Caisse Hopes to
Give ASM Team an
Irwindale
Victory
Young Driver
Turned Heads at
Track Last
Season, Now He's
Going out to
Finish the Deal
Matt
Kentfield, 51
Sports
(704) 455-2051,
matt@dsportsgroup.com
CONCORD,
NC (October 13,
2006)--
They say that
stars are born
in California
and that isn't
just true in the
film industry.
It is the case
in racing as
well.
Last season,
Sean Caisse
showed up for
the NASCAR
All-Star
Showdown at
Irwindale
Speedway (CA) as
the
newly-crowned
NASCAR Busch
North Series
[now known as
the Busch East
Series] Rookie
of the Year. In
front of a
healthy
California crowd
and a much
larger live
television
audience, Caisse
went on to win
his qualifying
race and place
fourth in the
feature event.
In the
off-season that
followed, Caisse
was chosen as
the driver for
the Andy
Santerre
Motorsports #44
entry, sponsored
by Casella Waste
Systems. This
year, Caisse and
the ASM team won
three races and
finished as
runners-up in
the Busch East
standings.
So Caisse has
some very
positive
memories of the
place where he
saw his first
NASCAR Touring
Series checkered
flag being waved
at him.
"That place is a
beautiful
facility," said
Caisse. "I had
never been to
the West Coast
before, so it
was cool just to
go out there and
fly into Los
Angeles, much
less to race.
We went out
there, won the
heat race and
stayed out of
trouble in the
feature and
finished in the
top five."
This year,
Caisse hopes to
deliver
something
special in
California for
his team owner
Andy Santerre.
In three
Showdowns as a
driver, Santerre
was fast but
luckless. Now
he faces the
possibility of
winning the race
with Caisse
behind the
wheel.
"We fell a
little bit short
of winning a
championship
this year," said
Caisse. "I
really wanted to
get that for all
of ASM – Andy,
Sue and all of
the guys who
helped us out
this year. Now,
we just have to
go out there and
try to win this
race. It's not
quite ‘checkers
or wreckers' for
us, but we do
want to win it
really bad.
There's some
money at stake.
It pays well to
finish first."
The old racing
adage, "To
finish first,
you must first
finish," might
sound a little
bit trite and
overused, but
Caisse knows
that it is also
very true.
"What I did last
year…that is the
same attitude
that I need to
have for this
year's race.
You've got to
ride the first
100 laps and
those last 50,
you just need to
haul.
"We're bringing
my favorite car
out there. It's
one that I won
three races with
this year. I'm
confident in my
equipment and I
know that we're
going to have a
killer set-up
for out there.
I'm pretty
optimistic about
a good finish.
I think that
we'll have a top
three car."
Another added
component to the
Showdown is the
fact that the
top 15 drivers
in the Busch
East standings
will team up
against their
counterparts
from the NASCAR
AutoZone West
Series for a
mini-title of
sorts to be
decided. There
is extra prize
money available
to participants
of the winning
team, but even
more important
are the bragging
rights. Caisse
is looking
forward to
working with his
competitors this
time out to
chase a victory.
"Last year, we
[The Busch
North/Busch East
Series] might
have been a
little bit more
dominant, but
this year I
think that it
has evened out.
It will be
interesting to
see where
everyone stacks
up against each
other. A few of
the guys have
come from out
West to run our
races and
they've been
right there. I
think that it
will be a close
match."
The schedule for
the Toyota
All-Star
Showdown begins
Friday, Oct. 20
with an
afternoon
practice session
for both
divisions,
followed by twin
50-lap
qualifying races
on Friday
evening. The
results of
Friday's races
will determine
the starting
lineups for the
main events on
Saturday. SPEED
will televise
both nights of
racing while
NASCAR Radio on
XM Satellite
Radio will also
provide
play-by-play
coverage.
For more
information on
Andy Santerre
Motorsports and
Sean Caisse,
contact Matt
Kentfield at
(704) 455-2051
and visit the
all-new online
home of ASM,
www.andysanterremotorsports.com.
