After Five Flags Win With Campi, Nasse Turns Focus to Big Race Season

Last weekend, Stephen Nasse went to victory lane driving for Anthony Campi Racing during the ASA Southern Super Series championship weekend. Now, he hopes to take that success to some of the biggest races of the super Late Model season.

While appearing on Racing America’s “The Bullring” on Wednesday, Nasse discussed joining forces with Anthony Campi Racing for the doubleheader weekend in Pensacola, and his plans to race four more times with the team in 2023.

“We’ve got Winchester, [the All-American 400 at] Nashville, and the [Snowball] Derby,” said Nasse. “Those are pretty much set in stone. We were looking to see how our outing went at Five Flags, and it went really well. To my understanding, we have those three races and the Governor’s Cup.”

While Nasse has enjoyed some strong runs this year with his own Super Late Model team, including a runner-up finish in the North/South Super Late Model Challenge at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Friday’s victory was Nasse’s first Super Late Model win of the year.

“We’ve definitely struggled this year. It’s not from a lack of effort. It’s just racing is getting tougher, you know. There are a lot of good teams. You’re racing against some serious competition pretty much everywhere you go. It was good to get the deal together with Anthony Campi and get me in something where I’m able to compete a little bit better.

“I think a lot of it was not really having a consistent crew chief. We were really doing it on our own. It just made it difficult, especially at the level we’re doing it at. It wasn’t easy. We tried a couple of different people and it didn’t really mesh well.”

Thus, an opening at Anthony Campi Racing proved to be an opportunity to fill that opening and make a concerted effort to go after marquee Super Late Model wins.

“I think [Campi]’s a really smart, driven young guy. I think that’s what you need. Hopefully, we’ve got a couple more races put together, and we can go out there and execute on what I’ve been missing all year.

“It’s nothing against my guys. They still work with me. We were lacking that leader to make those final decisions. Anthony and Jimmy were a good fit to do that.”

Nasse hopes driving for Campi will put his name back at the forefront going into big race season, especially after Nasse won both the Winchester 400 and All American 400 in 2022.

“I think we have a good shot to do so. With the way I was running, I was capable of getting lucky and winning. I’d rather be on the other end of that and have a really good car and have the best chance to win straight-up rather than lucking into it.

“It definitely puts a little more pressure on me, because I know the cars are capable of winning. It’s kind of like I have to win. At the same time, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know I can win these races. I know we can do it. I’ve just been needing those final pieces of the puzzle.”

The Bullring is a weekly talk show hosted by Alan Dietz and Jess Ballard, bringing the biggest names in racing together to break down what happened the previous weekend, or look ahead to the biggest events next weekend. The Bullring is free to watch for all viewers every Wednesday at 7 PM on RacingAmerica.TV and Racing America's social media platforms, and the replay is available at any time afterward.