“Coming off our best finish ever, a fifth at Gateway International, just a week ago we had high expectations about our chances at Chicagoland,” said the 20-year-old rookie racer. “We were 13th in the points going into this race and looking to move up in the standings. If there is any good news it is that others that we were chasing in the points did not do real well and we did not lose a lot of ground in the point chase.”
Casola started 25th in the race by virtue of his 31.477 second clocking and 171.554 mph trip around the Chicagoland oval in SIM Factory Pole qualifying. Less than a second separated the top 28 qualifiers from polesitter Michael McDowell who ran a 30.540 second lap.
“Though we did not do real well the car handled well. We had a really good car,” commented the Holmdel, NJ racer. “I think we had a top five to top eight car. We all had high expectations before the race started.”
On the first turn of the first lap Casola was hit in the rear by another competitor causing him to spin but no caution resulted. With the tires flat-spotted the A.Casola Farms Ford, prepared by Andy Belmont Motorsports, had to slow the pace a little.
An early race caution allowed Casola to take advantage of a pit stop and
quick work by the Belmont crew had him back in action and charging through the
field.
“I must have passed ten to 12 cars before the engine let go,” Casola said. “I
was really excited about the way the car was performing. It was the same Ford
Fusion he had used to finish fifth at Gateway International. In practice it
had performed well in long runs and I was looking forward to running off some
laps and gaining some positions. And then it all came to a quick end.”
The 80th running of the ARCA RE/MAX Series tour is set for Salem, Indiana Speedway on Saturday, September 15th under the lights. The Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA 200 by Advance Auto Parts is the event and Dominick Casola is looking forward to getting back to a short track.
“We had a good car and a good setup at Salem in the spring,” said the talented young racer. “We are looking forward the race but you just never know what is going to happen on a short track where the action is fast and someone else’s mistake can be costly.”
The one-half-mile banked Salem oval should be to Dominick’s liking since he spent some time racing trucks on the high banked Wall Township, NJ Speedway racing trucks in his early racing career.
This race is the second leg of the Bill France Triple Crown championship that showcases the tour on three very different tracks - the DuQuoin mile-dirt, the Salem Short-Track and the Talladega Superspeedway.
Casola will be spending his days between races helping workers prepare the A.Casola Farms Halloween display. During the late days of September and throughout the month of October the Holmdel, NJ farm will have daily pumpkin pickings, hay rides, petting zoos, corn mazes and their famous haunted hay rides at night. New for this year will be a Motorsports exhibit. And there is traditional fall cider and donuts. For more information telephone 732.332.1533.
Keep up with Dominick’s 2007 season at www.dominickcasola.com.