Hinds Earns NASCAR Late Model Crown At Tucson

Cassidy Hinds celebrates her Tucson Speedway track championship. (Molly Hinds photo)

TUCSON, Ariz. – A fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Grand Finale at Tucson Speedway allowed Cassidy Hinds to officially put a bow on her first Russett Southwest Super Late Model championship at the track.

Hinds set the fastest time in qualifying at 15.518 seconds in her No. 3c Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Ford, then charged forward from the sixth starting spot in the extra distance 50-lap feature.

The Arvada, Colo., driver ran as high as second at the halfway point, then battled fiercely around the final step of the podium for the last 25 laps before finishing just behind longtime veteran David Levitt.

Though it wasn’t the victory she hoped for, Hinds’ 11th top-five finish in 13 races at Tucson was more than enough to deliver her first season title since moving into the super late model ranks.

“Knowing our chassis was bent and the engine was getting to its refresh point, we had to be realistic with our expectations for the last race of the season, but getting quick time in qualifying was really cool given everything that we’ve had to overcome at different points this year,” noted Hinds. “I wanted to finish the race and be able to do my championship burnouts, and we were able to check both of those boxes, which is cool because I’ve never had the opportunity to do that level of celebration before!

“We led the points from beginning to end, but even with that, I was a little bit nervous about the ‘what ifs,’” she added. “Fortunately, though, everything worked out he way we needed it to and we were able to bring home the big trophy … which is really neat to say out loud for me and for my family!”

In addition to Hinds’ track-level accolades at Tucson, her additional super late model efforts at her home track – Colorado National Speedway – combined to give Hinds recognition among the best in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series as well.

Not only did Hinds finish inside the top 150 of the national Division II point standings, but she also ranked fifth overall in the West Region Division II standings and fifth in the Division I Colorado state standings as well.

Though NASCAR doesn’t officially recognize state points at the Division II level, Hinds was the top-performing Division II driver in Arizona due to her Tucson track championship, a strong honor for the 21-year-old and her family-owned team.

“It’s extremely rewarding because the way the Weekly Series points work meant I was doing two different things at the same time [Division I and Division II] and I’m able to say I was in the top five percent of both divisions in the entire country, which is amazing when you think about all the talented drivers that race in the weekly series,” said Hinds. “We ended the season there after not even knowing where I was going to end up or that we were going to have an opportunity like this when the year started.

“To do what we were able to do this season … it really is a lot to take in when we sit down and think about it, but I am so proud of everyone that goes into our team for the effort and hours we’ve all put in to get to this point.”

While Hinds knows that before too long, she’ll begin turning her focus toward next year and her 2025 season plans, in the present moment she’s taking some time to soak in how far she’s come.

“This season was so rewarding. We had hopes of coming home with the championship racing in Tucson, but I definitely didn't think that I would lead the championship points by more than 100 points as late in the season as we did, so I feel very accomplished when I think about that part,” she said. “Even though the season didn’t go how we wanted it to at home [in Colorado], It was really good in Tucson and we proved that my parents and I can take a house [built] car and be just as good as [major] team players … that really all you need is dedication and effort to be able to be successful.

“We traveled 20 hours there and back sometimes twice a month, basically every month for the whole season, and that could easily have burnt us out. But we kept pushing,” Hinds continued. “There were some races where we didn’t get the finishes we wanted, but I was able to learn from every challenge and see what I could change and what other drivers did that I needed to be more aware of to make myself better.

“The hope now is that this is the first step toward even bigger dreams going forward!”

Hinds would like to thank marketing partners Frontier Restoration, Leary’s Shock Shop, Fort Worth Screen Printing, Commit 2 Fitness, Pineapple Pump Project, MATCO Tools, Puzzle Effects, Buckeye Welding, 5280 Pit Lighting, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their support of her racing efforts.

Hinds will be honored for her NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series accolades during the NASCAR Regional Awards on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. ET, inside the Crown Ballroom at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center.

About Cassidy Hinds Racing

Cassidy Hinds is a 21-year-old racing driver from Arvada, Colorado, who competes in the Super Late Model and Pro Truck divisions at the three-eighths-mile Colorado National Speedway as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series. She’s a past participant in the Toyota Racing Development Young Driver Combine, and honed her racing skills in quarter midgets, junior late models, and the Spears SRL Pro Late Model Series prior to advancing into Pro Trucks and super late models.

Hinds also competes in various regional and national super late model events as her schedule permits.

Off the racetrack, Hinds is in her third year of college at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

For more information on Cassidy Hinds, visit www.cassidyhindsracing.com.