Naples, ME — Cassius Clark is a racer through and through. The Farmington Mainer thrives on competition, and his team is one of a handful of Pro All Stars Series (PASS) regulars that travel all over the east coast to see how they match up against the toughest competition short track racing has to offer.
Just 26, Clark has to be considered a veteran in the super late model ranks. He has a dozen PASS North and South feature wins to his credit, and a slew of poles and top fives to back up those wins. He’s competitive wherever he goes, whether it’s Five Flags Speedway, South Boston (where he won the inaugural Mason-Dixon Meltdown) or Scotia Speedworld in Canada’s Maritimes.
The Ed Chapman owned race team has championship aspirations in 2008 and they’ll haul to North Carolina for the PASS South season opener. In addition to kicking off the PASS South season, The March 22nd Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway is the first race of four that make up the inaugural PASS National Championship Series, a title chase that has drawn interest from super late model racers everywhere.
Clark plans to challenge for that title and he has to be considered one of the favorites to take down the crown. He already has two PASS South races in his win column, including last seasons’ “Howler” at Greenville-Pickens (SC) Speedway. This season’s version of the popular event is the penultimate round of the PASS National Championship Series. When the checkered flag falls and the dust settles at Greenville-Pickens, the first ever PASS National Champion will be crowned.
The fourteen race 2008 PASS North Super Late Model season will get under way on April 19th at Scarborough Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, and Clark has his eye on a championship that very few drivers can lay claim to. Seven PASS seasons have passed and only three men have earned the title; “Sud’n Sam” Sessions in 2001, Ben Rowe in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007, and Johnny Clark in both 2004 and 2006. It’s an elite group that Cassius Clark wants to join. His best points result is a third place finish in 2005, but Clark and his team are on a mission to add his name to that list.
The winter snows are still deep on Maine, but the Billy Clark led team has been hard at work preparing for a full blown assault on both PASS titles. Their E.J. Prescott/PEP Transportation Ford Fusion has received a thorough freshening from nose to tail and their engines are prepared and ready. Says Clark, “There are no excuses. The team has worked hard all winter to get ready for the PASS season, and we’re the best prepared that we’ve ever been. PASS super late model racing is really tough; there’s so much talent and experience in every field. But we’ve proven that we can beat the best and with a little luck 2008 could be our year.”
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