Preston Lattomus Applying Lessons, Refining Race-Day Execution

After building confidence during Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek, Preston Lattomus has remained a constant presence on the Pennsylvania 410 sprint car scene. Over the last few weeks, Lattomus has taken on an aggressive schedule, competing at Lincoln Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway, and Port Royal Speedway, with the latter being against the High Limit Racing regulars.  Over the past week, he added outings against the World of Outlaws at BAPS Motor Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway.

These recent weeks have served as a rigorous learning experience for the Capitol Custom Trailers and Coaches, EZGO Golf Carts, Betts Garage No. 91 team. While the results have fluctuated, the team has used every feature, heat, and qualifying session to collect vital data. Lattomus has noted that while the car speed is there, the focus for the remainder of the season is on refining race-day execution—turning that speed into consistent, top-tier finishes.

Frustration After Too Many Mistakes

At BAPS on July 29, competing with the World of Outlaws, Lattomus qualified 15th and finished 4th in his heat race. In the A-main, however, he struggled to find rhythm early and fell to the back, eventually going a lap down.

“I was pretty frustrated with myself after BAPS; I just felt that I made way too many mistakes to get myself stuck in the back and end up getting put a lap down,” Lattomus said. 

He added that the car was capable of much better than the final result, stating, “I had a car capable of running way better but just didn’t get to show it.”

Bad Start, Tough Track Conditions

On Friday at Williams Grove Speedway, Lattomus turned in an 11th-place effort in Flight A qualifying and moved into the heat from the 6th starting spot. But from the start, the race unfolded in the wrong direction, and he finished 9th in the heat—unable to recover.

“With the track conditions, it was hard to gain back what we lost even though I was faster than most of the guys in front of me,” Lattomus explained, noting that getting put in a bad spot at the start proved costly.

Opportunities Up Front Until Late-Tire Trouble

Saturday at the Grove was a more encouraging storyline through the majority of the feature. Lattomus transferred through the heat and started the A-main in the 16th position, positioning himself to make moves as the laps progressed.

Preston said he felt he had the opportunity to race higher—until late-race misfortune ended the night.

“I had opportunities to move forward and make passes. A few different decisions and I think I could have been racing for a top 10 instead of a top 15,” he said. 

Unfortunately, the run ended early. 

“With about 10 laps to go, I had a left rear tire go down and wasn’t able to finish the race,” Lattomus explained. 

Formats:  The Goal Stays the Same

Even with the World of Outlaws structure, Preston said the team’s approach doesn’t change—the focus remains the same from the first timing lap through the heat.

“My approach definitely doesn’t change with their format because it’s always the same goal of lay down the best lap possible for qualifying, and get everything I can in the heat,” Lattomus noted.

Finishing Better, More Frequently

Going into the next stretch, Preston emphasized that he is feeling really comfortable in the car—now it’s about turning that into better finishing results through smarter decisions and cleaner execution.

“I want to be finishing better than I have. I have the car and capabilities to do so. I am confident it will come very soon and very frequently,” he stated. 

“We as a team are always looking to improve, but I don’t think we are really far off when it comes to the car most nights. I have been very comfortable the last couple of races, just not making the right decisions.”

Upcoming Schedule

The No. 91 team will continue its summer campaign with a return to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA, on August 7, followed by a trip to Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA, on August 8. The team will then head to Hartford, Ohio for an event at Sharon Speedway on August 12.

For updates, results, and team news, visit PrestonLattomus.com.