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Rescino
Clinches CASA Championship With Madera Victory
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10-8-05
– Madera, CA...Defending
California Asphalt Sprintcar Association Champion Nick Rescino, Jr. showed what
it takes earn back to back CASA championships by posting his 16th CASA feature
win at Madera Speedway’s one-third mile paved oval, the final stop on the 2005
CASA championship trail. Faced
with a diminished point lead after an uncharacteristic mechanical problem last
week, coupled with a surging Nick Green running on a hot streak, Rescino held a
scant four-point lead heading into tonight’s action. Green, winner of the last
two CASA features took fast time honors and the accompanying four points, out
qualifying an 11 car field and besting Rescino who was credited with second
quick time and three championship points. Any
question of conservative approaches by either the Rescino or Green teams were
quickly suppressed as Rescino sprinted to victory over Green, Earle Stanton with
his best qualifying effort of the season, and Glenn Hopper in the trophy dash.
Heat race number one saw 2003 CASA champ Tony Iacobitti take the eight-lap event
over Joe Hauck, Scott Clough, Ryan Baumgartner and Marvin Mitchell. Heat two saw
Green prevail in a real dogfight over local favorite Anthony Simone, Jessica
Helberg, Rescino, Stanton and Hopper. The
50-lap feature began with young Jessica Helberg on the pole with Simone to her
outside and when the green flag unfurled the battle for the point began
immediately. Helberg and Simone swapped the lead at different points on the
track over the first few laps while Green and Rescino pressed them both from
behind. The caution flag waved on lap ten for a 360-degree spin by Earle
Stanton. During the caution, Stanton, feeling he had been bumped from behind,
returned the bump to Baumgartner and Stanton was disciplined to the rear of the
field on the restart. On
the restart Simone held the point, however Green advanced past Helberg in a
tight battle of the top four cars to nab second. The advancing Green wrested
first place away from Simone and a few laps later Helberg spun into the infield
off the front straight for caution number two. After the ensuing restart, Green
pressed his advantage over Simone until Rescino squeezed past Simone and closed
in on Green setting the stage for a true championship fight. That fight was
short lived. Green, while fast from the start, had been emitting frequent sparks
from the rear of his 14 machine and he coasted to a stop on the front straight a
few laps later with a rear panhard bar problem, bringing out caution number
three. A
quick inspection of Green’s problem revealed the ability to continue, but he
would have to start at the rear of the pack. On the restart, Rescino then
stretched his lead over another crowd-pleasing battle between Simone, Hopper,
and Iacobitti. Iacobitti dropped Hopper to fourth and promptly engaged Simone if
a fierce battle for the runner up position. As the laps wound down, Green
mounted his charge from the back despite his problem and with a few laps
remaining, battled his way past Hopper to take fourth. Helberg worked her way
back to fifth and as the checkered flag flew, Rescino thundered past to take
both the win and the season championship in the closest point margin of CASA’s
brief history. Said Rescino Sr. while observing his son’s pit celebration,
“This is actually more satisfying than last year. This came right down to the
last race and the Green’s really made us step up our game tonight and all
season long. This is great.” The
final feature event of 2005 had Rescino clinching the CASA championship with a
victory over Simone, Iacobitti, Green and Helberg comprising the top five spots,
Hopper finished sixth followed by Baumgartner, Stanton, Hauck, Clough and
Mitchell. For more information on off-season CASA activity, visit www.casaracing.com 10-8-05 CASA Results |
