PHOENIX, Arizona — Before Team Cass Racing and driver Chris Johnson of the No. 50 Chevrolet made their first trip to this prestigious 1.0 mile track, members of the team worked ten days straight and sometimes early in the morning to get the car ready for their second race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150.
"We all got a taste of real life pit-stops, and the car’s reaction to higher speeds. This track is very competitive and diverse because of the corners."— Chris Johnson
After coming off a high (getting pole) and low (involved in multiple wrecks) from the Toyota All-Star Showdown, it took a little more time than expected to regroup from the damage that was sustained.
But this is a team with determination and a lot of heart. After finishing preparing the car, most of the team drove all night to save on costs. As the excitement was building on race day so were the challenges. An unexpected tech request made the team change the rear housing, resulting in very little time to adjust for a new set-up. The team kept the optimism and kept moving forward.
Before practice I asked Chris what was his main goal he said, “I just want to go out and learn the track as fast as I can.”
Not satisfied with how the car was handling during practice, the team tried several things and it seemed as though the car was numb to the changes. Qualifying resulted in a 19th. And although driver and team were hoping to do better their first time here, they were still excited.
Starting the race in 19th Chris managed to stay out of all the cautions, reaching a high of 6th place by lap 90. When most cars came in to pit for tires, Team Cass Racing took fuel only earlier on and were planning on a tire change later on. Shortly after their pit stop on lap 95 their seemed to be possible engine issues. So in fear of a blowing the engine Chris came in on lap 98 to see if the team could make the adjustments needed to get him back out.
Unfortunately the needed repairs couldn’t be made at the track and Team Cass Racing and Chris Johnson called it a night.
In asking Chris what he learned out of his first time experience he replied, “We all got a taste of real life pit-stops, and the car’s reaction to higher speeds. This track is very competitive and diverse because of the corners.” I asked Chris what was the first thing that comes to his mind now when he thinks of the track? He replied, “FAST” with a big grin and a chuckle.
All in all, team owners Jim and Terri Cass were happy with the results “the car came home in one piece!” Next race Team Cass Racing will be competing at the 7/8 mile tri-oval track at Iowa Speedway – US Cellular 200 in Newton, IA on May 17th. This is a combination dual event for NASCAR Camping World East series and Camping World West series.
