Championships:

1989 Canadian Grandnational Go-Kart Champion

1998 CAM 360 Supermodified Champion

1998 Madera Speedway 360 Supermodified Champion

Awards and Highlights:

1986-1991oints Championship

Won numerous races both on dirt ovals and asphalt road courses racing go-karts. Home go-kart track was Kerman Kartways in Kerman, California.  

1995 

1st Career 360 Supermodified race during final race of the season at Madera Speedway.

1996

Western States Super Modified Racing Association(WSMRA) 360 Division

1 Main Event Win

3  Heat Race Wins

8th Place Overall Finish

1997

Western States Super Modified Racing Association(WSMRA) 360 Division

1 Heat Race Win

8th Place Overall Finish

1998

California Asphalt Supermodified(CAM)  360 Division

3 Main Event Wins

1 Heat Race Win

4 Trophy Dash Wins

3 Fast Times

1st Place CALIFORNIA ASPHALT SUPERMODIFIED CHAMPION

1st Place MADERA SPEEDWAY 360 SUPERMODIFIED CHAMPION

1999

California Asphalt Supermodified(CAM) Division

12th Place Overall Finish

2000

Supermodified Racing League(SRL) Unlimited Division

Qualified 8th out of 22 cars in first injected race at Copper Classic at the Phoenix, Arizona 1 mile oval.

1 Heat Race Win

2005

Madera Speedway 360 Supermodified Division

1 Heat Race Win

3 2nd Place Main Event Finishes

2 4th Place Main Event Finishes

4th Place Overall Finish

2006

Madera Speedway 360 Supermodified Division

4 Main Event Wins in 7 Races in 2006!!

1 Heat race win!!!!!!!!

1 Fast Time

4th Place Overall Finish

                                      Biography

- David is 31 years old and has been happily married to Carry (Wagner) for five years. Together they have two children, Chase 5, and Makenna 3 and reside in Clovis, California. David met Carry at Madera Speedway in 1998 while he raced against her uncle Marty Wagner. David is currently a Special Education Teacher at Kerman Unified in his seventh year of teaching. Carry works part-time as a notary.

David began his racing career when he started racing go-carts at the age of eleven at his hometown track of Kerman Kartways. David raced go-carts until the age of sixteen winning many races on both dirt and asphalt tracks. In 1989 David traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and won at the Canadian Grand Nationals taking home a coveted Duffy. David took a hiatus from racing for three years to concentrate on high school, athletics, and college. At the age of nineteen David’s father Dave and step-mother Nancy bought an old 360 cubic inch Super Modified that runs off a two barrel carburetor from a retired racer. For months David and his father worked on the car to rebuild it to racing condition. Finally David raced in his first 360 Super Modified race in 1995’s final race. Immediately David’s dream of racing at Madera Speedway was accomplished. David and his father Dave went to Madera Speedway almost every weekend while David was growing up to cheer on his favorite drivers such as Ken Nichols and Billy Vukovich III. During David’s 1996 rookie season he learned a lot had one major crash due to an axle failure. Later during that season he came back to win his first race in just his fifth ever race at Madera Speedway! Final results for the 1996 season included 1 win, 3 heat race wins and an 8^th place finish in the standings. The 1997 season started with a rebuilt motor and had many ups and downs with 1 heat race win and another 8^th place finish in the standings. During the 1997 off-season Gassett Racing bought a second Super Modified with David’s older sister Suzy who has no racing experience driving the old car and David driving the new car. The 1998 season started with David winning the first 3 out of 4 races! Including a win at Lakeport Speedway where David capped off his victory night with his father Dave by taking a victory plunge into the ice coldwater of Clear Lake, California. The 1998 season results were 3 main event wins, 3 fast times, 4 trophy dash wins, and 1 heat race win. These results earned David and Gassett Racing the 1998 CAM CHAMPIONSHIP and MADERA SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP. Suzy was also voted 1998 CAM MOST IMPROVED DRIVER. The 1999 season brought an unlucky streak to Gassett Racing with multiple engine problems as well as numerous untimely racing accidents. The 2000 season had Gassett Racing back to a one-car team with Suzy’s car being sold. During the off-season major changes were made to David’s car and his 360 cubic inch motor was traded to another team for a 430 cubic inch motor. Gassett racing was now going to race in the SRL-Super modified Racing League that travels throughout the west coast. Phoenix, Arizona hosted the Copper Classic to start the 2000 season on their one-mile oval. What a place for David to start his first injected 430c.i. Super modified race. David surprised everybody by qualifying 8^th out of 22 cars for the race. David started in row 4 outside of his favorite childhood car the # 78 “Spirit of Madera” being driven by veteran Indy driver Paul Durant. David stayed in the top seven all race and could of possibly finished with a top 5 until he hit the wall with 2 laps remaining in the race. Coming out of turn 4 David’s right front tire popped due to blistering and forced his car hard into the turn 4 wall. Luckily for David it was a side impact and after a quick visit to a hospital his injuries were only a concussion and bruised ribs. Gassett Racing traveled to Irwindale, California; Carson City, Nevada and Madera, California during the 2000 season. David picked up his only heat race win of the season at Carson City. During the last race of the season at Madera’s Harvest Classic, David surprised his then girlfriend Carry by jumping out his car during a shake down session and proposing to her in front of all the fans. A fitting ending since David and Carry first met at the racetrack in 1998. After the 2000 season Dave and Nancy Gassett sold their last car and bought a motor home to travel the country in during their retirement.

After a four-year hiatus from racing a super modified, David and Carry decided to take on the challenge of owning and racing their own car. They purchased a 360 Super Modified to race at Madera Speedway during the 2005 Season. Gassett Racing was back on the track. David finished his comeback season with 1 heat race win, 2 fourth place main events finishes and 3 straight second place main event finishes to close out the year. It was a great year considering the lack of preparation due to the car being bought only a month before the first race.

The 2006 season started with new sponsors, a new motor, and additional crew members. Circumstances and priorities changed suddenly when Chase, David and Carry's 5 year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia justs weeks before the season was to begin. After the initial shock and Chase's hospital stays Gassett Racing only missed the first race of the season. Chase was released from the hospital on the Wednesday before the the second race and watched with his sister Makenna as their Daddy won for the first time in 8 years in a 360. David would win 4 out of 5 races that his children watched from Madera Speedway's VIP Suite. The last two races Chase could not attend due to low blood count and immunity levels. Those two races were a 4th and 6th place finish. Overall the memorable season ended with 4 Main Event Wins in 7 races along with 1 heat race win and a fast time. 

Pictures courtesy of Lee Sisco of Motorsports Photography and other photographers. All pictures are copyrighted by their photographer.