Cory Casagrande Moving from DARE Stock to Limited Late Model Ranks in 2011 at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — The 2010 season was a year of firsts for Cory Casagrande on the Stafford half mile. An established racer on the Wild Thing Kart circuit, making the move to the Stafford Dare Stock division was a big step. Cory made his 2010 rookie campaign a good one racking up 3 wins, 12 top 5, and 15 top 10 finishes in 21 starts, finishing 5th in the points standings. 2011 will again see major changes at the Casagrande Motorsports camp, Cory will take the next step on the Stafford Speedway full body ladder and pilot the number 1 Limited Late Model next season.
“I’m really excited to make the move to the Limited Late Models next year,” says Casagrande, “it’s kind of a big step but I feel that the full season in the Dare Stocks really has improved my confidence and ability in the car.”
A graduate of the Wild Thing Kart Series, which runs weekly on the Stafford Mini-Mile, Cory stepped into the Dare Stock division in 2010 hoping to consistently finish races and possibly find victory lane. Yet in only his fourth start in a Dare Stock he found CARQUEST victory lane, and as the season progressed he found himself in the midst of a tight point race. After a successful 2010 season in the Dare Stocks the Casagrande team felt like it was time to move up.
“Last season was great, we learned a lot and we hope to try and back that up this season,” says Casagrande, “I hope, for the most part, to keep the car in one piece and try to get some wins. We have a great BFR chassis and RAD engine so it comes down to me being the best I can behind the wheel.”
Casagrande has a daunting task ahead of him; the change to the Limited Late Model division tends to be a tough one. Adjusting to a larger car, manual transmission, and faster speeds can be a challenge but Cory and his Casagrande Motorsports backing feel that he is ready for the new chapter in his racing career.
You can see Cory make his Limited Late Model debut at the 40th Annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST, April 29 to May 1, 2011. The event will feature the Whelen Modified Tour along with Stafford’s five weekly racing divisions. Tickets are available through the Stafford Speedway box office and on staffordspeedway.com. For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Paul Arute/Stafford Motor Speedway PR