derry, NH.
Matt’s thoughts on returning to NHMS, “I can’t wait for this upcoming race, and I feel like I am as prepared as a rookie can be. Since I only have a single race on a road course under my belt, I’m not 100% up to speed on how to tweak the setups to be faster. I’ll be making some minor changes when I get to the track, and bolting on a new set of tires, so I should be faster than I was the previous race on the road course.”
The legends cars race both the 1.6 mile road course and the 0.25-mile U.S. Legend oval at NHMS but, when it comes to choosing a favorite; “That’s a tough call, since they both are so different. All my previous race experience has been in karts on short oval tracks, so when the Legends race the NHMS oval I think I feel more comfortable and I get up to speed more quickly. I’m used to driving in tight packs, so I’m not as intimidated by the NHMS short track as some of the other drivers. That being said, I love the new challenge of running the road course and the experience of running a true “big track” where the speeds are getting up so high. I hope we keep both on the schedule, because I’d hate to need to choose.”
I asked Matt, what is the key to getting around the road course? “ Being fast and smooth, getting off the corners is always going to be a big deal. Some of these straights are so long if you don’t hit them perfectly there’s plenty of time for the guy behind you to get by. Slow in, fast out is the way to go.
It’s also key to keep 4 wheels on the track pointed in the right direction. With the track being so long and the field getting spread out, the race directors are not going to call for a full course caution if you spin out and end up out of the groove. As a driver, you need to realize you’ll lose many more positions being stuck off-track than you would have by lifting a little earlier to safely roll the corner. You can be aggressive, but overdriving the car can really cost you in the final standings if you go too far.”
Matt got started racing like most drivers in karting about 10 years ago, and made the move to legends this year. “I had been racing flat karts at a couple tracks for about 10 years and noticed that recently the kart counts in the NH region for these karts had been falling off. I started looking at multiple racing series to move into, and the Legends class seemed to be everything I was looking for. The cars were reasonably priced and were getting good fields at every track they ran. Wanting to know more, I went to visit a couple tracks where the Amsoil Legends series were running and was even more impressed. All the drivers and crew were very friendly, both to us as the “potential new guys” and to each other. The camaraderie and friendships at the races (both in the pits and the respect given to the other competitors on the track) showed me this class has a similar attitude to what I liked most about my experiences racing the kart. This mutual respect seemed to be missing at many of the other classes and series I visited before making my final decision. When the NELCAR series finally announced the NHMS races, which for me are the closest races to my home, my mind was made up. I purchased the car never having driven one, and after my 1st race I was hooked. This has been the best decision I’ve made in racing so far.”
Matt is also competing for the 2011 “Rookie of the Year”, he is currently 2nd in rookie’s points behind Ryan Hammar, who has a 33 point lead going into the 9th race of the season. With such a close battle can you win the “Rookie of the Year” title? “That’s a tough question. We have an outstanding bunch of rookies this year, with both “Flyin” Ryan Hammar and Dan Winter being strong every week. Both Dan and Ryan raced at the same kart tracks I was racing, so I’ve seen them drive for many years and know they can get up on the wheel with the best of anyone. If I keep getting better every week like I have so far this season, I think I’ll be right there with them at the end, but it’s not going to be easy to get the title. I do know I won’t make it easy for them – whoever wins the 2011 Rookie of the Year is going to earn it.”
The one question I ask every driver is how to improve the safety. “. Knock on wood, I haven’t had any need to test my safety gear yet. Since I raced so many years in an open kart, having a roll cage around me makes me feel like I’m indestructible. I need to keep reminding myself this isn’t the case and I need to drive within my limits. I guess the one thing I’ve noticed is the visibility out of these cars is limited to begin with, so when we visit tracks where the pits are dirt it’s critical to limit the dust that can reduce the visibility even more than usual. Pulling off the track at Unity, if you weren’t the 1st car in the line you had no idea if a pedestrian might try to run between you and the car in front of you, or if there were any kids walking to the left or right of the main roadway. A water truck to control the dust would have really helped improve safety.”
One of the changes this season in NELCAR is the two throw away races where drivers can drop their 2 worst finishes. “ I like the throwaway concept. None of us are professionals, and we all have things to do outside of racing. It’s inevitable people will need to miss a race or 2 over the course of the season. By allowing a couple throwaways, the NELCAR series is helping to prevent the championship from becoming an attendance contest. The throwaways help keep the championship decided on the track, not on the drive to the track.”
New to the series it’s not easy to decide a favorite legend track but Matt, is testing the asphalt through out New England. There is one track that does take the lead though, “I’m not sure I have a favorite track, since all of them are so new to me I’m having a blast figuring them out each week. I love NHMS since it’s become my “home track” and I’ve wanted to drive on it since I started coming to NASCAR races there in 1996. Before I bought the Legends car, I was able to drive my street car on the track and when I was done I could barely walk my legs were shaking so much from excitement. So I guess since I’ve wanted it so bad, NHMS becomes my favorite by default.”
When you sit in the stands watching the number 8 legend car drive by, you can stop and think “Something’s Bruin”. “Anyone who knows me well knows I am a big hockey fan. I grew up in a suburb of Hartford, CT, and several of my neighbors played for the Whalers. I can’t tell you how many hockey sticks the Whalers players gave me that I trashed playing street hockey in the driveway. One of my neighbors was Gordie Howe, so I was always #9 with my previous sports and racing teams as a tribute to the guy who taught me how to elbow opposing players and not get a penalty. After the Whalers moved to NC, I couldn’t root for them anymore so I started following the Boston Bruins. When it came time to paint the Legends car, I decided I needed to go with a Bruins-themed color scheme. I tried to match all the color to the Bruins Winter Classic concept, since the “old school” colors seemed to fit well with the classic look to these cars. The number 9 wasn’t available, so as a tribute to Cam Neely I decided to go with the #8. I think the car looks great – many thanks to New England Wraps for the installation and the Healthy Buffalo for helping me afford it.”
On Wednesday the Boston Bruins, won the “Stanley Cup” for the first time since 1972. “I couldn’t be happier. This team played hard, and played with heart. Can you believe the performance of Tim Thomas? Unreal! They deserve this, I’m very happy for them. Now, how do we convince them to bring the cup to a NELCAR race to get a photo with the race car?” Maybe this weekend Matt will drive the number 8 car to victory lane.
Though when Matt isn’t watching the Bruins play or racing the car in the legend series, he just plain working. “. It seems like my home is for sleeping exclusively lately. I work as a Sr Quality Engineer in Mass, and between the long hours and longer drives back and forth to work, it seems like I’m never home.
I’ve been playing in bands since I was in high school, and my current band, Bad Lola, takes up a good amount of time. We’re a rock cover band out of Windham NH, and I have a lot of fun playing tunes with some of my best friends. It’s actually funny – the rhythm guitarist raced Formula Fords many years ago. When I joined the band, I needed to walk by the race car on the way into the rehearsal space, and the guys were playing hockey in the basement while waiting for me. PERFECT situation, and we hadn’t even played a note yet.
Nichole and I are also involved with several dog rescue groups, and we frequently foster dogs waiting for adoption or assist in the transfer of adopted dogs from states down south to their permanent New England homes. Three of our 4 dogs are rescues (2 from failed foster attempts – I never said it was easy to give them up). One of our newest sponsors, Friends of Retrievers, is very near and dear to our hearts since we too are doing our best to help abandoned animals find homes. It was a great day when they signed on with us.”
