Landon Cassill

Infobox NASCAR driver


Name = Landon Douglas Cassill
Birthdate = birth date and age|1989|7|7
Birthplace = Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Busch_Car_Team = #5 - JR Motorsports
Prev_Busch_Pos = 72nd
Previous_Year = 2007
First_Busch_Race = 2007 Busch Series 250 (Gateway)
Busch_Top_Tens = 4
Busch_Poles = 1
Truck_Car_Team = #81 - Randy Moss Motorsports
First_Truck_Race = 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 (Kansas)
Truck_Top_Tens = 2
Updated_On = July 26, 2008

Landon Douglas Cassill (born July 7, 1989 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is a driver for the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Cassill is also one of the test drivers for the research and development program at Hendrick Motorsports. He also runs selected races in the ARCA and Craftsman Truck Series.

Early career

Cassill began racing in a quad when he was 3 years old. Cassill moved to go-karts. He finished second in the Pro Kart Tour at Atlanta Motor Speedway at age 10. The following year, he earned his first of two Kart Series national championships. Cassill won four International Kart Federation (IKF) championships, some on dirt and some on asphalt.

In 2000, Cassill competed in three different classes, two karting and a midget class. He won all three state championships on the same night. [ [http://www.landoncassill.net/cms/?skinid=7&type=item Biography] at his official website; Retrieved November 9 2007] Cassill won four more state championships at the Newton Kart Klub in Newton, Iowa in 2001. He then started racing in a modified at the half mile Hawkeye Downs. [http://www.stockcarpitpass.com/stars-cassill.html Hawkeye Downs Hero-Landon Cassill] ; Dennis Michelsen; stockcarpitpass.com; June 21, 2006, Retrieved November 9 2007]

He was racing in the ASA Late Model Series (ASALMS) in 2003 while he was in high school at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids. He has also raced in legend, modified, and late model racecars. Other series include the American Speed Association and the CRA Super Series.

He became the youngest winner in ASALMS history when he won at Lake Erie Speedway on June 9 2006. He went to the next Northern Division race at Berlin Raceway and finished second. On July 3 Cassill won his second ASALMS race, this time in a Southern Division race at South Georgia Motorsports Park near Cecil, Georgia. The win made him the first driver to win in both the Northern and Southern Divisions. [http://www.finishlineracing.com/FLRSrisingstars003.htm Landon Cassill] , Retrieved November 9 2007] He won his first Challenge Division race at I-70 Speedway on July 8 to become the first driver to win in all three divisions. He finished second in the Challenge Division points behind Kelly Bires, and eleventh in the Northern Division despite starting in half of the races. [ [http://www.mstrc.com/index.php?showtopic=10788 The ASA Late Model Series’ own, Landon Cassill signs with NASCAR powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports] ; ASA Late Model Series and M.P.H. Promotions, Retrieved January 5 2007]

NASCAR

In 2006, Cassill was introduced to NASCAR through the GM Racing Development competition. He was one of 16 drivers that participated in the three-stage evaluation process that took place at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, North Carolina, North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Georgia, and Nashville Superspeedway.

Cassill was signed by Hendrick Motorsports in December 2006. In 2007, Cassill tested the team's Car of Tomorrow car at Lakeland Speedway and Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Along with his driving duties, Cassill has worked in the team's research and development program and drove during practices for the Hendrick pit crews. Cassill made his Nationwide Series debut at Gateway International Speedway in July 2007 after turning 18, as NASCAR requires national series drivers to be at least 18 years of age (regional series drivers can be 16). He was running tenth in the final lap of the 2007 Nationwide Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park before he spun out after contact with another car. In his six starts that year, his best finish was 18th at Dover.

In 2008, Cassill is driving the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet in 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series races for JR Motorsports. The team is fielded in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. In Cassill's first Nationwide Series race of 2008 at Nashville Speedway, he started 22nd and finished 19th, 2 laps down. He had his first top-10 finish at Nashville Superspeeday in June with a ninth-place finish. He will also run a part-time schedule in the Truck Series, driving the No. 81 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Silverado for Randy Moss Motorsports. On June 28, Cassill won the pole for the Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This was his first career pole.

References

* [http://racing-reference.info/driver?id=cassila01 Driving statistics]

External links

* [http://www.landoncassill.com Official website]