Remember When by Don Gamble

Fred Casagni

Fred Casagni was best remembered in the 1960’s as a modified driver at the local short tracks in Western Pennsylvania.  Fred came out of retirement in 2002 to compete in the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series and became champion in 2005 in a tie with Terry Faas and won the title again in 2006.  Fred spends his winters in Florida and returns to his hometown of Vandergrift, Pennsylvania during the racing season.  He spent a total of fourteen years as a car owner and driver.  He always enjoyed being competitive but did not like the time spent repairing wrecked race cars. 

His most embarrassing moment in racing was when he started in the Senior Series five years ago when he was driving aggressively and the other competitors told him to take it easy.  He said it was good advice and he settled down. 

He got involved in racing through the love of cars and his habit of driving fast.  He said, “It keeps me off the streets and I do my racing on the track where it belongs.”  Hobbies include hunting, Steeler games, watching NASCAR and the World of Outlaws.  During his early career he enjoyed racing against Ed Lynch, Sr. and later competing with Terry Faas.  The driver he would most like to be compared to was his hero Dale Earnhardt, Sr. 

His car owners included Ed Solomon, Sr., Roy Fitzsimmons, John Sokolovich, Tony Angelozzi, Don (DJ) Johnson, and his father.  The pit crew was made up of Rich (Fuzzy) Fasano and Don Johnson. 

Fred stated his career at Markle and Hyde Park Speedways.  Other tracks where he competed included: Blanket Hill, Butler, Challenger, Dog Hollow, Heidelberg, Jennerstown, Latrobe, Lernerville, Marion Center, Mercer, Mon-Duke, Pittsburgh, Schmucker’s, South Park, Tri-City, Uniontown, and Windber.

Fred won a very special race in the 60’s.  “At the time I didn’t think it was a big deal, but years later I began to realize it was very significant.  I won the helmet dash at Mon-Duke Speedway beating Bob Wearing, Sr. and Jim Irvine, Sr.  To score a win in a race with drivers of this caliber is something I will always remember.”

If you were a race fan in the 50’s and 60’s, your Friday nights were spent at Mon-Duke Speedway in Export, Pennsylvania.  Run mostly under the Pittsburgh Racing Association, Mon-Duke was a quarter-mile red clay track with the straightaway running parallel with old U.S. Route 22.  One evening Dick Linder went through the fence and crossed Old Route 22 right between traffic on the highway. 

The track was built in a natural amphitheater, and the bleachers were nearly straight up and down.  There was never any need to stand up to see the action on the track.  When you got home, instead of having your clothes covered by brown dust, you had red clay dust, which was a little different in those days. Today the property houses an assisted living facility.

I had an opportunity to talk to Fred and his long time friend and crew member Rich (Fuzzy) Fasano at the Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville.  They were tailgating in the parking lot prior to the racing action. Fred and his crew were like a lot of the veteran teams of the 50’ and 60’s they have racing gas and gear lube in their blood and they love racing. Just a few more reasons why we love to “Remember When”.