Chad Simpson’s run to a 4th MLRA Championship started soon after the Mt Vernon, IA racer clinched the 2022 series title. The driver of the Ideal Ready Mix/Randy Davidson Trucking # 25 knew going back-to-back in the MLRA would not be easy task, which led him to make one of the biggest and most challenging changes to date in his racing career as he transitioned from a Black Diamond to a Longhorn by Wells Chassis.
“I knew I needed to make a change over the winter, which is obviously not an easy financial decision to make. I’m fortunate to have such a great group of sponsors that came through to help me make that change, and to run good right out of the box I think was rewarding for everyone involved. It definitely was not a dominating championship, but definitely one that I guess came with the most confidence and support I’ve had from everybody.”
“We were pretty excited going into this year with the new car, knowing that the Longhorns were pretty much the top tier and dominant all of last year,” explained Simpson. “After the first weekend down at Wheatland we ran second to (Jonathan) Davenport and that right there was a huge confidence boost for us and everybody that is involved with us. I kinda felt like I had the feel back after that weekend, maybe a feel that I had been missing for a couple of years in the seat,” noted Simpson.
In his nine non-co-sanctioned MLRA starts, Simpson tallied six top 2 finishes, half of which resulted with trips to Cedar Creek Beef Jerky Victory Lane. His three victories on the season moved his career MLRA win total to 19, now placing him 11th on the all-time series wins list.
As a six-time Champion of the former Corn Belt Clash Series and now a four-time MLRA champion, Simpson says that every title is a little different in its own right. “My confidence level going into this year was just that much higher than some of the past championships. Out of all of the MLRA championships that I have won I felt like the equipment that I had going into this year, making the switch to Longhorn and the help from Wells, just gave me some added confidence. And having all of my sponsors to be able to put me into that position was huge.”
Simpson joins elite company with his 4th series title, as he ties the series winningest driver Terry Phillips with four Championships. The duo of Simpson and Phillips trail only five-time champ Alan Vaughn and upcoming Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Al Purkey, who was a series leading 7 x champion.
Chad Simpson will collect $20,000 for his share of the over $50,000 Lucas Oil MLRA Championship point fund, in addition to a host of contingency awards from series sponsors. Simpson also earned the season long overall Fast Time Award Presented by MyRacePass.
“First and foremost, I’ve got to thank my family. They have stood behind me through my entire racing career. They enjoy it and love it, so having them behind me in what I love to do is obviously most important to making this happen.”
“I’ve been out on my own since 2019, and it’s definitely been challenging financially. This sport is getting more and more expensive and just crazy to try and be able to compete and be up there with the top drivers in the country. Every little bit that everyone has given me and my team over my career, and especially the backing and support that I had from everyone when I went to make this change to Longhorn, has been really outstanding. I think along with that support, it obviously showed up in our performance and in how comfortable we were this year, and the guys were all having fun.” |