Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/12/2022
PALMER – EMPerformance will be having their fourth annual car show on Oct. 15, 8 a.m to 4 p.m., at Palmer Motorsports Park on 58 Ware St.
There will be live music from DJ Machete, food, games, raffles, and trophies. Event sponsors include Maximum Motorsports, Mishimoto, Best Fitness, Pro & Local Detailing, Late Model Restoration, Cypress Physical Therapy and TD Bank.
The car show is also a charity event, and the proceeds will go towards the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that provides programs, services, and events for wounded veterans. There will be a charity lap which is typically three laps with a pace car to get a safe fun experience of the track, as well as an accelerated lap for more experienced drivers who will have a chance to drive on the track for 20 minutes with a helmet and a single passenger at a speed they are comfortable with. A $20 donation per vehicle covers entry and car show.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, founder/president Eddie Matos said, "This year's goal is to have increased attendance and awareness for the event and for the Wounded Warrior Project ultimately. I also feel I learn something new for the following year each year so I’m excited for that."
EMPerformance stands for Eddie Matos Performance (EMP). Matos has been in the automotive industry for quite some time. He worked for Ford for over 10 years and has been a car enthusiast for over 20 plus years. Matos came up with EMP over five years ago because of the following he started to get on social media building and servicing muscle cars.
Matos found out about Palmer Motorsports Park through a friend who invited him to a private track day.
"It was the very first time that I got to experience Palmer Motorsports Park and I was like a kid at Christmas going there. It was such an amazing experience," Matos recalled. "At the time, I wasn't able to purchase a membership to the park and I was thinking how I could become a part of Palmer Motorsports Park and to get other people to see what it's like. My excitement that day sparked my interest on looking for ways to get back to the track."
Matos also found out that the park does a lot of fundraisers for veterans allowing them to come on the track and drive with a coach. After a chance encounter with two members of the Palmer Motorsports Park, Matos spoke with them on having a fundraiser or foundation where he could raise money for a great cause. Soon they put him in touch with the right people and he chose the Wounded Warrior Project as a charity. Matos told Reminder Publishing that the first two years were a lot of car clubs and car enthusiasts. Now, more and more people have been coming to the event. For the past couple of years and this year, he is starting to see more spectators.
"You don't have to have a vehicle to bring to the show or a vehicle to bring onto the track," Matos said. "The experience I want people to have is the feeling that I had the very first time that I went there. Everything from entering the park and seeing the checkered flags to the row of cars lined up to the show. You get to see the entire track and all the cars going by."
He continued, "It's just a really unique experience comparing it to a general car show where you go and see cars, vendors and do an awards ceremony. The track experience brings a whole uniqueness to it. I have this opportunity to allow the public to come see the park and I want them to say wow this is amazing.
For more information on the car show, email EMPerformance1@gmail.com. Contact them to reserve accelerated laps and info. Follow EMPerformance on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.