Frontstretch NASCAR Writer Matt McLaughlin Dead at 66

One of Frontstretch’s most popular and influential NASCAR writers has died.

Matt McLaughlin passed away last week (June 30) at age 66 after a long illness. A columnist at Frontstretch since 2007, McLaughlin had stepped away these past few years to deal with ongoing health issues. His last column was filed October 2021; since then, there were hopes he’d return but his body was never able to fully recover.

A Villanova University graduate, McLaughlin’s career drifted into NASCAR journalism in a most unexpected way. He was one of the first whose career blossomed exclusively on the internet, writing for websites like RaceComm, SpeedFX and later RacingOne, where he first got noticed in the late 1990s.

Matt’s work inspired a generation of writers, and he became known for his longform columns on NASCAR history like his 50 Years of NASCAR Racing, archived here. But McLaughlin’s bread and butter was his bold, unapologetic commentary, often aimed at powerful NASCAR officials and teams for their mistakes. Unshackled by insider relationships that, these days, restrict and control what people say about the sport, McLaughlin wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

With every column, his goal was to put himself in the shoes of a race fan, and that was easy for McLaughlin; he was a lifetime fan of anything with a motor. Whether it was restoring a classic car or riding his beloved motorcycle, the man believed in going fast and his passion for anything racing never faded. McLaughlin could speak for the fans because he was the ultimate racing fan.

The growing popularity of his internet work led to a full-time journalism career through the early 2000s. He also became a published author of a stock car novel, Eights And Aces, and became close with many crew members and insider sources within the NASCAR garage.

However, an outspoken column entitled “Blood On Their Hands,” filed the day after Dale Earnhardt’s death, changed things forever. McLaughlin, already a strident critic of restrictor plate racing, was vocal about NASCAR’s safety shortcomings in the wake of Earnhardt’s tragic turn 4 crash in the Daytona 500.

McLaughlin would always claim to others his hard card credentials were revoked by NASCAR executives as a result of that piece. A few years later, RacingOne was purchased by a mysterious buyer (again, McLaughlin was forever suspicious it was the Frances themselves), and suddenly he was out of a job.

But McLaughlin was never bitter about his circumstances, always eager to return to writing in some way and make his voice heard. Connecting with Frontstretch in 2007 when it was still building its roster of writers, he remained a weekly, part-time contributor with us the remainder of his career.

McLaughlin’s avid fan base, along with his expert commentary, helped build Frontstretch’s reputation as one of the leading independent racing journalism sites in the country. For that, we are forever grateful. His work inspired many here who have gone on to have successful journalism careers.

We encourage you to read McLaughlin’s archive and familiarize yourself with some of his work. In honor of him, Frontstretch will be rerunning some of his best columns in the coming weeks.

McLaughlin leaves behind his four adoring sisters, whom he always spoke fondly of, a host of nieces and nephews along with so many he touched through his writing. In honor of his memory, the family asks you to consider making a memorial donation to the Camilla Hall Nursing Home.