PLACERVILLE, Calif. – Matt Wood Racing has announced its driver lineup for the inaugural Elk Grove Ford Hangtown 100, Nov. 19-20 at Placerville Speedway.
Matt Wood Racing has brought on an eclectic mix of drivers to take part in the NOS Energy Drink USAC National and USAC Western States midget event, which features a $130,000 purse over two nights of racing.
The MWR/Elk Grove Ford team will be made up of Shane Golobic, Ryan Bernal, Colby Copeland, Australia’s Kaidon Brown and a fifth car to be announced.
Golobic is the full-time pilot of the Matt Wood Racing machine and has been a several-time A-main starter at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., along with being a former Indiana Midget Week champion.
He swept both nights of the Louie Vermeil Classic in 2018 and is a former two-time winner of the prestigious Trophy Cup for winged 360 sprint cars in Tulare, Calif. Golobic also drove the Elk Grove Ford/ NOS Energy Drink No. 17w to his second World of Outlaws victory this season at Placerville Speedway.
Bernal, a versatile driver out of California, has made the Chili Bowl A-main twice in his career, with the highlight being an impressive charge from 24th to fifth in 2018.
He also has a third-place finish at the Turkey Night Grand Prix in the past and a fourth-place result at the Hut Hundred.
Copeland, another Northern California racer, made the A-main at the Chili Bowl for the second time in his career this year.
He has accumulated big victories in winged sprint car racing at the Howard Kaeding Classic in Watsonville and in non-winged sprint car action at the Louie Vermeil Classic in Calistoga.
Australian racer Brown will make his first start in the United States for Matt Wood Racing, beginning at the Hangtown 100. The 18-year-old has been racing midgets for three-years and in 2017 became the youngest driver to win the Australian National Championship in the event’s 78-year history.
Brown has competed in New Zealand the last two seasons during the International Series racing against the likes of Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. Brown is also the 2018/19 New South Wales midget champion.
Brown spoke about the opportunity to join Matt Wood Racing for not only the Hangtown 100, but also the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series event at Bakersfield Speedway and the annual Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura Raceway.
“I am very excited to head over to America and race for the first time,” Brown noted. “I can’t thank Matt Wood enough for this amazing opportunity and look forward to working with him, as well as Shane and Dustin Golobic.
“Although it will be tough, hopefully I can put some good results together for the team.”