Double-Duty for Teenager Casey Smith at Nashville

[NickHolt]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 51 SPORTS

 

CONTACT: Jeremy Troiano, 51 Sports, (704) 726-6849, sportsservices51@carolina.rr.com

 

Double-Duty for Teenager Casey Smith at Nashville -- Texas Teen Hopes to Run a Combined 500 Laps Over the Course of the Weekend

 

AUSTIN, TX (October 15, 2003) – If Casey Smith could put a final stamp on the 2003 season it would be by making two trips to Victory Lane this weekend in Nashville, TN. The 18-year-old Texas native will enter two races on the same weekend at the same track, the ASA-sanctioned Patriot 200 Super Late Model race on Saturday night and the American Speed Association season finale, the BFGoodrich Tires 300 on Sunday afternoon at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville.

 

“This is going to be an exciting, but busy weekend,” said Smith, who has competed in five ASA races this season. “I’m really excited about both the Patriot race and the ASA finale. Nashville is one of my favorite tracks so this couldn’t come at a better place and at a better time. We’ve got a great car for each race and we’ll have Robert Hamke back with us to help us prepare the cars. It is gong to be tough, but I’ll be up for the challenge.”

 

The last time Casey raced at the old Fairgrounds track in Nashville was in October of 2001, when the then 16-year-old Smith entered his first NASCAR All Pro Series (now Southeast Series) race and qualified an impressive fourth. In that same race, Smith was running third when his engine blew just a few laps from the finish.

 

“There is going to be some pretty stout competition in the Patriot race. It will be a tough field with the money that is up for grabs and the chance to race in the ASA race the next day for a bunch of the Late Model drivers. It is going to bring out some of the best Short Track drivers in the country and there are already several of them on the entry list.”

 

Smith will take his new Hamke car to Nashville for the Patriot race. A brand new engine for his Super Late Model was built by Automotive Specialist specifically for the event.

 

Casey recently ran the ROMCO Super Late Model Series event at Thunder Hill Raceway in order to help “shake down” his new Super Late Model before the Nashville showdown. Smith set fast time for the event and started fourth due to the series’ invert. Casey lost his master brake cylinder on lap 75 and decided to park the car before risking any damage.

 

“The Patriot race will be great, but I’m really gunning for a good showing in the ASA race on Sunday; that’s our main priority. We’ve had a good car every time we’ve been to a race this year; it is just unfortunate that our finishes don’t show that. I love Nashville and I think it is a track that suits my driving style just right. We tested both our ASA car and Super Late Model there, so I know exactly where we will need everything for the weekend. I think we will really surprise a lot of people there.”

 

While many ASA competitors will wind down their racing season at Nashville, Smith continues to plan for a number of special events throughout the remainder of 2003, including the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in early December.

 

The team also continues to search for sponsorship for this year and for a full ASA campaign in 2004. For sponsorship inquiries, call (512) 282-6845 and be sure to check out caseysmith.com for more information.

 

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