The reigning Formula Atlantic champion Matthew Butson from Seattle, Washington, USA, will make his debut in V8 Thunder Cars when the season opener takes place on May 9–10 at Scandinavian Raceway in Anderstorp.
Matthew has experience from the TA2 series back home in the U.S., where they use chassis developed by Howe Racing Enterprises based on the V8 Thunder Cars chassis—but this will still be a new challenge for him.
“It looks like tough competition and I have a steep learning curve ahead of me,” says Matthew. “I have to learn a new track, a new car, and it´s a different type of racing with standing starts.”
The 23-year-old Matthew has an impressive resume to lean on. In 2019, he was named Rookie of the Year in the TA2 West Coast Championship and finished fourth overall in the series. He has also made successful appearances in the Trans Am Series, of which TA2 is a support class, before running a full season in Formula Atlantic last year—where he claimed the championship title.
“IndyCar is the goal for me, but it’s a long road,” says Matthew, who also sees an opportunity for a racing career in Europe. Last year, he tested an LMP3 car in Barcelona.
In Anderstorp, Matthew will drive Team Trysil’s Chevrolet Camaro, a car that Stein Frederic Akre has won seven races with over the past three years. However, Matthew hasn’t yet met the Team Trysil crew.
“I’ve only heard great things about them, and they really seem to know what they’re doing. It’s going to be exciting! I´m looking forward to meeting them.”
The V8 Thunder Cars season opener will be held at Scandinavian Raceway in Anderstorp on May 9–10. Matthew will compete in three heats.
“This will be a test, and if we can make the logistics work and I can find room in my schedule for more races, it’s not out of the question,” says Matthew.
Matthew Butson will become the first American to race V8 Thunder Cars on Swedish soil. The only other American to have raced in the class is Jay Cochran—who has experience in IndyCar, Le Mans, and IMSA—but that was 13 years ago when the class visited the U.S.
Follow Matthew on:
https://www.butsonracing.com/
https://www.instagram.com/matthew.butson24/
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.butson.39
