Eighth Annual Back to School Health & Image Fair

August 16, 2016

Another successful annual Back to School Health & Image Fair. The fair began 8 years ago as a vision of Matt's to help those disadvantaged. Matt shared his excitement for school and is looking forward to his environmental science class during the upcoming school year. He was able to enthusiastically help the kids to get mentally prepared for school . Also he answered questions about his racing background and his love of racing. Special thanks to the Salvation Army, Project HOPE and all the volunteers for your support!

<< New image with text >>

July 26, 2016

A Better World

4527 Freedom Drive

Charlotte, NC

Matt speaks to 60 kids and shares his racing dream at the Better World Summer Camp Bash in Charlotte, NC

Diveristy In Motion Camps

July 15, 2016

To see a summary of the camp check out the Winston Salem Journal article on the WSSU Motorsports Management program's Diversity in Motion camps supported by Matt Murphy Motorsports. 

Annually Winston Salem State Diversity in Motion Motorsports Camps successfully expose youth to various STEM specialty areas in racing. This year the camp will feature Matt Murphy Motorsports at two recreation centers in the Winston Salem community. The camps will be held from 10-11:30 AM at the following locations:

July 11

Little Creek Recreation Center

610 Foxcroft Drive

July 13

Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center

2001 Pittsburg Ave.

Come out and see Matt and his race car the Straight to Heaven #7 at one of these locations. For more information contact us or Winston Salem State University Motorsports program.

Getting a late start on the 2016 racing season, Matt Murphy begins to gear up for his fourth racing season. Since beginning his late model career at the age of 12, he has successfully demonstrated competiveness in the PASS Pro Late Model series. In 2014 he finished 3rd in points in his first full series participation and last year he had 4 top five finishes. This year he will transition to a new series, the NASCAR Whelen All America series which requires him run a new race chasis. On the schedule are many local tracks Matt has experienced success at such as Caraway, Hickory, Ace and Orange County Speedways. On board will be new Crew Chief Robert Bradley, who has more than 16 years experience and has worked with many successful drivers some currently racing in NASCAR's main series. His race schedule is tentative and may change, however currently 10 races are scheduled for the season with the first scheduled for July. Fans stay tuned for more information as the Straight to Heaven #7 gears up for a successful 2016 racing season.   More to come..........

May 28, 2016

During race week in Charlotte North Caorlina Old Salem in Winston Salem, home of the Moravian birthplace in the United States theme focused on the transition in history from carrying passengers from horse buggys to cars in horsepower engines. Matt was featured during this event. He shared how he became a race car driver and also talked about the message in the S.K.I.D. Kids book, which was written and inspired around Matt's successes.  

Seventh Annual Fair a Success

August 18, 2015

Special thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors that helped to make the 7th annual Health & Image Fair a success. Close to 100 kids and family members enjoyed the food, receiving school supplies, getting stylish hair cuts and receiving health education tips and screenings. Comments like the video below is why we look forward to hosting this event every year. For more information about other projects Matt Murphy IV Foundation is involved with click here.  

Caraway Speedway Results

July 25, 2015

Caraway Speedway's outcome resulted in an 8th place finish. During qualifying some rear damage occured to the car and during the race wires inside the car caught fire on lap 17 resulting in a short race and not a very good day  for the Straight to Heaven #7. Staying positive and moving forward in preparation for the next race at Southern National Motorsports Park on September 26. 

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Pro All Star Series  race car driver Matt Murphy (15 years-old) will be hosting the 7th Annual Back to School Health and Image Fair held at the Lake Family YMCA on August 18, 12pm-2pm.

Murphy’s very own Project Sacrificing Hands Are Real Examples (Project S.H.A.R.E.) will be bringing aid to the homeless youth of Winston-Salem through school supply donations and more, all to help Project H.O.P.E./Winston Salem Shelter during the back to school season.

“This event means a great deal to me,” said Murphy. “It is a way to give back to the youth of Winston-Salem who are less fortunate.” Murphy also talked about how this helps him stay focused, while driving over 100 mph. “It keeps everything in perspective for me,” Murphy explained. “It always feels good when I can use my success on the track to help give back when I am away from the racetrack.”

