Casella Racing ready for York Reunion and Nostalgia Nats
Throws out friendly challenge to area door slammer competition


It’s certainly been an interesting and challenging Spring for Mike Casella and the rest of the Casella Racing crew. They’ve fought the typically fickle New England weather, a brand new tune-up, and a case of the melted piston blues.

“Well it’s all part of the game,” said team owner and driver Mike Casella. “We melted a piston pretty good on our last outing to the track up in Epping. To make a long story short, we had a retainer bolt break on our shaft rockers and that caused the pushrod to disengage the rocker arm, leaving the intake valve closed. When that happened, both stages of nitrous were flowing so all of the nitrous for the number eight cylinder reverted back up the intake runner and ended up in the number six cylinder. The result was melted aluminum. Such is the life of the nitrous racer.”

Positive attitude and outlook intact the team is loading up and readying themselves for the trip to one of the East Coast’s premier Nostalgia races, the York US 30 Reunion and Nostalgia Nationals. “This is a race I’ve wanted to be at for a long time,” Casella said. “I’ve heard so many good things about the people and the race track. It’s going to be a hoot.”

To up the ante a little, Casella is issuing a friendly challenge to any of the local nostalgia door slammer contingent. “Since I do not have a dedicated match race partner, I’m going to harken back to the days of legendary Boston boxer John L. Sullivan when he said, ‘I’ll lick any man in the place,’ I’m doing it in a friendly way of course, but would love to have some good exhibition competition.” So it certainly seems like that’s call to arms for ‘slammer racers in the Beaver Springs, PA area. The big yellow Chevy is looking for work. Got the guts?

As a double bonus for the team Wally Bell, Casella Racing’s tuning consultant will be on the grounds as one of the event honorees. Bell will also advise the team (with the few minutes he has between glad handing sessions!) on the tune up. His initial work this season has netted the big Chevy’s best mph and some of the best short and mid range times in the team’s history. Casella laughed, “Having Wally at the track will be neat, but the problem is that I have to share him with everyone else!” He added, “It’s really an honor to be working with a guy who’s got the kind of history behind him that puts him in the position to be one of the luminaries at this event. We got a lot of great e-mails when we announced Wally would be on board with us and it’s been great ever since.”

Come by and see the yellow behemoth your self July 13th at Beaver Springs along with tons of other great nostalgia drag racing machinery and personalities. It’s going to be a gas! Learn more about the event by hitting it’s webpage at York Nostalgia - York Reunion & Nostalgia Nationals

For more information on our car and team please visit our website at 1960belair.com