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Ahwatukee girl chosen for NASCAR combine azcentral.com article
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Phoenix high school senior Cassie Gannis, 17, was Arizona Champion in the Bandolero Series in 2003 and Rookie of the Year in the INEX Legends Series in 2005. She scored four top-five finishes in 15 Whelen All-American Series events at Tucson Raceway Park this season. The reserved teenager's dad turned her on to racing while running at Manzanita Speedway, a dirt track outside of Phoenix. "I grew up around the track helping out on the cars," Gannis said. "I kept bugging my dad and finally got a Quarter Midget car when I was 10." Read to the entire artilce from Nascar.com CLICK HERE...
Cassie Gannis joins MPM marketing link to McCallister Precision Marketing - News September 11th McCallister Precision Marketing MPM is pleased to announce our newest client. Cassie Gannis, late model driver from Phoenix Arizona, has retained MPM for all of her marketing needs. More details to follow to include Cassie's racing career, sponsor opportunities, etc.
"Cassie Gannis shakes down #27 Busch Car"
S.A.F.E. April 15th
article in January 2008/February 2008 issue (a free teen magazine) azTeen Magazine \| Written By Teens For Teenage Girls \| Phoenx, Scottsdale & Arizona

Featured on TV: story by Skrzypek,Jeffrey Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication - Cronkite Newswatch

http://www.znn21racing.com Vanda Racing is pleased to announce that fellow race car driver, Cassie Gannis, will be joining the ZNN21 race team at selected events as they continue to educate Arizona teens in alcohol awareness and traffic safety. Cassie will be focusing on important issues to her such as being distracted while driving. Cassie is sixteen years-old and currently races as our competitor in the NASCAR Late Model class at Tucson Raceway Park. Cassie was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and attends Desert Vista High School. She has eight years racing experience in race vehicles such as Quarter Midgets, Bandoleros, Legends, ASA Speed Trucks, and NASCAR Super Late Models. Cassie says: I believe driving is a privilege and we should all use common sense. Cars can be a 2-ton weapon and should be handled with respect! October 9, 2007
Cassie Gannis, local 16 year old, gets first top 5 finish in her NASCAR Super late Model Phoenix, AZ August 17th, 2007 Cassie Gannis, of Phoenix, graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program and just 16 years old, got her first top 5 finish this past weekend at Tucson Raceway Park in her #7 NASCAR Super Late Model on August 11th. After a 9 mouth hiatus for extension scoliosis surgery she returned to racing in March in a new Southwest NASCAR series and has consistently placed in the top 10 in her first 7 races. Saturday, she qualified 4th and finished 2nd in the trophy dash. Her first top five finished was celebrated in the pits by a standing ovation from local put crews. She races again this weekend August 18th and September 1st at Tucson Raceway Park. She then heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway at "The Bullring" for her first race there on September 15th.

The Fifth Annual Women in the Winner’s Circle Celebration Luncheon Honoring Women in Motorsports
Cassie Gannis #7 (ASA Speed Truck, Legend and Late Model) was chosen to be one of the quest speakers at this Luncheon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Plaza Village Pavilion on Thursday, July 26, 2007

Women in the Winner’s Circle 2007 is a celebration of the progress women have made in this demanding sport and a discussion of the challenges that lie ahead. Become a driving force for opportunity. Featuring …Lyn St. James - Racing Legend & 1992 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Nancy Lieberman - Basketball Legend & Broadcaster, Donald Davidson - Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Historian & Broadcaster and Special Guest …Denise McCluggage - Racing Legend (1950s and 1960s), the first Woman Inducted in the Automotive Hall of Fame, Plus …Dozens of Professional Women Drivers. Invitees include Sarah Fisher (confirmed), Janet Gunthrie, Erin Crocker, Allison Duncan, Milka Duno, Katherine Legge, Shannon McIntosh, Danica Patrick, Cassie Gannis and Melanie Troxel.

Two Ahwatukee Foothills Women Honored
for Racing in Indianapolis
By Larry Ward, Staff Writer
reprinted from Ahwatukee Foothills News, August 1, 2007

People in racing, like other sports, feel like they are part of an extended family. If that’s the case, incoming Desert Vista High junior Cassie Gannis ran into a distant cousin when the racing clan gathered for the NASCAR Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week. Gannis is a 16-year-old racecar driver who was visiting the speedway for the first time after being invited to be part of the Lyn St. James Women in the Winners Circle luncheon honoring females in racing. That’s where she ran into another Ahwatukee Foothills stock car diver and 2003 Mountain Pointe High School graduate Gabi DiCarlo. Although they live a few miles apart, the two had never talked face-to-face until last week. "I knew about Gabi but this was the first time we had ever met," Gannis said. "We talked about racing for about 10 or 15 minutes, so that was fun." DiCarlo was on the Pride golf team, but was already establishing a racing reputation driving racing go-carts since she was 11 years old. She is currently driving a stock car on the ARCA RE/MAX racing series. Gannis also races a stock car after starting in quarter midgets, the Bandolero series, Legends cars where she was the 2005 Rookie of the Year in Tucson. Gannis and DiCarlo, who is a student at Arizona State University, both aspire to drive in the Nextel NASCAR series, and both are graduates of the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program. Gannis took the course last winter, while DiCarlo is a member of the class of 2001. Gannis had never walked across the yard of bricks at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway until she was invited to the annual Women in the Winner’s Circle ceremonies. Gannis earned her NASCAR driver’s license when she turned 16 in April and has been turning her Super Late Model stock left on short tracks, like the paved half-mile at Tucson Raceway Park. There, she finished in the top 10 in three races earlier this season. She also races on short tracks in Las Vegas and Irwindale, Calif. "I had always thought it was a big track," Gannis said, "but actually the width of the track is very small. The track itself is big, but it’s a lot narrower than I expected." Gannis helps with some of the maintenance on her stock car, so a trip through the immaculate garages in Indy’s fabled Gasoline Alley was a treat, she said. She also learned the business side of racing, talking to sponsors and business people including NASCAR president Mike Helton. It was a little more comfortable having a conversation with DiCarlo and Indy Car racer Sarah Fisher, another St. James graduate, while rubbing shoulders with former driver Janet Guthrie, the first female to qualify for the Indy 500 and current Indy Car star Danica Patrick, who lives in Scottsdale. "I was a little nervous," Gannis said. "It’s a lot easier to drive a race car than talking with all those people." Gannis also took a quick tour of the IMS museum located on the infield of the track and on the grounds of the track and walked across the hallowed yard of bricks at the start/finish line of what they still call "the brickyard" track. Now it’s back to reality for DiCarlo, who will be driving a stock car on the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania on Saturday, and Gannis who has a late model stock race in Tucson the same day. Before they left, Indianapolis DiCarlo and Gannis promised each other, like good neighbors, they would stay in touch.

Larry Ward can be reached at (480) 898-7915 or at lward@ aztrib.com.

Ahwatukee girl chosen for NASCAR combine