Murphy and his Project S.H.A.R.E. have asked the racing and local businesses community for school supply donations for the youth. All donations and proceeds have gone to Project H.O.P.E. and the efforts to help the youth go back to school.

The event will allow children the opportunity to get haircuts, general health exams,  a selection of donated school supplies and provided a meal before they depart .

The Matt Murphy Motorsports Foundation is a North Carolina-based foundation that provides support to the homeless youth of America. Since 2006, the Matt Murphy Motorsports Foundation and Murphy’s Project S.H.A.R.E. have consistently valued the effort toward helping youth with basic needs. 

Anderson Anguish

June 19, 2015

In March Matt lead laps and finished with a  second place finish, however the outcome was much different the second time around. On a hot humid day with 11 laps remaining Matt was in third place when a car made contact resulting in a 5th place finish. Matt and the team look forward to the next race at Caraway Speedway July 25, 2015.

Matt's Race Awareness Day a Success at Concord

May 22, 2015

Despite Matt's 9th place finish, Matt Murphy IV Foundation sponsored an Awareness Race Day Event which exposed about 50 kids from the Boys and Girls club to racing for the first time. In addition to watching the race the kids played games, ate pizza, had faces painted and pulled for Matt to win. Special thanks to the sponsors, volunteers, friends and family that came out to support the Foundations event. Matt's next race is at Anderson Motor Speedway where earlier this year he led laps and finished second.

Hickory Doubleheader Weekend

April 3 & 4, 2015

During the Hickory Motor Speedway doubleheader this weekend Matt gets a 5th and 3rd place finish. Matt also receives the 2014 PASS Pro Late Model 3rd place points trophy.  

Upcoming is race at Concord Motor Speedway on Friday, May 22, 2015.

Second Place Finish at Anderson Motor Speedway

March 21, 2015

January 19, 2015

Pro All Stars Series and Race22.com celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr's holiday by writing a story on Matt and his ultimate dream of becoming a professional race car driver.

NASCAR WSSU Motorsports Management Championship Viewing Party

November 16, 2014

Winston Salem State Univesity Motorsports program and NASCAR hosted a Championship viewing party. Students learned about the racing side of NASCAR but also learned about various employment opportunities. Matt was asked to address the audience and talked about his racing experiences over the past nine years. The audience was amazed to hear about his many accomplishments and to find out how young he is driving a race car. One student asked, Do you have a drivers license? Matt enjoyed spending time with the students. 

Final Race of Season a Top 5 Finish

November 15, 2014

Most of the day after fighting a tight race car, Matt qualifies 7th. During the main event he falls back to 8th place but works his way back up to 5th place finish. Matt finishes the season strong finishing 3rd in the PASS Pro Late Model points during his first full season in the series. His next race is scheduled March 15, 2015 at Dillon Speedway.   

Orange County Rebound

October 18, 2014

Determined to turn things around at Orange County, after the second practice Matt put the fastest time on the board. During qualifying he posted the 3rd fastest time and after the redraw he started the main event in 4th position. The first quarter of the race Matt worked his way up to second then his car began getting tight. He feel back to 6th position but in the last quarter of the race made his move back to the front. Starting P3 on a restart with 4 laps to go Matt nosed out front to lead the race and then was spun out with two laps to go. Starting P7 on the restart he raced around 3 cars to cross the finish line 4th. Positive momentum from Orange County  will carryover to the next race at Southern National Motorsports Park November 15th.     

Matt at Hickory Grove Christian Homecoming

Friday, October 3, 2014

Matt and team showed support at Hickory Grove Christians homecoming events. On display was Matt's car, the Straight to Heaven #7. It was a great night for football and fellowship with friends, teachers and the entire Hickory Grove Christian family.  

Subpar Day at Hickory 

September 20, 2014

Matt qualified 6th and during the main event he showed much promise. Moving up to 4th place Matt and the series points leader ran side by side before his loose car caused him to loose track position. Matt ends up with a 9th place finish.

Project SHARE

Health & Image Fair

a Success

August 22, 2014

About 100 youth and theri families participated in the 7th annnual Health & Image fair sponsored by Matt's community service wing Project SHARE. Homeless youth received backpacks, school supplies, health education checks, haircuts and a hot lunch. Special thanks to all the volunteers who participated in the event to make it a success. 

