Iowa’s Cassill, StarCom Racing take on 2019 Daytona 500

Relaxing on a rainy day in Daytona Beach, Fla., Iowa native Landon Cassill spent his time on NASCAR’s media day talking to media. Cassill will make his sixth appearance as a Monster Energy Cup NASCAR Series driver in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Cassill considers, as most drivers, fans and industry members of NASCAR do, Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona 500 pretty special. Cassill, who is from Cedar Rapids, marks his NASCAR racing career with milestones at Daytona.

“It’s going well down here for us so far. We’re here for a week and a half so we have slow days. We had the Clash last Sunday, and the Duels on Thursday then it all comes together on Sunday for the Daytona 500,” Cassill told me about Daytona Speedweeks in our telephone interview Wednesday.

In December 2018, Cassill was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 00 Chevrolet Camaro for StarCom Racing. StarCom Racing is a second-year NASCAR racing team. Cassill drove 29 of the 36 MENCS races for StarCom in 2018 — a year Cassill did not have a full-time ride and the 10-year Cup Series driver acted as a free agent.

“To be back as a part of a new team, a new crew chief and a more consistent fleet of cars is really exciting for me. Their parent company, StarCom Fiber, is a good business where they treat employees and clients well. I told them if they can replicate what they do at their core company with StarCom Racing, they’re going to attract sponsors and have a successful program.”

Cassill has worked his way up and through the NASCAR racing ranks — K&N Pro, trucks, Xfinity and Cup Series. He debuted in the Cup Series in 2010 at Michigan, taking 38th.

“Daytona is so special because it’s the site of some truly career-defining moments for me,”Cassill said. “That’s from me taking third in the Xfinity race in 2011 and racing myself into the Daytona 500 field in 2014 and 2015.”

StarCom Racing made changes from its inaugural season. It enhances the 2019 season with a charter from RCR Racing and has gone with ECR Engines. And signing Cassill to drive and he enhanced his driving skills.

“I competed in the Chili Bowl (in January) in the dirt midget race which is totally out of my comfort zone. Never raced a dirt midget before. I did it to give myself a little more broader skill set. I feel drivers like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell have an unique skill set coming from a dirt racing background,” Cassill said.

Cassill, who is 29, focuses on Sunday’s Daytona 500 to get the 2019 season underway.

“Mainly, I’m focused on knowing what my car is going to do and drive well for StarCom Racing. We’re looking forward to a great season.”

Cassill, who drove at Iowa Speedway a “handful of times” in his early career, offered advice for younger drivers — “keep grinding and compete in as many races as possible. Don’t worry about winning. It’s more important to concentrate on the experience you obtain from racing in as many races as you can.”

Contact Jocelyn Sheets
at jsheets@newtondailynews.com