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June 21, 2006

Hawkeye Downs Hero-Landon Cassill
Stars of Tomorrow
By Dennis Michelsen
You just never know where the next big star in racing will be born. While the ASA Late Model Series is a long way from the star struck world of NASCAR, one youngster campaigning in this development series is well on his way to stardom. Just like its namesake of yesteryear that spawned stars such as Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, and Mark Martin; the ASA Late Model series is grooming the next generation of racers. One of those guys you will be hearing more about in the years to come is Landon Cassill from Fairfax, Iowa.

Landon Cassill After Practice at IRP

Landon Cassill just became the youngest winner in the history of the ASA Late Model Series with his victory at Lake Erie Speedway on June 9th. Landon backed this up with a second place effort at Berlin on June 14th. Just how tough was the field at Berlin, Michigan? Nextel Cup driver David Stremme finished third with NASCAR veteran Johnny Benson 20th! Not bad when you can beat two guys from NASCAR's top divisions in the same night. Tough competition is nothing new to Landon since his home track is the tough half miler in Cedar Rapids known as Hawkeye Downs.

"I think Hawkeye Downs is a pretty tough track. It might be trickier than Berlin and everyone knows how tough that place can be," said Cassill. Landon won in just his second start at Hawkeye Downs in a modified which is a tough series at Iowa tracks. "The modified was the closest thing to a go-kart so that's why we ran them," said Cassill. He quickly moved up the ranks at his home track and was ready for even tougher competition! This youngster will be racing all over the country this season between ASA Late Model events and CRA Super Series races in his Super Late Model car. He already has an impressive amount of seat time for a youngster and has even tried his hand at dirt racing too!

"I have seen guys that have raced for thirty years or more that just go out and burn their tires up. I learned fast how to take care of my car and my tires," remarked Cassill when I asked him about his driving style. Landon says he tries to emulate guys like Mark Martin and Ryan Newman, two NASCAR drivers known for their consistency and taking good care of their tires. "I am a pretty conservative driver in practice so I don't push my car until qualifying," said Cassill. "We work real hard on these cars so I guess I am not too surprised that we do well. We earn every bit of what we get."

Last weekend at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis Landon was having transmission issues in practice. When it came time to qualify the car was stuck in high gear and his team had to push his car out of line. Since they weren't ready to go when it was their turn they only got to post a one lap qualifying effort versus the usual two but Landon still was sixth quick for the day. Landon went on to finish fourth in the Wastequip/Galbreath 100, which was shortened to just 51 laps due to a torrential rainstorm. Landon Cassill is best on abrasive tracks and that ability to drive a loose racecar should help as he progresses up the racing ladder. Landon is another "Star of Tomorrow" to keep an eye on.

Landon Cassill in CRA Super Series Action at IRP