Winston Salem State Motorsports Camp 

First DNF of Season but still Upbeat

July 12, 2014

This years second trip to Southern National provided the team a life long lesson. Fourteen laps into the race, two cars up front crashed and took out 4 cars, one of which included Matt's Strairway to Heaven #7  Ford Cobra. After qualifying within a tenth of a second from the pole, the team felt good about a good finish in the main event. However, the incident caused severe right front damage and also Matt's first DNF (Did Not Finish) of the season. Moving forward Matt and the team remain upbeat and await redemption at the next race scheduled September 20 at Hickory Motor Speedway.  

TV Alert! Fox Carolinas 46 Interview

July 8, 2014

Matt and Competition Director and Grandad Clarence Millner interviewed on Fox Carolinas 46. Matt talks about his passions and future ambitions. To see the interviewclick here.

Return to Greenville Pickens 

July 3, 2014

Matts return to Greenville Pickens results in a sixth place finish. On lap 1 a car in front turned sideways which forced Matt to swirve to the outside lane to miss contact. The result of the move allowed cars to pass Matt on the inside. This was the first non caution race of the year. Matt was able to persistently work his way from the rear to a 6 place finish. Matt will be back in action at Southern National on July 12   

Matt back on "Droppin the Hammer"

June 28, 2014

Matt is back on one of his favorite race talk radio shows, "Droppin the Hammer". Matt spent some time catching up with the show hosts and also talking about his return trip to Greenville Pickens Speedway on Thursday, July 3, 2014. To hear the interview click here. 

P5 finish for Southern Boy at Southern National

May 31, 2014

Matt has a solid 5th place finish at Southern National Motorsports Park. On a beautiful day for racing Matt's car was a little tight but he was able to make it work to his favor. During qualifying he had carberator problems which resulted in an 11th place starting position but during the race he patiently and agressively worked his way to another top 5 finish. Six races into the season Matt has 4 top five finishes.   

WSOC Channel 9 Features Matt during NASCAR SpeedWeek

May 23, 2014

WSOC Channel 9 Lead Anchor Erica Bryant features Matt during NASCAR's Speedweek events leading up to the Coke 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Also on hand was one of Matt's mentors, NASCAR legend Tiger Tom Pistone. To view the video interview, click here.

May 9, 2014

Eighth Place at Rain Delayed Ace Speedway

Matt Murphy finished 8th at Ace Speedway after a three-hour rain delay.

Murphy ran three 15-minute practice sessions before the skies opened up. It would take almost three hours for track officials to dry the track for qualifying.

Once qualifying started, Murphy had five minutes to lay down his fastest lap. Murphy qualified 6th with a time of 16.166 (his fastest of the day), only two-tenths off what the pole sitter ran. 

During the race, Murphy battled a tight race car. “I felt really confident with the car during practice and qualifying,” Murphy said. “When the rain came, it cooled the track off and tightened the car up. The car just got worse throughout the race and I battled [the tight condition] all night.” 

Murphy arrived to Ace Speedway third in points and fell one position to fourth overall. Currently, he sits only four points out of third and 24 points behind the points leader. 

The next race on the schedule for Murphy is at Southern National Motor Sports Park in Kenly, NC May 31st. “Kenly is one of my favorite tracks,” Murphy mentioned. “I feel really good at that track and am happy about racing there.”

Digging Day at Hickory 

April 20, 2014

After the race was rescheduled due to rain Matt ended up with an 8th place finish at Hickory. Matt started 9th and kept on digging working his way up to the front of the field when a car cut across him causing front end damage.  Despite the damage he was able to persevere and earn another top 10 finish. Next race is Friday, May 9 at Ace Speedway. 

March 1, 2014

5th Place Finish at Greenville Pickens

First race of the season Matt earned a top 5 finish at Greenville Pickens Speedway. Early in the race the Straight to Heaven #7 had coil problems which caused him to loose power out of the turns and down the straightaways. Matt had to pit and loose a lap but earned the lucky dog placing him back on the lead lap. Matt patiently worked his way back into the race and after a late caution, he was able to maintain his position as he crossed the finish line. A little disappointed but not dejected Matt was pleased with his performance.

