 April 22 2025 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Edgewater Automation Renews Partnership with Matt Kemp Racing for 2025 Season Matt Kemp Racing is proud to announce the continued partnership with Edgewater Automation for the 2025 racing season. After a successful collaboration in 2023, the cutting-edge automation solutions provider is returning as a key partner, ready for a season-long partnership between the MCR Dwarf Car Series and appearances in select ARCA Menards Series events. Edgewater Automation is known for their innovative engineering and custom automation solutions which span across various industries and around the globe. This partnership is a perfect fit when you consider the connection between motorsports and skilled trades, as well as both parties commitment to precision, performance, and continual growth. "I've always been a big supporter of the skilled trades, which go hand-in-hand with everything to do with racing. Ultimately, it's so special to have the opportunity to represent the great people at Edgewater. We're looking forward to a great season!" In 2023, we made some great memories with Edgewater Automation on board!
About Edgewater Automation
Edgewater Automation is an ISO 9001:2015–certified designer and builder of custom advanced automation equipment and manufactured structures and systems, including robotics, machine vision, motion control, automated test and data acquisition, and software control and management solutions for all manufacturing industries. With offices in Michigan and South Carolina, Edgewater Automation is well positioned to support its core customers in life sciences, automotive and commercial vehicles, consumer packaged goods (CPG), general manufacturing, electronics and battery manufacturing, and logistics. Find more information at edgewaterautomation.com
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 MAY 1 2024 | 2024 ARCA East Dutch Boy 150 Announcement | Matt Kemp Racing Things are coming full-circle for on May 18th, where we will make our second ARCA Menards Series East start with Fast Track Racing, this time in familiar territory at Flat Rock Speedway. You'll find us in the #12 machine with primary support from Green Shield Deck Builders. Entering this event, we've won in our previous 5 consecutive appearances at the level pebble, a win streak spanning back to 2021. Even with this in mind, a top-10 run would be a win at this level. Flat Rock has been a really great place for me over the years, and I’ve always wanted to compete at this level – in fact, the reason I began seriously pursuing ARCA opportunities was because of this race. Flat Rock has been one of my favorite tracks, if not my favorite track while racing regionally with the MCR Dwarf cars. It’s been a great place for me since my first visit in 2013 when I was racing mini cup cars. I’ve had this event circled since it was announced nearly two years ago. But even one year ago, I wasn’t sure if this was a possibility for me.  5-Consecutive Flat Rock Victories, 2021-2023 It's incredible the difference a year can make. I went into my debut start at Berlin last year well aware that it could be my only shot to race at this level. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunities to race, but also the opportunity to work with great people at Fast Track Racing. Andy gave me a shot that nobody else would, and I’m hopeful that the chance he took on me can pay off this year at Flat Rock, a track where Andy & Fast Track have success in the past. Support our primary partners who will be supporting us for this event!
 Photo Credit: Gavin Newton / Fast Track Racing Now is the time when everyone begins to reflect on the year… and I could write a book about 2023. This time last year, I was still fairly fresh out of college with no clue about the direction I wanted to go for a career, and simultaneously, I was seeking a reason to think I would ever have a chance to pursue my racing dreams. Other than a short 2-year stint at a quick lube in high school, I had worked in the family business of lawn care, landscaping, and snow plowing for almost all of my life to this point, and I was ready for a change. I got word that the local insurance agency was hiring – so I decided to take a chance at something I never thought I would do - and with that, put my college degrees to work. By January, I had passed the state exams and received my license to solicit property and casualty insurance. It didn’t take me long, however, to realize that this was also not a career move for me – though, a great opportunity to learn. By May, I had received another opportunity to change my job – and this WAS a career move. After a 2-week notice, I started a new career at Lane Automotive - piloting a rotational development program where I have an opportunity to gain exposure and experience in different areas of the business. In the little free time I had during all of this change, I had continued with what I figured would be my last push to break into Professional Motorsports. At 24 years old, my window to break through was closing - and I could feel the pressure. On my lunch breaks at the Insurance agency and after work, I was continuously researching and creating marketing decks, reaching out and sharing the potential value of motorsports marketing for different companies, continuing my work from the years prior in hopes that someone would take a chance on me before it was too late. Less than a month after I started my new career, the opportunity to pursue my lifelong dream, which I had been pursuing for nearly a decade… finally came to fruition. I partnered with Lake Michigan College, among other amazing partners, and received an opportunity from Fast Track Racing, Inc. to compete at the professional level for the first time. In front of hundreds of thousands of viewers, I made my ARCA Menards National Series debut at Berlin Raceway on June 17th, 2023. We didn’t have great luck with some mechanical woes, but showed a lot of potential... and most importantly, made it further than I ever thought possible. With our performance at Berlin, the team worked out two additional opportunities through the rest of the year... including my opportunity to go 180 mph for the first time at Kansas Speedway in September.  Left: Debriefing with crew chief Dick Doheny after our mechanical failure at Berlin. Right: Making laps at Iowa. Did I mention that during all of this I was also running my own racing program at the local/regional level, racing for my second consecutive championship? I was on my own this year to make my racing program happen, and I wasn’t sure it would be possible... but thanks to amazing partners in ELH Detailing, PSS&C, and Edgewater Automation, we were able to make it happen. I hauled my car over 5000+ miles throughout the region - winning 7 races, setting 3 new track records, and bringing home the championship for the second consecutive year.  Celebrating my 7th win of the 2023 season with the Midwest Classic Racers Dwarf Cars. I also worked Friday Nights at my local dirt track, managing payouts and scoring, in addition to managing the Midwest Classic Racers, LLC. website, social media, and marketing initiatives...
...and just when you thought I couldn’t have been any busier… on October 15th, 2023 – I got to marry my best friend, Julie Jasper Kemp. What a way to cap off a crazy 5 month stretch.  Photo Credit: Elizabeth Berghuis Photography Now, just seven months into my new job and three months removed from my previous national series start, it’s hard to look back and believe the events that have taken place - and the rate at which they have. I learned what years of hard work and determination can do, and the importance of people. At the center of all of my accomplishments are groups of amazing people. I realize that I am blessed to have found a home at a great company and to have had the opportunities in motorsports that I've had, and ultimately, to be surrounded by great people. I've been so fortunate - but I didn't have to be. Not everything could have worked out like it did. Many days I didn't think it would. I've worked at this for years. There were tough days. Days that I wanted to give up. Days that I felt like I wasn't going to be good enough. I've known for a long time that success is never guaranteed in anything you do - in fact, it may be extremely unlikely in some cases. But this year proved to me that hard work CAN pay off... because, phew... I've certainly worked my tail off.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still far from having 'made it' as a race car driver - but I've grown more as a person this year than any other, no question - and I'm fortunate to be in a position where I have great opportunities, and a great job if the racing thing doesn't work out... and that's all someone can ask for. I'm proud that my hard work has amounted to those opportunities and the position that I'm in. So if you take one thing from my story, I hope you will be compelled to continue pushing toward your goals. Focus forward. Because you just never know when that hard work is going to pay off. All I can think now is... I can’t believe the difference a year can make. |
About Matt
Matt Kemp is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series. Archives
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