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Getting Up To Speed With…Craig Cassell

Getting Up To Speed With…Craig Cassell
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Doc’s Photos)
With the accomplishments that he has achieved already it’s hard to believe that Craig Cassell has only been an actually race car driver for two full seasons. The Albany, Oregon driver in that time span has won a total of four main event features including the 2012 Modified portion of the Clair Cup as well as the 2013 Modified Tribute To Clair. Of those four main event triumphs three of them took place last season.

The 2012 Willamette Speedway Modified Rookie of the Year award winner had a wonderful point battle in 2013 coming down to the very last event where the championship was decided by just a single point. Before Craig became a driver his family was heavily involved in the racing scene while he grew up in the Sacramento, California suburb of Citrus Heights.

He would watch legends like Mike Murphy, Brian Crockett, Brent Kaeding, Randy Tiner, and many more battle each other on the famed dirt tracks of the Golden State. We got a chance to talk with Craig about his involvement with the sport of racing as well as his plans for this season. Now let’s get up to speed with Craig Cassell.

Driver: Craig Cassell
Home Track: Willamette Speedway
Hometown: Albany, Oregon
Occupation: Shipping Clerk at Fabrication Company/ Co-Owner of CRD Race Bodies and Fabrication
Age: 34
Years Racing: 2

Classification: IMCA Modified
Team: Craig Cassell Motorsports
Car: 25
Chassis: Rocket Chassis by Ruhlman
Sponsors: Ester Lee Motel in Lincoln City, esterlee.com, Dr. Mary Harada Breast Cancer Specialist at Samaritan Health Services, Debra Herndon Family Nurse Practitioner, Mid-Valley Farms, Trevor Glaser Motorsports, Arco AM/PM of Stayton, CRD Race Bodies and Fabrication, Beakbuilt Race Cars, Driving Force Graphics
Special Thanks: Mark Baete, My Family, Dustin and Justin Dittman, Trevor Glaser, the Duty Family

BD: Craig racing has been a big part of your life you’ve pretty much been around it since day one, right?
CC: Correct. When I was three weeks old I went to my first race when I lived in California. My mom used to lap check at Placerville Speedway, All-American Speedway in Roseville, Shasta Speedway in Anderson, and Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. My Dad ran the Tech at Placerville for a few years too. My grandfather Gary Cress has announced at Shasta for I don’t know how long exactly, and used to be the Promoter there for decades, so needless to say I was born into it (thankfully).

BD: How did you get your start in racing a car?
CC: A good family friend of ours Mike Murphy ran sprint cars, also a former Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) president, and my dad helped him and I hung out at the shop a lot. He was my hero and he let me change gears or fix up his car.

I actually stepped away from it for a while until I moved to Oregon and after graduating high school. Then I ended up going to Willamette Speedway and started helping Eric Alvis in 2000. I met Eric at a practice I think at Cottage Grove and he offered me to help on his car and we started talking. He had a heck of a year and won a couple of races his first season.

Eric sold his car in 2001 and it was around that time also I became good friends with Bob Jeffrey and he called me and asked me to start helping him. When Bob's program went on hiatus in 2002, I met John Duty and helped him for nine years and we had spent a lot of time going up and down the road all over the West and to Knoxville. Had some good success in winning the 2003 PCDLM Championship, a $3000 win at Ely, Nevada, and making the Knoxville Late Model Nationals in 2008. Along that time I'd gotten to know the Dittman brothers, who are like my brothers-from-another-mother now, and Trevor Glaser and spend a lot of time in their shop helping them too. Also got to meet and help so many others, including Mark Baete, and made a lot of friends along the way.

After 2009 I was kind of burned out and ready to take a break from racing, but my good friend Dustin Dittman had just started racing a modified in 2009 and asked me to come help him regularly. It turned out to be a good choice as Dustin had two phenomenal years in 2010 and 2011 that I was fortunate to be a part of. It helped me get refocused on racing.

Along the way I got the opportunity to put together and race the very first X-Factor chassis that was built in 2007 for Rick Wyatt and ran it as a Super Sport for a few races in 2008. I also got the opportunity to run one modified race (finished 2nd to Dustin) and a couple of late model races for Rick in 2011 as well and I am very thankful to him for those opportunities. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to start my own program at the end of 2011 with the help of friends and family, and that's where we are at today. I have to give a huge special thanks to Mark Baete as he owns the motor and him and his wife Gina are huge supporters. Without them my team would not be on track where it is now. Also a huge thanks to all of my Mom and all of my family for their help and support in getting this deal started.

BD: Why do you run the #25?
CC: Because of a good family friend by the name of Larry Detjens who ran ASA in the Midwest and Super Late Models all over including in California too. He was killed in an accident in 1981 at a track in Wisconsin a week before his first Winston West race with a team that my grandpa had helped him get. I run his number out of respect for him. He was all about racing hard and clean and doing things the right way.

BD: What would you say is your biggest highlight of your driving or crewing career? I mean you’ve won the Modified portion of the Clair Cup and even the Modified Tribute to Clair.
CC: Winning the first race was pretty awesome (Clair Cup) so as a personal highlight that was big. I was NOT ready for that or expecting it at the time. Having Evelyn present me with the trophy for winning the Modified Tribute to Clair was also pretty awesome and unexpected. But on a team level helping my best friend Dustin win eighteen races in a season, including twelve in a row, back in 2011.

Another one was helping John Duty race his way into the Knoxville Nationals. I’ve been so lucky to have been involved with so many successful people in racing. It’s taken me all over the country and even to Australia.

BD: What are some of your goals for this season?
CC: Well my first year was to learn and get better and we got one win but the consistency wasn’t there. Last year we missed a race to happily attend my sister’s wedding, but we didn't quite get things right with the car early enough overcome the deficit and came up one point shy of winning the championship. We were definitely more consistent and won a few races. My goal now is to show up to every race and put myself in the position to win, and win races. I feel we are very competitive now and capable of running up front every week, but winning races is the goal/motivation for why I show up every race.

The 2014 season is quickly approaching and Willamette Speedway is the place to get your racing fix. Saturday April 5th will kick things off with the test and tune open practice while the “Cabin Fever Season Opener” will be held the following Saturday on the 12th. Be sure and log on to www.trophymotorsports.com for the latest information regarding Willamette Speedway.

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