MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Matthew Davey had a year of threes, so to speak, in the Allison Legacy Racing Series as he completed his second full season in the division.
Davey, 19, finished third in points for the second year in a row, and half of his starts this season ended in third-place finishes – six out of 11, to be exact.
His points total in the final standings was even divisible by three, as well, seeing as how Davey ended the season with 999 points, just shy of cracking the four-figure threshold reached by champion Brett Suggs and series runner-up Ethan Elder.
It might not have been what Davey wanted his season to be remembered by, but his still chuckled when reflecting on the statistics and his year as a whole.
“It’s pretty funny how that worked out, isn’t it?” Davey joked following the series’ final race of the year at Concord Speedway on Nov. 10. “That’s just one of those things you can’t help but laugh at.”
Davey’s third-place finish in the season finale was enough to move him past Kyle Campbell and onto the podium. He held off Jack Galunke by a scant two points in the final tally, despite having to miss a race at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway on May 12.
“It really felt good to cap the year off with a podium finish. It’s been a tough year,” Davey admitted. “We ended up missing one race earlier this year and had to fight hard to get back up in points after that.
“The goal for me this season was to pick up my first win, and we did that in October at Orange County (N.C.) Speedway,” he continued. “That was a really emotional moment for all of us as a team, but it really has been a great season. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
Chief among those accomplishments was Davey’s first series victory, which came at Orange County’s three-eighths-mile oval during the second race of twin 25-lap features on Oct. 20.
“I was relieved to finally get the monkey off my back,” Davey said of breaking into victory lane. “That night was a four-way battle between me, Kyle (Campbell), Ethan and Brett, and with six to go the top two got together … and I just saw a hole to sneak through and took off. After that, it was just about staying calm and not overdriving the car.”
With a victory in his back pocket and a consistent year in the books, Davey’s focus is straight ahead now as he looks to add more accolades to his resume during the upcoming season next year.
“Finishing third in points is pretty rewarding, considering the race that we missed in the middle of the year,” noted Davey. “It’s racing though, and sometimes those are the cards you’re dealt.
“It’s been a tough battle, but I’m satisfied with where we’re at now. The goal is a championship next season. That’s what we’re after.”
