(July 14, 2015) The second Capital City Auto Parts ENDURO 200 is scheduled for this Saturday night at 6:30PM. Word has it we’ll see a significant increase in the car count. One guy who claims he’ll be there for sure is Matt Caissie. Speedway 660’s Wade Wilson recently caught up with the King of Spin! 

A Conversation with Matt Caissie

 

Wade: Hey Matt that was some show you put on during the last ENDURO. You claimed the bonus cash for spinning out the most other drivers in the last segment. That was pretty wild.

Matt: Yeah, that was a lot of fun. We’ve got awesome ENDURO fans at 660 and they deserve to get their monies worth when they come to our races. So I just kinda have taken on the role of spinning out as many cars as I can and giving the fans what they came to see.Matt Caissie (2nd from right) always has a fun time at our ENDURO races. Matt is “The King of Spin” at Speedway 660! 

Wade: I’ve been around racing all my life and I am pretty certain that no one has as much fun at the track as you ENDURO drivers.

Matt: For sure there’s nothing like ENDURO racing. It’s definitely a rush. I don’t want to take anything away from the weekly racers, but this is a whole different ball game. I know they have fun, but when it comes right down to it, I don’t think they have nearly as much fun as we do. I’d love to see some of those weekly guys come race with us, it’d be a blast to put the bumper to Dave O’Blenis, Richard Atkinson or Rick Cashol and send them for a little spin!

Wade: How did you get into this wild and crazy kind of racing and what keeps you coming back to run more of these things?

Matt: My father started racing in the ENDURO when I was nine or ten and I knew that I wanted to try it as soon as I was old enough to drive. I enjoyed coming as a fan, but when I got old enough to take the wheel there was no turning back. I love ENDURO racing. It’s something we only get to do three times a year, so we’ve got to pack as much fun into these races as we can. It’s not as easy as it looks. Timing is everything when it comes to turning another car around during an ENDURO race. Matt’s got lots of experience in the 5 car when it come to “The Spin Cycle.”

Wade: Do you come out to Speedway 660 for regular racing and do you think you might like to give that a try some day?

Matt: Yeah, I come out to regular racing and always enjoy a night out at Speedway 660. I wouldn’t mind turning a few laps in a Street Stock, Sportsman or Pro Stock, but I think I will stick with the ENDURO.

Wade: It looks like some drivers go out to try to win the ENDURO races and championship, but it seems like you would rather spin those guys out than win the race yourself.

Matt: It’s nice to win. Over the years I have won three ENDURO races and finished second once. But nowadays, I don’t really care if I win. I just come out to have fun and try to entertain all of the fans.Matt loves to give the fans what they came to see. ENDURO racing is something unique and fans of this spectacle come to Speedway 660 to see this kind of action. 

Wade: It takes a lot of help in the garage at home to get ready to race and in the pits during these ENDURO races.

Matt: My father is awesome. He helps me out the most and I do a lot of the work on the car myself. Several of my friends race as well and we help each other out all the time. After awhile you get to know the regular ENDURO drivers and we have a lot of fun trying to spin each other out. It’s a lot more fun putting the bumper to another racer, than getting the bumper put to you. But if you are going to give, you’ve got to be prepared to receive too.Turn-around is fair play when it comes to ENDURO! Jesse Madore decides to give Matt a little taste of his own medicine during our first Capital City Auto Parts ENDURO 200 back in June.

Wade: What would you say to encourage someone to consider getting in a car and venturing out on the track with you guys?

Matt: Where else can you go and hold the gas pedal to the floor, spin other cars legally and maybe make some money doing it. I also want to point out that safety is a real concern at Speedway 660. Our cars are checked over carefully before the races and it’s awful nice to know that Buddy Munn’s Emergency Medical Team and Shane MacFarlane’s Fire & Rescue squad have got our backs. Our racing is rough and it’s not unusual for us to end up on our roofs, so it sure is good to know we’ve got an awesome infield team to look after us if we get into trouble out there.Another victim gets the bumper! Matt gets a charge out of spinning his fellow ENDURO competitors. He particularly likes to put the bumper to his friends.

Wade: The second ENDURO of the season is always on a Saturday night. Everyone seems to get up for the ENDURO that’s run under the lights.

Matt: I like driving under the lights. The fans like it a lot too. There’s something special about the night life in the Geary Woods! It’s a little harder to see out on the track and in the pits. But my buddies in the pits are going to bring some good lights so they can see what they’re doing when I need to pit.We only get to see one ENDURO night race a year. It’s always lots of fun to see these guys & gals do their thing under the lights! 

Wade: Thanks for doing this Matt and good luck on Saturday night. I actually should wish the other drivers good luck, because I know they’ll need it when you get them set up for a big spin!

Matt:  Thanks Wade, I can’t wait to spin some more cars. There’s a bit of a knack to setting another driver up just right and applying the bumper at the right time and place to send them into the infield. But I’ve had a lot of experience doing this and sure am looking forward to round two of the Capital City Auto Parts ENDURO series. And one last thing, I want to invite everyone, including all of you regular Saturday night weekly Speedway 660 fans, to come down to see us this weekend.