For most of his life, Matt Latino has been comfortable letting his race car do the talking.
That approach worked when he was learning the sport and finding his footing in one of drag racing’s toughest categories. It worked when he was trying to establish himself in the shadow of one of Pro Stock’s most successful organizations. It doesn’t fit where he is now.
Latino arrives at this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals ranked seventh in Pro Stock points, carrying the confidence of a driver who is beginning to turn potential into production. Through seven races this season, he has collected seven round wins, reached one semifinal and advanced to five quarterfinal rounds.
The numbers are encouraging on their own. Viewed through the lens of a young career, they become even more meaningful. Latino has amassed 16 round wins against 17 losses while reaching three semifinal rounds, steadily building the kind of consistency that often precedes a breakthrough.
That’s why the bright new wrap from Victory Vinyl rolling out of the KB Titan Racing stable isn’t really the story. It’s merely the most visible sign of a driver becoming increasingly comfortable showing people exactly who he is. The second-year Pro Stock driver insists there is no new sponsor behind the redesign. Fast Diesel Solutions remains on board, but Latino wanted a look that better reflected his personality while paying tribute to his family’s racing roots.
“I liked what I had. I was originally going for the early 80s Z28 Camaro look with the blue stripes,” Latino said. “And the problem is all the contingency stickers kind of hide those stripes. And to me, I just thought it was a little too plain and I wanted something that’s going to stand out and get people talking.”
The redesign accomplishes exactly that. Drawing inspiration from the bright colors of the Miami Vice era and elements from his father’s first race car, the Camaro now carries a look that immediately grabs attention, whether it’s parked in the pits or rolling toward the burnout box.
“Personally, I love that retro Miami Vice type look,” Latino said. “And also a little bit of a tribute to my dad’s first race car, his ’69 Nova.”
“It was a black Nova and it had a pink and blue, kind of like a teal blue heartbeat stripe that went down the car and had a heartbeat on the rear quarter panel. That car was black, but I wanted to kind of bring my colors to it and make kind of a vibrant version of that with a bit of a tribute to his Nova, which is why it’s got that heartbeat stripe down it.”
The family connection remains important to Latino, but so does individuality. Growing up around successful race teams opened doors and provided opportunities that many young racers never receive. It also guaranteed that comparisons would follow him from the moment he climbed into a race car.
Latino has never run from those comparisons. What he’s trying to do now is create enough accomplishments of his own that they become less relevant. The new look reflects that mindset.
Some people in his circle immediately embraced it. Others questioned whether it was the right move, believing the design might be too bold or too different from what fans typically expect to see in Pro Stock. That reaction never concerned him.
“A lot of people have told me, a lot of people at the shop were saying it’s a little bold and I was kind of advised against it from a handful of people,” Latino said. “And I said, ‘What? I don’t really care. This is who I am.'”
“This is the look that I like. I’m a bold person. I like bold designs. I like bright colors and I’m going to showcase that.”
In a sport where sponsors invest heavily for visibility, Latino believes standing out is part of the responsibility. He also understands that people rarely remember things that blend into the background.
“I think this is the kind of look where you either love it or you hate it, but that’s kind of the point,” Latino said. “People are talking about it.”
The same philosophy applies to the “No More Mr. Nice Guy” slogan displayed on the hood. What started as a simple comment during an interview evolved into a calling card that announcers, fans and competitors immediately recognized.
“I threw that No More Mr. Nice Guy on the hood,” Latino said. “And that was all, when I’d roll up into the burnout box, that’s all that the announcers would talk about.
“Now I’m putting a crazy bold look out there. No More Mr. Nice Guy’s back on the hood. And it’s going to get a lot of media attention.”
Latino doesn’t view the attention as vanity. He views it as marketing.
“That’s all it is. Absolutely,” Latino said. “Yeah, marketing 101.”
His sponsors embraced the redesign. Fans immediately noticed it. Latino is already preparing retro-inspired merchandise built around the theme. More importantly, the attention is being reinforced by what happens on the race track. The same mindset that produced the new look also shows up in his preparation.
While some drivers lean on another energy drink between rounds, Latino reaches for something entirely different. He travels to every national event with a portable cold plunge and treats it as seriously as any part of his race-day routine.
“I’ve actually made that my routine, and I bring a cold plunge to every single race,” Latino said. “A 100-gallon inflatable cold plunge with a chiller that keeps it at 45 degrees all the time.”
Every morning begins the same way. Before heading to the racetrack, Latino spends three minutes submerged in water cold enough to make most people reconsider the idea altogether. On Sundays, he often returns to it between elimination rounds.
“It’s how I start my day,” Latino said.
The routine replaced something he found less effective.
“I used to really rely on energy drinks and I didn’t really like that between every round of racing I was drinking an energy drink and you kind of get a bit of the jitters,” Latino said. “I’ve been trying to find some alternative methods to stay sharp and some more healthy methods to stay sharp and a routine that I genuinely feel good about.”
Whether the cold plunge contributes to reaction times is impossible to measure. The discipline required to maintain the routine isn’t.
For years, Latino talked about wanting to establish an identity separate from the expectations that came with his last name.
The paint scheme, the slogan and even the cold plunge routine all point in the same direction. They reflect a driver becoming increasingly comfortable doing things his own way.
“Absolutely,” Latino said. “I’m just trying to be bold and stay relevant, I guess you could say.”
“But aside from that, I just want to kind of show who I am. I’m a bold guy. I can be quiet. I can be kind of the agreeable kind of quiet guy that’s there, but at the same time, I want to show who I am.”
“This is who I am. This is what I like. And I want to stand out. I think I’m standing out in terms of performance, and now I’m going to stand out in terms of how the car looks.”
