Stafford Speedway Late Model Driver Dillon Moltz Selected as Part of Richard Petty Developmental Driver Program
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway Late Model competitor Dillon Moltz recently was selected to be part of the Richard Petty developmental driver program. The program will select a total of 12 drivers from across the United States to compete in a combine where the winner will receive a one-off race deal to drive an ARCA car in the ARCA Pocono 200 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 5th.
“This is the chance of a lifetime for me,” said Moltz. “All I ever wanted was a shot to be able to show the right people my driving skills. This competition is the perfect way for me to do that. It will be a gong show type of program and we will be driving COT, Nationwide, USAC Midget, and High Performance Karts at Charlotte, Concord, and Carolina Motorsports Park as part of the program. They are going to measure car control, endurance, track management, adaptability, race practice, passing experience, car and mechanical knowledge and feel, speed, communication, and marketability. I like that they’re focusing on all aspects of driving rather than just who can put a fast lap down on the track.”
After having to sit out the first 7 races of the 2007 season as he was not as of yet 16 years of age, Moltz burst onto the Stafford scene and he posted 2 wins, 7 top-5, and 8 top-10 finishes in 13 starts and finished the season 18th in points. Moltz’s first victory came in his 10th start and made him the youngest feature winner in Stafford Motor Speedway’s long and storied history. Moltz continued his strong performance in 2008 and 2009, winning 5 races in each season to give him a grand total of 12 Late Model feature wins at Stafford and he finished second and third in the points standings those years. It was this performance that earned Moltz a shot at the Richard Petty Motorsports combine.
“They called me and told me that the reputation of the competition at Stafford spoke for itself and our results the past couple of seasons is why they selected me,” said Moltz. “I’m very excited about this opportunity, but when the time comes I’m just going to go down there, be myself, and we’ll come back to Stafford.”
The week of the combine is directly after the Spring Sizzler, leaving Moltz with a busy week as the 2010 Late Model season kicks off at Stafford.
“I’ll be flying down to North Carolina right after my race is over on Sizzler Sunday,” said Moltz. “The combine runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so I’ll be flying back up to Connecticut at midnight Thursday to be back at Stafford for the Friday night opener. My crew chief and all the crew guys are staying here in Connecticut, so hopefully we can keep the car in one piece from the Sizzler and they won’t have too much work to do to have the car ready for Friday night.”
In addition to being selected for the Richard Petty Motorsports combine, Moltz has spent his off season working on his car and focusing on winning a championship at Stafford this season.
“We put a new body on the car and we’re putting together a new spec engine for this season,” said Moltz. “Our goal this year is to win the championship. We’ve been so close the past two years, I want the championship bad. We want to win as many races as possible this year and let the points take care of themselves. It’s easier said than done, but I think we’re going to try to be a little more conservative racing for points this year when we’re in position to have a good points night instead of going for the win. Everyone on the crew puts so much effort into the car and last year I remember we had a night where a $12.50 part broke and cost us a good finish. If we can have a little luck on our side and we can be a little more consistent with our finishes, I think we’ll be in championship contention again.”
The chase for the 2010 Late Model track championship begins April 23-25 with the 39th Annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Weekend. Tickets for the 39th Annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Weekend are now on sale at the Stafford Motor Speedway box office. Tickets are priced at $35.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, $38.00 for reserved seats, and free for children ages 5 & under. Tickets are good for admission to the Saturday April 24, and Sunday, April 25 portions of the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, with the Friday, April 23 practice session open to the public free of charge.
For more information, or to order Tech-Net Spring Sizzler tickets, please contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR