A victory, seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10’s over 18 events at Stafford Motor Speedway carried Cory Casagrande to a fifth place finish in the Late Model standings and the division’s 2013 Rookie of the Year title.
Kyle Casagrande (Photo: Stafford Speedway)
But could 2014 see the crowning of a second consecutive Casagrande as Late Model Rookie of the Year?
Kyle Casagrande is hoping to keep the family streak going.
Kyle Casagrande said his family is putting the plans in place for him to possibly join his brother Cory full-time in the Late Model division at Stafford next year.
“That would be awesome [to win the Rookie of the Year title],” Kyle Casagrande said. “That would be fun. I know [2013 Limited Late Model division champion] Josh Wood is moving up, so he’ll be a good competitor for me. If we can make it happen and get the sponsorship to run full-time, I just want to stay consistent, keep the car in one piece and hopefully reel off a bunch of good finishes in a row. But it would be really cool to win [the Rookie of the Year title] back to back with Cory.”
Kyle Casagrande, 22, made three starts in the Late Model division in his brother’s backup car last year.
“We’ve got the car to do it, now we’re trying to get it all figured out,” Kyle Casagrande said. “We’re just trying to find the sponsorship so I can run full-time next year.”
Kyle Casagrande had three wins in 10 starts in the DARE Stock division in 2013. Overall he has 20 victories in the division dating back to the 2008 season.
Kyle Casagrande is looking to continue a family lineage of Late Model division success at Stafford. His uncle Dean Casagrande had seven victories in the division in the mid-1990’s.
“We go out there and have fun,” Kyle Casagrande said. “It’s a good way to stay together as a family. Friday nights are family events. I hope people associate success with our race teams. We’re just trying to keep that going.”
He said seeing the success of his 19-year old brother Cory in the Late Model division this year fed the passion to get on the track racing him next year.
“Once he went out there and he was fast right from the get go it kind of made me feel like ‘I want to try to do that too.’” Kyle Casagrande said.
Cory Casagrande had three DARE Stock victories in 2010 and then had nine victories over two seasons in the Limited Late Model division, culminating with the 2012 championship in that division.
“He’s got the talent in the family,” Kyle Casagrande said. “I wouldn’t be racing without him. I’m working an hour away. It’s really up to him and my dad to get the car ready and do most of the work on the car. … I actually get more anxious and pumped up watching him racing then I do for my own racing.”
Great article!!