Who is Matt McCall?
By now many of you have heard of Matt McCall but most of you don’t know who he is. Matt McCall was acquired in October of 2005 to be part of Robert Yates Racing’s driver development program, a huge step in solidifying the foundation of the company. McCall’s success throughout the years, not only in racing cars but building them as well, has proven that he has the characteristics needed to be a top performing driver in today’s sport.
Matt McCall has always loved racing. Growing up in the state of North Carolina, home to some of racing’s greatest, inspired McCall to go after his dream of racing. At age nine he entered his first go-kart race and never looked back. McCall traveled the east coast from 1990-1999 competing in various state and national World Karting Association (WKA) events. With numerous wins during this time followed by a WKA Grand National Championship in 1997, McCall decided to turn his attention to stock racing following the conclusion of the 1998 season.
Hickory Motor Speedway has served as the stomping grounds for many successful names in racing history. Greats such as Ralph Earnhardt, father of the late Dale Earnhardt, Ned Jarrett, 2-time NASCAR Champion and father of Dale Jarrett, and NASCAR great Harry Gant all got their “feet wet” at Hickory Motor Speedway. This is true for Matt McCall as well. McCall ran a limited schedule in the Super Sport Division, better known as Street Stock, at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1999 and managed a 4th place in points by accumulating 1 win, 6 top 5’s, and 10 top 10’s. This was McCall’s first year in an “actual race car” and his accomplishments by far exceeded his expectations. His quick success in the Super Sport Division called for McCall to step up to the Late Model Stock Divisions (a division where cars are molded to precise specifications to allow for more horse power) at Hickory Motor Speedway.
In 2000 McCall continued to make his presence known on the track. In just his first year of racing Late Model Stocks McCall won “Rookie of the Year” honors at Hickory Motor Speedway. He also finished the season 3rd in points with 1 pole, 3 top 3’s, 9 top 5’s, and 10 top 10’s. He backed up the next three seasons with multiple wins, poles, and top 5 finishes as well as two 2nd place and one 3rd place finish in year end points. 2004 proved to be the breakout year for McCall in Late Model Stocks. He not only was the Hickory Motor Speedway Late Model Track Champion with 15 wins, 10 poles, 20 top 3’s, 20 top 5’s , and 21 top 10’s, but in May 2004 McCall set a new track record at the speedway with a lap time of 14.79 seconds. McCall’s accomplishments earned him awards for “Most Wins”, “Most Poles”, and the “Smokin Hot Lap Award” for setting a new track record. McCall went on to race at several other events that year with impressive results.
With another accomplishment under his belt, McCall took yet another step up the ladder of success in 2005 when he joined the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Late Model Touring Series. McCall traveled Tennessee, Virginia, and North and South Carolina to display his talents. Multiple first place finishes as well as numerous top 5 and top 10 finishes earned McCall yet another championship. In 2005 Matt McCall was crowned the UARA-STARS Champion.
In 2005 McCall took yet another step up in his career when he was selected to be a contestant on the Driver X/Discovery Channel Reality Show. Desire, determination, and skill earned McCall a top 4 spot among the finalist.
McCall’s standout performances caught the eyes of everyone at Robert Yates Racing and put them in heavy pursuit of his talent. After an in depth tryout that consisted of several tests, McCall along with 2 others, was selected to be part of Robert Yates Racing’s driver development program. McCall signed with Robert Yates Racing in October of 2005 and has flourished from day one. His mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte allows him to better understand the dynamics behind every race car. In return McCall is able to better understand what the car needs in order to perform better and what he needs from the car as a driver. His first showcase was in the Automobile Racing Club of America, or otherwise known as the ARCA Series, race at Daytona Beach, Florida in February of 2006. McCall started from the outside pole position and finished 2nd overall for the race. This season McCall will continue to run several ARCA events for Robert Yates Racing as well as 8 Busch races in the #90 Citifinancial Ford. Seat time behind the wheel is the only key to any racers success and by participating in Robert Yates Racing’s driver development program McCall is taking the steps necessary to mold himself into a skilled NASCAR driver.
Tomorrow’s future lies in the hands of today’s young racers. Robert Yates Racing understands the process needed to produce experienced and successful champions. The skill, determination, and experience that Matt McCall exhibits makes him a perfect example of what it takes to become an elite driver. By giving him good equipment and a strong sponsor in Citifinancial, Robert Yates Racing has high intentions that McCall will flourish into an outstanding young driver within the sport.