Houston, TX – Young talent Casey Smith, continued his streak of top-five’s in his super late model as he finished in the runner-up spot in the USRA Super Late Model race at Houston Motorsports Park on Saturday evening.

Smith was fast in qualifying, posting the third quickest lap against a strong 21-car field.  With the top six qualifiers drawing for their starting position, Smith would start on the outside of the second row for the “RaceCarAuction.com 125”.

Piloting his family owned #99 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Smith proved he had a dominate car from the drop of the green flag.  Starting on the outside, Smith past the #04 of Cory Roper on the outside and quickly made his way to the bottom of the track to take the third position behind the USRA points leader Heath Stewart and pole sitter Brandon Bendele. 

The race stayed caution-free for most of the first half and Smith stayed right on the bumper of Heath Stewart biding his time and saving his tires for when it mattered at the end. 

With about 50 laps remaining of the 125-lap main event, Smith decided it was time to go and gave the points leader a nudge communicating that he was ready to go.  Realizing Smith was the faster car, Stewart gave Smith some room to get around him on the inside.

Once by Stewart, Smith took off and set his sights on the leader Brandon Bendele.  Smith made up about 10 car-lengths under the green flag to catch up to Bendele’s bumper.  As the pair weaved through lap traffic, Smith was putting heavy pressure on the #8, waiting for the right time to make his move.  Then, with 19 laps remaining, an unwelcome and controversial yellow flag waived. 

Smith knew his car took 8-10 laps to really get going, and told his crew to be patient with him, but that he had a chance to take on the leader in the last few laps of the 19-lap shootout.  Sure enough, with ten laps to go, the #99 was at its peak and Smith was catching back up to Bendele’s bumper.  But with too few laps remaining, Smith had to settle with a 2nd place finish.

With the runner up finish, Smith now has two second place finishes three top-five and four-top ten finishes in his last six starts in Super Late Model and NASCAR Southeast Series racing

competition in 2005.

“I had so much fun tonight we came up short to take the win, but I had an awesome car, and I have a great team of people behind me.  It is now time to focus on the prestigious Snowball Derby which I look forward to every year.  With the set-up’s we have been trying the past couple of weeks, I think we will go to Florida well prepared.”

Smith will race at the Snowball Derby, a Super Late Model event known as the “Race of Champions” at the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, the first weekend of December.  Smith has had great success at the prestigious event, including a 3rd place finish two years ago.

For more information on a marketing partnership or other driving opportunities with Casey Smith,

please contact him at (512) 917-1142.