After a short hiatus as the driver of the No. 32 A. Casola Farms Dodge Charger for Win-Tron Racing, Holmdel, New Jersey’s Dominick Casola returns to the seat and searches for his third consecutive top-10 finish in Saturday night’s Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin Raceway.
And a top-10 finish is exactly what the doctor has ordered for the Minnesota-based team after a series of solid performances have been plagued by bad luck. The return of the rising star Casola could be the best medicine as the team really found their niche before Casola turned the wheel over for Michigan International Speedway, Cayuga Motor Speedway and most recently Kentucky Speedway.
“It’s great to be back with Win-Tron Racing, ” said Casola, who will make his second career start at Berlin Raceway this weekend. “Before I climbed out of the seat for a couple races, we really were hitting our marks and the chemistry was there. Hopefully, when we take the green flag for practice on Saturday, everyone will see that we haven’t missed a beat. “
Casola, who has made seven starts so far in 2008 will return to the shortest track on the ARCA circuit looking for a personal rebound. Last year, Casola started off strong in his Berlin debut but was collected in a mid-race incident which put the former USAR Hooter’s Pro Cup star out of the hunt for career win number one and instead delivering a disappointing 23rd place finish.
“We had a good car and not so good finish at Berlin last year, ” Casola recalled. “Thankfully, Win-Tron Racing really knows their way around the track, so I can focus on climbing in our A. Casola Farms Dodge Charger and do what I know best, drive. “
Indeed, last season Win-Tron Racing rose into the spotlight as now NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie James Buescher bolted from his 13th place qualifying run to record an exceptional third place finish in his inaugural ARS debut at the. 4-mile speedway behind the wheel of the No. 32 entry.
Casola added, “Qualifying is really critical at Berlin Raceway. Starting up front can be the key to winning or going home on the hook. In addition to our recent finishes, I feel like we’ve made a great improvement on our qualifying setup and runs. I just have a good feeling about this weekend. James did a great job last year and I know we can make it two-for-two under the lights Saturday. “
To get back in the racing saddle and help prepare himself for future races, Casola returned to the cockpit this past Tuesday at Nashville Superspeedway and tested his No. 32 machine in preparation for next month’s TOYOTA ARCA 150 at the 1.33-mile facility. Unofficially, Casola mounted the 11th fastest time with a time of 30.430 seconds at 157.345 MPH.
“The test went really well, ” Casola sounded. “We worked on a lot, an awful lot. I’ll be in the car for the next couple of races, so it was an important for us to test Nashville to make sure the car will handle well, so we can be in the hunt. We’re going to make some pretty normal adjustments and hope when we unload in August, we’ll be ahead of the game. “
Win-Tron Racing’s Nate Thiesse offered on Casola’s return; “DC is back and we’re glad to have him back. Dominick really has done a great job for our team this season and his confidence has been a welcomed boost for the guys in the shop. Like Dominick, we feel like we are making great headway. Hopefully with a little luck we’ll have a good night at Berlin and end up in victory lane. “
Entering Berlin, Win-Tron Racing sits 17th in the ARCA RE/MAX Series owner’s standings after 11 races. 35 credits separate car owner Kevin Cywinski from the 16th position held by Doug Stringer (No. 90). The team slid four positions from their last outing at Kentucky Speedway where the team suffered early race misfortune.
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