Gardnerville racer, 16, speeding long before he could drive

Crue Casteel got his driver’s license recently. The trick for him will be keeping it under 85 mph out of a green light.

The Sierra Lutheran High School sophomore, who is a nationally-ranked dragster driver with a long list of racing accolades, is also coming off a highly successful summer of racing, with a competitive schedule ahead.

A key highlight of the summer season was traveling to the Dodge Power Brokers Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Raceway in Denver where Casteel went to the finals, which were televised nationally. National events in drag racing are invitation only, and Casteel was one of eight drivers out of 300 in his class who were invited to compete in Denver.

Along the way this summer, the 16-year-old also won his event at the NHRA Denso Sonoma National Event at Sonoma, Calif., also an invitation-only event. Additionally, he claimed track championships at Sonoma Raceway and Redding Raceway.

Born into a family of car enthusiasts, Casteel knew he wanted to be a National Hot Rod Association driver as early as 6 years old.

“I started racing at 12 years old,” Casteel recalled earlier this month between weekend races. “I got involved watching the NHRA racing with my dad and mom. We went to many NHRA National events at Sonoma and Las Vegas Raceways.  I started racing in the slower 8.90 class until I was 13 then I could race in the fastest (7.90) class.”

The Gardnerville-based Casteel Racing team includes Crue as driver and assistant mechanic, his father Gary Jr., as crew chief, and his mother Marci who calculates the atmospheric conditions to dial in the team’s run.

The team’s car is an NHRA Jr. Dragster with a 33-cubic-inch, single piston engine that runs on straight alcohol (methanol). Casteel races the ⅛-mile drag track at 7.90 seconds and 85 mph, much faster than most cars can run the same distance.

“The rush of speed and acceleration is very exhilarating,” Casteel continued. “It just gives me an amazing feeling.”

Traveling approximately 10,000 miles a year to events, the family racing team has worked collaboratively to become one of the most successful on the NHRA circuit.

“As a driver and part of the team, we have to strategize on the upcoming race and know our competitors on how to race them and set the car up accordingly,” Casteel said. “It is also important to have good public relations and speaking skills for interviews with the media.”

Since winning his first race during the past four years, Casteel has won six Wally trophies, drag racing’s most prestigious, and he has also been track champion at Sacramento Raceway and Top Gun Raceway in Fallon. With his success on the track comes not only media commitments but time with fans.

“(At events) we set up a tent with his race car and awards, etc., and he signs (his) hero cards for the thousands of people who attend these events,” Gary, Jr. explained. “The hero card highlights his key accomplishments, which he hands out to kids and adults at the National events.”

Next up for Casteel will be the NHRA Division 7 Jr. Dragster Finals this weekend in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which features teams from six western states. Also this weekend will be the Race of Champions, which is limited to track champions.

So, once again, later this week, the  family will load the team motorhome, with car in tow, and travel to the next stop on the demanding NHRA circuit. This ritual, which comes with many familiar elements, is ultimately a trip of hyper focus — on the finish line.

“On the road, when we travel with my family in our motorhome, we get to see the country and meet many new people,” Casteel reflected. “We have a lot of family time when traveling, but at the track we are very busy most of the day preparing or racing.”

And when he is not on the road and playing the role of regular high school student driving in the valley, does he ever get tempted to gun the engine to see what it can do?

“Yes,” Casteel conceded. “But I control myself on the street and I get the speed out on the track.”