Matt Sielsky

Matt Sielsky
Born (1978-05-01) May 1, 1978
Previous series
2000-2001
1999
1998-1999
1997-1996		 ASA National Tour
NASCAR Busch Series
Atlantic Championship
USF2000
Awards
1997 Team USA Scholarship

Matt Sielsky (born 1 May 1978) is an American former racing driver. Sielsky competed in USF2000, Atlantic Championship among other series.

Career

The Chicago, Illinois based driver started his racing career in karting. In 1993 Sielsky won his first World Karting Association national championship. Sielsky won the Restricted JR and US820 Junior class championships beating other drivers such as Sam Hornish Jr..[1] After a year without national championships in 1994, Sielsky won two out of four classes he competed in 1995. Sielsky won the Piston Port and 100cc Pro Street classes.[2]

For 1996 Sielsky and fellow competitor Jeff Shafer landed Kool sponsorship after a talent competition.[3] With the sponsorship deal Sielsky joined Team Green in the USF2000 for 1996 and 1997. In his debut season the young driver finished third at Watkins Glen International and scored enough points to secure tenth in the championship. For 1997 Sielsky scored four pole positions, in the streets of St. Petersburg, at Phoenix International Raceway, Pikes Peak International Raceway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Unfortunately, he failed to finish better than second during the season. The total of four podium finishes resulted in a second place in the very closely contested championship.[4]

Sielsky remained kept the Kool sponsorship as he graduated into the Atlantic Championship for 1998 racing with D&L Racing. In the second race of the season, at Nazareth Speedway, he scored his first podium finish. Two additional podium finishes came at the Molson Indy Vancouver and Mid-Ohio. The young driver finished sixth in the series standings.

With severe limitations to cigarette sponsorship in sports, Sielsky lost his primary sponsor. Forced to look foor other opportunities. In 1999 he made a single appearance in the Atlantic Championship. With BBGP Racing Sielsky substituted for John Brooks at Mid-Ohio. Sielsky finished the race in fourteenth place.[5] Sielsky also joined Emerald Performance Group testing the teams NASCAR Busch Series car. He got the chance to race in the Busch Series with Hillin Racing. At Lucas Oil Raceway Sielsky qualified 39th for the Kroger 200. Sielsky finished the race 31st, six laps down.[6]

Sielsky had a partial racing season in 2000 racing in the ASA National Tour. The season was a preparation for his first full-time stock car campaign in the 2001 ASA National Tour. Fielding his own team Sielsky finished nineteenth in the season standings. His best result was a ninth-place finish at Concord Speedway, after starting 34th.[7]

After his racing career Sielsky, with support of his mother, started a Chicago-style hot dog restaurant in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Sielsky sold the restaurant, Matt's Chicago Dog, in 2010 before rejoining the restaurant as its Chief operating officer in 2016.[8]

Motorsports results

American Open-Wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest race lap)

USF2000 National Championship

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Points
1996 Team Green WDW
DNQ		 STP
9		 PIR
23		 DSC
44		 MOS
6		 IRP
27		 RIR
22		 WGI
3		 WGI
4		 MDO
8		 NHS
7		 LVS
25		 10th ???
1997 Team Green WDW
12		 STP
2		 PIR
25		 DSC
23		 DSC
4		 SAV
8		 PPI
10		 CHA
2		 CHA
26		 MDO
2		 WGI
3		 WGI
5		 2nd 177

Atlantic Championship

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points
1998 D&L Racing LBH
24		 NAZ
3		 GAT
7		 MIL
4		 MTL
4		 CLE
10		 TOR
4		 TRR
8		 MDO
3		 ROA
23		 VAN
3		 LS
18		 HOU
9		 6th 109
1999 BBGP Racing LBH NAZ GAT MIL MTL ROA TRR MDO
14		 CHI
14		 VAN LS HOU - -

References

  1. ↑ "MANUFACTURER'S CUP SERIES - ARCHIVED STANDINGS 1993 FINAL* POINTS STANDINGS". World Karting Association. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "MANUFACTURER'S CUP SERIES - ARCHIVED STANDINGS 1995 FINAL* POINTS STANDINGS". World Karting Association. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ron Kantowski: Young drivers get boost from Kool program". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "MATT SIELSKY - OVERALL START/FINISH POSITIONS (CLASS POSITIONS NOT SHOWN)". USF2000. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Matt Sielsky". Champcar Stats. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Matt Sielsky 1999 Season Results NASCAR Busch Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Matt Sielsky 2001 Season Results ASA ACDelco Challenge Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Matt Sielsky". LinkedIn. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
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