Preston Lattomus, 18, will tackle the Central PA 410 Sprint Car ranks in the Capitol Renegade machine

LEBANON, Pa.: Preston Lattomus remembers going to the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway as a youth and then a little closer to home to Williams Grove Speedway on Friday nights.

There was always that love of dirt-track racing. It didn’t matter the discipline, non-wing or winged. As long as it ripped through the corners at a high rate of speed, Lattomus was hooked.

It only made sense that Lattomus got behind the wheel himself. He made his way from Quarter Midgets and Micros to the USAC East Coast ranks. A short time later, he found himself sitting in Victory Lane in the competitive 358 Sprint Car division at the local speedways in central Pennsylvania.

But those divisions were just a springboard. Lattomus moved along pretty quick, and performed at a high level, which has helped him advance to the 410 Sprint Car fold in 2025 behind the wheel of the familiar Capitol Renegade No. 91 for a 50-to-60 race schedule.

“It’s pretty cool,” Lattomus said. “Even putting it together last year, I feel like everything I’ve ever raced, I’ve kind of been rushed. Some people say I’m not ready for it, and I feel like I would excel in the car. It feels great to finally get in a 410, and I feel I have a really good head start in my career.

“In the beginning of [last] season, it was just getting laps and races and wins under our belts in the 358 before thinking about it. You know, it’s hard winning those 358 races because of the invert and the competition in the class. We knew once we started to win and run with guys like Doug Hammaker and Derek Locke, we would be ready for it.”

Lattomus jumped into the USAC East Coast division full tilt before the 2021 season. He remained there in 2022 and half of 2023, registering two wins, one of which came at Lincoln Speedway.

Halfway through the 2023 campaign, he decided to put a wing on and try his hand against the best in the 358 Sprint Car class. Lattomus was a quick study, and by the time the 2024 season ended, he had three Victory Lane appearances , which came at BAPS Motor Speedway, Lincoln, and Williams Grove Speedway.

Here’s the catch … Lattomus is only 18. And despite his young age and not as much experience as some of the drivers around him, he was able to compete and run at the front of the field.

“Metaphorically, I feel like I’ve been fed to the wolves my whole career,” Lattomus said. “Even in Quarter Midgets going up to the fast classes or being young and getting in micros or being young and getting in USAC. I ran pavement Midgets for a time … just running all of those cars helps you adapt quicker.

“It’s just getting laps on the track. That’s a big deal. I have a great group of people around me who help me learn and tell me where to get better, and it makes a huge impact on all of that.”

Roughly five years ago, Lattomus’ father made the decision to move the family to Delaware. That meant towing three hours just to compete at Lincoln Speedway and a little more to Williams Grove.

The distance didn’t hurt Lattomus’ performance on race night. Regardless of where he pointed the trailer, he showed speed and a proficiency in the cockpit that led to success at every level attempted.

A portion of those results can be attributed to equipment and Scott McClaren, who has been helping the team. But there is also driver talent and a desire to compete at a high level on a weekly basis.

But the task becomes a little more difficult at the next level. Lattomus is going to be lining up against the likes of Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich, Freddie Rahmer, and the best in central Pennsylvania.

“I think transitioning from the non-wing car, the whole learning curve was to learn how to drive the 358 and winged car,” Lattomus said. “Scott McLaren is awesome with the wrenches, and once we put it all together, I knew we could do good things.

“We practiced at BAPS at the end of the 2024 season, and I’m on the track with the 69K and the 3Z, cars I grew up watching, and it was pretty cool. Once you go green, it’s just another car, and they are going to race you. That’s how they make their living. They are going to race you hard, and you have to give it back to them. It’s going to be fun.”

Lattomus will have another member of the Sprint Car community in his corner. Kyle Reinhardt, who recently stepped out of the seat to focus on his position at Capitol Renegade Custom Trailers and Coaches, will be serving in a crew chief/mentor role to help the young driver close the gap on the competition.

Regardless of who is in his pit, it’s all up to Lattomus once he hits the track. He will have to adjust to the speed and learn the competition, all while juggling how aggressive he can be at different times over a race distance.

“Kyle is really knowledgeable, and he’s been at a lot of different tracks,” Lattomus said. “Him and Scott worked together before, and I have a great group of guys around me to help me learn. With Kyle driving and what he’s learned the last few years racing, I think he will be a big help to me learning this process.

“I want to be running with the best. I want to be showing up to the track by the end of the year and be one of those guys who is in the Dash or the invert and have a chance of winning.”