By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
Landon Cassill driver of the No.00 Chevrolet for StarCom Racing recently took some time to speak with Kickin’ The Tires prior to last Sunday afternoon’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
See what the Iowa native had to say about this Sunday’s Gander RV 400 from Pocono Raceway, the upcoming road courses on the schedule, his pre-race routine and more.
11th at Daytona, I know the race was called early due to weather but that’s a great finish for you and StarCom.
Cassill: Yeah, it’s our best finish as a team, pretty happy with that. It was a good points day for us too.
I want to ask you about Watkins Glen, it’s coming up here shortly on the schedule. What do you find to be the most challenging thing when it comes to the road courses? Then with the Roval was well in the fall.
Cassill: The road courses are really turning into an attraction for our sport, I think. I feel like I felt the best on a road course, in a race, at Sonoma then I’ve felt in my Cup career so far. I’m kind of excited about Watkins Glen, even though they’re two completely different race tracks. Watkins Glen in my mind favors your aero program and kind of how well your car can fun at high speeds. While Sonoma is more of a short track type road course. I’m kind of looking forward to Watkins Glen, it’s a challenging track though, fighting the breaking zones and the wheel hop, things like that are priority.
You haven’t run a truck series race since 2010! Would you like to get back behind the wheel of a truck if the opportunity presented itself. Maybe Eldora someday?
Cassill: I could see myself running in the truck series. Running a truck, I mean it really just depends. My main focus is racing for StarCom Racing and the 00 team.
You know, I feel like running other races actually helps me as a driver, keeps me sharp, so when I run these Xfinity races for Johnny Davis or Morgan Shepard, I think it’s actually helping me and helping the 00. I would love to run trucks races if it was a companion event or something like that.
Do you think that a lot of the tracks should have two dates, I mean I think Daytona and Talladega do well with two dates, but would you like to see some other tracks added to the schedule in place of some of those second dates?
Cassill: I don’t know, I mean I think there’s some short tracks that deserve a shot. The Iowa Speedway is obviously a great venue.
I think that it’s not really my job to look at the schedule, so I haven’t put the research into it that it requires, and there’s a lot of people that have been.
The schedule is such a hot topic now a days, it’s a fair question because I think the people are thinking about it.
Do you feel the PJ1 traction compound does make a difference, especially on tracks like New Hampshire Motor Speedway? Especially with such minimal banking.
Cassill: Yeah, I’m a big fan. I think the traction compound is necessary for all these race tracks. I think it creates more of a dynamic racing surface and it’s good for our racing.
I have to ask about your son and his first go kart race. Which if people follow you on social media will notice he raced it at a track you grew up at in Iowa. Is he getting more into the racing thing now? He looked like he had a lot of fun from the photo you posted. Has he been talking about racing?
Cassill: That was his first race in a go kart, it was the dirt track I grew up at in Newton, Iowa. He’s been talking about it (racing). My wife and her family are all at the beach this week and before they left Beckham (he’s four) told Katie that he can’t go to the beach yet because he has to race a go-kart on Tuesday.
On the weekend that @AlexBowman88 wins his first NASCAR race my 4yo son drove his first go kart at the track I grew up at in Newton, IA. It hit me hard to think about what it takes for some to win one race. Think about everything Alex has been through, every fight he’s had to win pic.twitter.com/GfHwQReo5r
— landon cassill (@landoncassill) July 1, 2019
Do you have any type of pre-race routine?
Cassill: Yeah, I mean I get up in the morning, kind of mobilize, foam roll, get my hips and legs loose, get everything loosened up.
The routine is more of how I schedule interviews and obligations around the race day schedule. I tend to schedule all of that stuff within the same time window. Then I always call my dad and we say a prayer before the race.
Now hydration is important. Do you start preparing earlier in the week?
Cassill: Yeah, I’ve just been drinking a lot, you tend to drink a lot on these hot days anyways. I make sure I drink, maybe a full bottle of my mix a couple hours before the race and then when I’m on pit road I’ll drink a bottle as well.
I had a fan question sent to me asking if you own any of your own race used memorabilia or any other type of racing memorabilia from other drivers.
Cassill: I’ve got some memorabilia. I’ve got a lot of old photos, a lot of die cast cars. Maybe not a ton of stuff but I do keep a lot, I try to keep as many of my old suits as I can.
Last question, thoughts on the upcoming race at Pocono?
Cassill: I love Pocono, I like unique race tracks. I think Pocono stands out and I think with traction compound I’m interested to see how it races, hopefully it creates a multi-groove race track. I think Pocono is a wonderful track, love the venue too.
Landon Cassill and StarCom Racing head to Pocono Raceway this weekend with Mane N’ Tail returning on board as the primary sponsor at The Tricky Triangle.
MANE ‘N TAIL SADDLES UP FOR POCONO RACEWAY WITH STARCOM RACING pic.twitter.com/EAUxBqYUHm
— StarCom Racing (@StarcomRacing) July 25, 2019
In 2019 thus far, Cassill has a season best finish of 11th at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Cassill is coming off a 26th place finish in last Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.