When Dave Connolly is your third option for a substitute driver, that’s not exactly a bad thing.
Connolly subbed at last weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire when Eric Latino couldn’t make it to the seventh stop on the NHRA tour. His natural replacement, son and NHRA Rookie of the Year candidate Matt Latino, couldn’t either.
Both had valid reasons. Eric was still recovering from knee surgery he underwent in the days following the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals to repair a torn meniscus. Matt Latino and wife Victoria welcomed into the world their second child, seven-pound 12 oz., son Eric.
Connolly pulled his weight, qualifying seventh and reaching the quarterfinals in the GESi Camaro before losing to eventual winner Greg Anderson.
“Dave Connolly did a great job driving the car at Epping, even with several years off, with the exception of that PRO race, he jumped in like he was yesterday when he was driving the car,” Latino said.”I had a brand new baby last week on Wednesday. I would’ve absolutely loved to be in the driver’s seat in Epping, but obviously family is my number one priority. Married, four-year-old daughter and newborn, that takes the priority without a doubt.”
Latino admits he’s not going to miss the newborn sleepless nights
marathon by coming to Bristol, but one does need their sleep if they are driving a 200-mile-per-hour Pro Stocker.
“I’ll finally get a chance to get a little bit of sleep,” Latino admitted. “I can’t say the same about my wife unfortunately, but I’m definitely excited about it. I’m super happy to have my little boy. I’ve always wanted a little boy and a little girl. All my life, I wanted a family of four and I finally have that dream come true.”
Latino might get the weekend off from the night shift, and though Victoria didn’t expressedly say it, her husband would be better served to come home with a trophy as compensation for the weekend off.
The unwritten condition for the time off is, “You come home with a trophy or don’t come home at all.”
“Pretty much, yeah, that’s it,” Latino admitted, with a chuckle. “Or somehow come back with a big old check, but it doesn’t usually work that way with drag racing.”
Latino can focus on the task at hand this weekend, which might make winning the race a nice compliment to what he feels is a bigger mission. He is racing with Dream Giveaway to raise awareness for veteran and children’s charities.
The donation-based charity presently has 16 giveaways underway with prizes ranging from a Richard Petty special-edition Hellcat Charger, and all kinds of grand prizes to benefit the mission.
“The entire roof of my dad’s race car is going to be a QR code where you can scan and donate and enter to win some of these Dream Giveaway cars,” Latino explained.
Latino has a few years before little Eric hits the track and while 4-year old daughter Kira prepares for go-kart racing, the second-generation drag racer understands the circle of life when his son prepares to hit the track. He’ll also remember his national event debut, where he beat his father on a holeshot. He not only beat the patriarch of the family but did so on a vicious holeshot.
Matt understands his son could be gunning for him, and could provide a generational moment.
“It’ll be a reflection moment where it’ll be a full circle like-father-like son on the Senior, and same thing with the Junior, I guess, but so far Matt beat Eric’s.
“The nice thing about growing up in today’s world is we’re never going to have shortage of photos and videos. I’ll be happy to show that to my son and say, ‘Here’s what you’re up against.”