During the pit party where fans are allowed to meet the race car drivers  on the track before the race begins, Matt was a fan favorite. At times he was surrounded by numerous fans. This upcoming Saturday, March 8 Matt's back at the track headed to Dillon Motor Speedway. This will be his second late model visit to the track. For those unable to attend the race you can watch it by going to  go towww.proallstarsseries.com.

Always A Champion Sponsorship Contest

February 18, 2014

Thanks to everyone who daily voted for Matt in the Always a Champion racing sponsorship contest. Unfortunately his video did not receive enough votes to make it to the final 15. We appreciate the support and will look forward to everyone's participation next year. We will continue to charge on identifying racing sponsors. If you are interested or know of someone contact us. Thanks Matt Nation. Click here to see video.

Matt's Race Finally at Southern National                     November 23, 2013

It turned out to be a good day for Matt despite starting the race 8 laps down before the green flag drops. While Matt was warming his car up for the  start of the race, he felt his left rear tire rub against the body causing him to come into the pits to correct the problem. Eight laps down, he gets back on the track and shows everyone what the future holds. Passing,digging and racing side by side, he had the race announcer talking about his racing ability and the show he put on. With two laps to go on a late restart, Matt started deep in the lineup but worked his way up to 4th place. Each lap and even the final lap Matt crosses the flag three wide making for an exiciting race. Despite a disappointing P9 qualifying and finishing 12th because of the early problems with his car , he showed the race fans a preview of what to expect next year. This was the final scheduled race for the season. Matt will be back on the track in February/March 2014.

6th Place finish at Orange County             October 19, 2013

The light switch went off at Orange County where Matt had his best all around performance of the year. Six races into his late model transition, Matt qualified 6 and finished P6 in the main event. Matt was aggressive from beginning to end, racing side by side, moving forward digging deep to pass cars. Before the race Matt hosted a pit tour of 10 members from First Calvary Baptist Church. Speical thanks to Matt Nation members in attendance! Next and final race of the season is November 23 at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, NC. 

8th Place finish at Hickory            September 22, 2013

Lap 10 at the birthplace of NASCAR stars ended Matt's day at the track. As Matt was on his way moving through the field and a power steering line broke loose causing a fire. Disappointed but not disheartend, five races into the season Matt gained some valuable track experience at one of the oldest tracks in NASCAR. He's back in the saddle at Orange County Speedway October 19th where he dominated winning 11 bandolero races. Special guest at the race will be youth from Durham's First Calvary Baptist Church. 

Sixth Year a Charm for Project S.H.A.R.E.        August 23, 2013

Matt's T.V. Interview on Busta Buddies on WXII Channel 12        August 21, 2013

Diversity in Motion Initiative Camps Includes Murphy July 16-17

Top Archer Award    July 1, 2013

Matt enjoyed a week of fun at Boy Scout summer camp earning merit badges such as golf, cooking and archery. He left camp earning the "Top Archer" award which goes to the camper with the highest points. In the process Matt shot two perfect bullseyes. With the cancellation of the July 3rd race at Anderson Motor Speedway, he's really sitting on pins and needles ready to get back in the Straight to Heaven #7 machine. He expects to hit a bullseye at his next race at Dillon Motor Speedway, July 13.  

Another Top 10 Finish for Matt at Southern National June 23, 2013

For the second race in a row, Matt gets a top 10 finish and shows a glimpse of what is yet to come. Despite a very loose car and very humid conditions, Matt finished the race, manuvered around  wrecks and displayed periods of consistently slowly gaining the respect of his peers.  

 ISMs Radio Talk Show       February 26,2013 

Gilbert Peacock noted author and financial advisor and host of ISMs talk show on WGIV invited Matt to define his spiritual values and  beliefs and the role they play in his everyday life and in racing. 

Project S.H.A.R.E Annaul Coat Drive a Success  January 22, 2013

 Project SHARE's annual coat, hat scarf drive is a success. This year Project SHARE collected close to 100 items that will be donated to the homeless. Special thanks to all donors and new Matt Murphy fans and supporters that participated. 

Southern National Win    November 23, 2012

Matt's final race in the Royal Purple #7 ends in victory lane at Southern National Motorsports Park. In 2013 Matt will be transitioning to a Pro Late Model in the PASS series.

WCNC TV Interview    June 22, 2012

Matt interviewed on WCNC's morning show "Larry's Look" click here