Fresh off a strong season that included being named the Nut Up Pro Late Model Series Rookie of the Year at Madera Speedway, Dylan Zampa is gearing up to get back on track March 13.
Zampa, 16, is returning to Madera Speedway for his second season in the Nut Up Pro Late Model Series. Last year he opened the season with a bang by winning the season-opening round over his older brother, Logan Zampa, who finished second.
The victory helped the younger Zampa not only claim the Nut Up Pro Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Award but also helped him finish third in the overall division standings.
“I can’t wait to get back on track at Madera for the season opener,” Zampa said. “We won the opener last year and that really set the tone for us the rest of the season out there. It would be awesome if we could go out there and do that again this year.”
Zampa recently got the chance to get on track at Madera prior to the season opener thanks to an open practice session, held Feb. 29 at the third-mile asphalt oval. He believes the extra practice time can only benefit him as he chases victories and a championship this year at Madera.
“We didn’t end the season the way we wanted to last year, but we felt good with how the car was running,” Zampa said. “The practice was a good chance for us to shake the car down and make sure we had everything the way we wanted for the 100 lapper to open the season. If we can start strong in that race then I see no reason why we can’t keep that momentum going the rest of the year.”
With nine races making up the Nut Up Pro Late Model Series season, including a $10,000-to-win finale on Oct. 3, Zampa knows he’ll have to perform his best all season long.
“This is some of the toughest competition on the West Coast,” Zampa said. “We believe that if you can win here at Madera, you can win anywhere. We want to go out there and win as many races as we can and really show what this team is made of. If we do that then we’ll definitely have a shot at the championship.”