Driving 600 miles then running 14 to NASCAR Hall of Fame for charity
CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are preparing for 600 miles next weekend in the Coca-Cola 600, the season’s longest race. One driver in particular, though, is preparing for 614.
Landon Cassill, driver of the Hillman Smith Motorsports No. 40 Chevrolet, plans to tack on a 14-mile run after next Sunday’s race, departing Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord for the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte. He’ll be making the unique journey to help raise money for the Folds of Honor Foundation through a partnership with his sponsor, Snap Fitness.
The 25-year-old Iowa native, who describes himself as an "avid triathlete," said the run isn’t a concern, but that he’s bracing for all the what-ifs and potential wear and tear from 400 laps around the 1.5-mile track.
"It’s going to be a challenge, and that’s the point," Cassill said Friday after qualifying for the Sprint Showdown, a preliminary to Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (9 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM). "In terms of running 14 miles, that’s not a challenge at all for me, but I just don’t know how my body’s going to react for 600 miles in a race car. You know, what am I breathing in, are my lungs going to be ready, being in the seated position for four hours, there’s a lot of scenarios there. Also, like what if my air conditioner breaks in my car, what if I knock the right side off and it’s leaking carbon monoxide or something.
"There’s a few things that could happen there that could really make the run difficult. I really don’t know. We’ll just have to see."
Cassill’s plan came as news to fellow fitness buff Kasey Kahne, who abruptly said, "Why is he doing that?" when informed of the run. Told that the extra distance was for charity, Kahne lauded Cassill’s dedication and passed along well-wishes.
"You would have to be in really good shape and have run a ton of miles and log a lot of miles each week," Kahne said. "When I ran my half-marathons I was running like 35 miles a week or something like that. To run 14 after the 600, man that is going to be late. I don’t know. I wouldn’t do that unless it was for a good cause. Sounds like it is charity and is a really good cause. So that is cool on his part and I hope it goes well for him."
Cassill said Snap Fitness will make donations for every new sign-up from Memorial Day to Labor Day, an initiative he said has raised more than $25,000 in the past. Proceeds will help fund Folds of Honor’s scholarship program, benefiting the spouses and children of soldiers killed or disabled in service.
The Coca-Cola 600 has been described as a marathon, but Cassill will be running slightly more than a half-marathon afterward, trading his driving shoes for running shoes in the name of a worthwhile cause.
"Hopefully we can continue to inspire our fans and following to get fit and show them the importance of being fit as a race car driver," Cassill said. "If you want to be at the top level, you’ve got to be fit. I’m pretty excited about it.
"I work out a lot to stay fit, and focus a lot on that, and a lot of that is because it’s so hard to just sit back and make excuses about well, my team’s underfunded or our cars aren’t where they’re at. It reached a point to where I need to make sure I’m doing the best that I can, doing everything that I can so that my guys know that. It’s actually brought opportunities for me as well. My sponsor, Snap Fitness, is really behind it and they’re supporting this run. It’s going to be a great opportunity."
