ROBERSONVILLE, N.C. :: While Louis White celebrated winning Saturday’s Ronnie Barnette Memorial at East Carolina Motor Speedway and Brenden Queen celebrated the track’s Late Model Stock championship, another celebration also took place.

With a third place finish in the 100-lap feature, 19-year-old Tyler Matthews was unofficially honored as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series North Carolina state champion. After a series of strong runs to close out the season, Matthews edged out Queen and White for the honor.

Matthews has quickly risen the Late Model ranks over the past two seasons. Last year’s North Carolina Rookie of the Year, the Richlands, North Carolina native took the state championship while winning five races at East Carolina and Southern National Motorsports Park.

“It feels great. It hasn’t really set in,” Matthews said. “Last year, we got Rookie of the Year for the state, and it really doesn’t set in until you roll into Charlotte and all the big names like Lee Pulliam, Matt Bowling, and them are there.”

As fate would have it, the “big names” played a large role in Matthews’ rally. With Bowling chasing national championship points, the Ridgeway, Virginia native made several trips to the North Carolina circuits. With Bowling and other Virginia drivers boosting car counts, Matthews’ strong runs against the likes of Bowling and Pulliam gave him a leg up in the state title hunt.

This was especially true last weekend, as Matthews scored a win at both tracks during a four-race weekend between the two facilities.

“It was real fun running with [Bowling] last week,” said Matthews.  “We had strong runs when we needed them. The car counts were there. It was just real fun racing with him and everything. We probably couldn’t have done it without the full fields.”

With all three of the top contenders’ cars parked on the frontstretch at East Carolina following the Ronnie Barnette Memorial, Matthews acknowledged his respect for the title contenders after a hard-fought championship.

“I mean, you’ve got Louis White, Brenden Queen – we’ve been running them all year for the state. Louis has been doing this longer than I’ve been alive. I respect that man to death. He’s definitely a tough competitor, and he’s taught me a lot over the years. And Queen, for them to come down from Langley and be as strong as he is, it’s been fun.”

At 19, Matthews is a young driver by most standards. However, battling with the 18-year-old Queen, as well as several rookie Late Model drivers in the region, sometimes made Matthews feel like a veteran this season.

“Someone my age, I’m not as young anymore. We’re starting to get some young guys. I felt like last year, I was the kid and everybody was picking on me. We’ve got some more out here now, helped to take some attention off me. We’ve got some strong finishes because of it.”

Matthews credited this season’s improvements to hard work and good help from the likes of Wes Burton and Jay Hedgecock, among others.

“It comes from doing your homework during the week,” said Matthews. “Wes Burton has helped us out a ton this year. We’ve got a new Hedgecock car, just everything’s come together for us. Had a lot of good test days, good notes, and it’s helped us be consistent in the seat, letting them know what I need. A whole year under your belt helps.”

With another year under his belt, Matthews hopes for even bigger improvements in 2017.

“Last year, to jump in the car and run as well as we did, and to back it up this year with a state championship. We finished 12th in the nation, but we weren’t even close to that one. You never know what next year holds.”