Chase Mattioli - "The Total Package"
Chase Mattioli is a remarkable young man who's personality, intelligence, interests, compassion, passions and real life experiences position him uniquely to appeal to young adults and adults of ethnic, gender and economic persuasions across the board.
Chase, 20, is the son of Joseph and Love Mattioli. Joseph, is the son of Dr. Joe and Dr. Rose Mattioli, owners of Pocono Raceway, a NASCAR Sprint Cup venue.
The combined influences of the work ethic his parents and grandparents, a Jesuit education and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge have been major factors that have crafted Chase.
Chase started working at Pocono Raceway at the age of seven, where he was a fixture at Pocono working in the family business - meaning cleaning the bathrooms, picking up old cigarette butts, or painting track buildings. As in most family business, everyone "does windows" and there are few jobs that Chase has not done at the track. Growing up in the business, he leaned at an early age the ability to communicate and related to everyone he came in contact with, from maintenance workers to the presidents of national companies.
The southern influences of his mother have instilled a "yes sir, no sir" respect for others, while his exposure to and participation in the production of Pocono's 500 mile spectacles have given him a maturity beyond his years.
Chase's godparents were Lebanese, teaching Chase their language and appreciation for their food and culture. He attended a Jesuit high school in Scranton, PA, a community that takes pride in its cultural diversity. The Jesuit philosophy aims at crating future leaders and instilling in young adults a passion for community service.
Chase's community service has been broad based, including a two week service program on an Native American reservation in South Dakota, working with the children of the Lakota Su on the reservation and helping to improve their schools.
Educationally, he has been an honors student, earning invitations to travel to Washington DC to participate in a young politician's program. He was a member of the Spanish and German Clubs, and has participated in the debate teams. Academically, he's maintained a 3.2 GPA.
In the fall of 2008, Chase was admitted to Fordham University in the Bronx, where he is currently a Sophomore majoring in business and marketing. He is enjoying the experiences of college life and exposure to the life styles and diversity of the Bronx and New York City, finding it very different from his rural upbringing in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. He has traveled extensively across the United States and has been to Europe twice.
His interests include acting, having had roles in school productions such as "Bye Bye Birdie," "Les Miserables," and "Guys and Dolls." Although Chase's favorite sport is racing, he also enjoys playing many other sports. In elementary school he played basketball, and then high school he began playing football and running track. Being raised in the Pocono Mountains, Chase has had a passion for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding as well. Having excelled in snowboarding, he became an instructor and started working part-time at a local ski shop.
Beyond sports, Chase has pursued many intellectual hobbies as well. In school he enjoys studying the classics, such as Aristotle, Plato, and Homer. Recently he has developed an affinity for art, studying art history and creating his own stain glass work shop.
While growing up in society as most due, Chase simultaneously matured and developed on the track as well. He began his racing career at the age of seven at the Lehigh Valley Quarter Midget Track right outside of Pocono Raceway's turn three. Outgrowing Quarter Midgets, he went on to race Legends cars and small stock cars, dirt modifieds and then road racing. In his first Formula Ford race, at the age of 16, he scored a win in the rain.
While he was 17 he drove a Formula Ford in SCCA Regional and National competition. In 2007, he stepped up to full bodied stock cars in the ARCA-RE/MAX series and the NASCAR Camping World series. In the fall of 2008, he co-drove a Lexus with three other drivers to a 3rd place class finish and a 6th place overall finish out of a 60 car field in a 13 hour endurance race.
Last season Chase co-drove a Mustang in the Grand Am KONI series with his cousin Nick Igdalsky. In their first race at Daytona on January 23rd, Chase qualified the car 18th out of 69 cars, and moved up to 3rd before turning the car over his cousin.
Chase also competed part time last year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and NASCAR Camping World East Series for team owner and mentor, Bobby Hamilton Jr. Under the wing of Bobby Jr., Chase spent the year learning much about overcoming adversity gaining a new feel for stock car racing.
This year, Chase will be driving for Andy Belmont Racing as he runs a full ARCA Schedule, and appears in select NASCAR Camping World Truck, and NASCAR Nationwide Series Races.
In addition to racing, Chase has been sought after by the media, doing numerous interviews as well as being the guest on local and national radio and TV programs, including a recent appearance on the hit show FOX Show, Strategy Room. In October, he was asked to write an article for Circle Track Magazine, with a second article planned for this spring. He has also been a Red Carpet Guest at a Maximum Magazine Party.
At the track when Chase is not in the racecar, he is with the fans, with a focus on working with "Make A Wish" children.
When interviewed by the Driver Development Manager for Joe Gibbs Racing, he was told that if he could drive as well as he could communicate he had a very bright future in racing.
Everyone who has spent any time with Chase would agree that his off track abilities are incredible and now he his proving that he is a force to contend with on the track.
