Cassill surpasses own expectations at Brickyard 400

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a bit of a sacred ground to Landon Cassill.

The famed race track is home to some of auto racing's premiere events, including the IZOD IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400. Competing on the 2.5-mile oval was a thrill for the young race car driver from Cedar Rapids.

"Only the highest level competes on that track," Cassill said. "It's not a race track that just allows any race car to compete on their racing surface."

Cassill proved he was deserving of the opportunity, completing 52 laps and leading for one during Sunday's Brickyard 400 at the famous venue hailed to be the world's largest spectator sporting facility.

The 21-year-old driver made his third Sprint Cup start and second in three weeks with TRG Motorsports. He started 20th and finished 39th, pulling off due to a "start-and-park" arrangement, which is pre-determined when a team doesn't have the resources to complete an entire race.

During the 18th lap, Cassill was at the front of the field when some Juan Pablo Montoya decided to pit. That put Cassill ahead of a who's who of NASCAR drivers, including Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin.

"It is very surreal," Cassill said. "It was just such a blessing to be there and all the things that happened on Saturday and Sunday were above and beyond any expectation."

Cassill, a former track champion at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, qualified for the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., on July 10. he started 32nd, finishing 73 laps and placing 39th. His Sprint Cup start came in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. He raced for Phoenix Racing, notching a 38th-place finish after starting 35th.

The approach wasn't the same as his previous start-and-park runs.

“The difference was they said run as hard as you (can),” said Roger Cassill, Landon's father who serves as his son's spotter for races. “Let's race it like it's a real deal for you. We'll race until we run out of tires and motors.

“That's what he did.”

TRG Motorsports provided Cassill a car that could compete with the top racers on the track. It was a little disappointing not having a chance to run all 160 laps given the potential shown in the first nearly 1/3 of the race. Cassill said he was pleased with how the car was running, which makes it even harder to pull off the track.

"It's tough to pull the car off the race track, but I know that people will notice me if I continue to qualify the car as well as we have," said Cassill, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., and still tests for Hendrick Motorsports.

Cassill, the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie of the year for JR Motorsports, doesn't have a full-time ride, yet, but success will lead to one. He said the situation is similar to that of past drivers, working their way up the ranks by running for smaller teams. Cassill has the work ethic to do it.

"This is something that a lot of drivers have gone through back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s," Cassill said. "Maybe that time has come again."

Sunday's performance certainly left an impression on his father, who said he was proud of the showing.

“It's just quite an honor to be at that level of racing,” Roger Cassill said. “There's a lot of people that just never get that chance and he's been given the opportunity. It's awesome.”

More chances have already developed for Cassill. He is expected to attempt to qualify Phoenix Racing's 09 car for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on Sunday. He will do the same, returning to the Michigan International Speedway  for the Carfax 400 Aug. 15.

"That is a go-or-go-homer, so I'll have to qualify that car into the field, which will be an accomplishment in itself," said Cassill, a Cedar Rapids Jefferson graduate. "I hope I can match or better our showing in Indianapolis and keep the buzz going and keep on top of my game, stay focused and qualify the car in the top 20 or 25."

As Cassill sets out on more memorable performances on NASCAR's top circuit and against the best drivers around, he had an experience he won't forget at the Brickyard.

"It was really exciting," Cassill said. "It was a great weekend."