Matt Poole is a man on a mission.

The fantasy began as a childhood dream and lay dormant for much of his adult life. Then tragedy struck, not once, but twice, and suddenly Matt had a clear vision of his future.

As a child, his mother often asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. The answer was always the same.

“I want to be a race car driver,” the youngster replied.

But, childhood desires were soon replaced by the realities of life and the dream was set aside.

Then, in 2003, Poole lost his mother when she died suddenly from a heart attack. His father, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, was left alone. Matt’s Mom had always been the foundation of the family and her death affected him deeply.

After her funeral, Matt could only think of one thing. He had to do something to honor his mother’s memory and pay tribute to the woman who had shaped his life. With a newly found clarity and a desire fueled by heartbreak, he decided to take a chance and begin his quest to race.

Poole knew there would be countless hurdles to overcome and the odds were not in his favor. Even his friends tried to discourage him but nothing could diminish his desire or drive to succeed.

His journey began in 2004 at Speed Tech Auto Racing School in Rockingham, North Carolina.  His first time in a race car was a resounding success. He finished the school at the top of his class with the top speed, best average speed and fastest lap.

The next step was setting up a website, http://www.mattpooleracing.com/ to tell his story and attract sponsors. Then Matt began the time consuming process of making phone calls and sending letters to race teams at all levels of racing.

He never received one response and grew accustomed to hearing the word, “no.”

Although disappointed, Matt was not surprised.

“The two biggest obstacles that I’m up against are age and experience, too much of one and not enough of the other.”

In May 2005 Matt’s world was turned upside down again. One of his closest friends, Tonya Schultz, was brutally murdered by her husband in front of their two young children.

More focused than ever before, Poole knew he had to continue his journey.  He also made the decision to contribute any winnings to charity and in this way honor the memories of his mother and friend.

“I’m not doing this to become rich or famous,” Matt says, “I just want to race.”

His hard work was rewarded when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Motorsports saw Matt’s website. Lafferty gave Matt a call, offered him a chance to test and ultimately signed him as a development driver.

On February 3, 2007 he had his first test session in a Craftsman Truck at Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, NC.

Matt’s love of racing is obvious as he talks about the experience.

He speaks with awe as he remembers all the drivers who have been there before. Drivers like Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt and many others who had raced at Hickory Motor Speedway early in their careers.

“As I stood there looking at the start-finish line,” he said, “I could envision all those great drivers crossing that line in years past. It was a moving experience just walking into that speedway.”

Matt continued to test for Lafferty Motorsports and he was finally rewarded with the opportunity he’d been waiting for his entire life.

On July 21, 2007, at the age of 43, Matt ran his first race at that same speedway in the Street Stock Division. He qualified in 10^th place and finished in the 12^th position.

After the race, he felt a huge wave of relief and joy and envisioned his Mom and friend smiling down at him. The first part of his dream had finally come true.

As promised, he donated his winnings to a favorite charity, The Victory Junction Gang Camp.

In 2008 Poole was laid off from his job and in February of that year he made another critical decision to help further his cause. He sold his home, packed up his belongings and moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina so he could continue in the driver development program and be closer to the NASCAR community.

In May 2008, he ran a second race at Hickory Speedway, qualified 9^th and finished in 7^th position. Since then, lack of sponsorship has left him on the sidelines.

Poole continues to work at his day job at NASCAR Racing Experience as an instructor but spends every spare moment in the pursuit of his dream.

He has pledged to keep racing until he wins and is asking for the chance to accomplish that goal. On his website, Matt issues a challenge to race teams and sponsors.

“I want to win. If you want to win, put me in your car. This is my childhood dream; it’s all I ever wanted to be.”

Matt Poole is not your typical racer. He’s not racing for fame or fortune but instead is racing out of love for the sport and to honor the memory of two special people.

“I will not be happy until I’m in Victory Lane, holding that trophy to the sky, and I say Mom and Tonya, this is for you.”