It’s hard to imagine but Landon Cassill with his seven years of Nationwide Series experience and four years (111 starts) of Sprint Cup Series service is still just 24-years-old. He’s a young 24 too — just having hit the mark in July.

So in an era where team owners are looking to pick up young and extremely talented prospects, Cassill seems like an obvious choice. He has the youth of the Dillon brothers and the Cup experience of few other youngsters.

He’s considered an elite-level qualifier and somehow remains overlooked when teams are looking for a fresh perspective.

Our annual series of NASCAR driver interviews continues this week with Landon Cassill who offers his opinions on why he has been overlooked and his upcoming plans for next season. We also tackle one of his off-season passions — Super Late Model racing.

Popular Speed: You have a new deal this weekend — in the Nationwide Series — with JD Motorsports where Oskar Blues Brewery has come on board to sponsor your program. This is an organization that is joining racing at several different levels, first in Late Models and now in the Nationwide Series. How did this come together?

Landon Cassill: My management company actually got in touch with them as they had been bouncing some ideas around about getting into NASCAR. They are a partner of Charlotte Motor Speedway, selling Dale’s Pale Ale and Mama’s Little Yella Pils.

So they had some interest in being on a car and they felt like I was a good fit — because I drink the beer — I really drink the beer. I really enjoy their stuff. (Spoken with an enthusiasm that promises sincerity) That’s how it came together.

It’s really cool sponsor to be honest with you.

PS: Could this become a long term relationship with you and Oskar Blues, extending to both your Nationwide and Sprint Cup cars?

LC: I think so. That’s where our discussions have been and it’s just a matter of finding success incrementally in everything that we do together in trying to help them reach their goals in terms of advertising and promotion.

But they’re a unique company because they are kind of paving their own roads. They are the first craft brewery to sponsor a car in NASCAR. That’s what they are about and that’s what we are like too as a smaller team — a blue collar working man team — in Johnny Davis Motorsports.

So hopefully the chance for them to appear on my Cup Car comes calling too.

PS: With the way sponsorship alignments have taken over the sport in recent years, how important is it to be partnered with an organization that you legitimately enjoy?

LC: I think it’s easy to enjoy their product because it’s of good quality and anybody that drinks beer is going to enjoy it.

They make some great beers.

But it’s important to have that good connection and have that opportunity to get to know them and the stuff that they’ve done in Late Model Racing is right up my alley too — it’s where I come from. Their goals are aligned with ours so we can help each other on a variety of levels.

So I’m excited to see them grow as I grow in the sport.

PS: You’ve driven for several teams this year — what’s on the horizon for Landon Cassill.

LC: I’m really happy with both of my jobs right now. In Sprint Cup, I drive for Circle Sport Racing where you’ve seen me bounce around from the No. 33 car to the No. 40 car but that’s pretty much the same team.

With JD Motorsports, I’m really happy driving for Johnny Davis — we’re both small teams and we’re both in the same boat as far as where we fit in the solar system. And each team has similar goals moving forward.

I’m really happy with where I’m at and I’m looking forward to seeing it grow. Any driver in my position wants to be in a competitive ride and win races and things like that. I feel like it’s also important to show the sport that I can be a part of building something too and be able to look back at what we built after five years.

PS: So this is possibly a longer-term investment for you and everyone involved?

LC: Yep — absolutely.

PS: Kyle Larson is making his Sprint Cup Series debut this weekend for Phoenix Racing and Chip Ganassi. It seems like we’ve hit another phase where teams are looking for young drivers. At 24-years-old, you’re both young and come with a lot of experience. Why have you been overlooked during this youth explosion?

LC: I came in at the very end of the previous young driver movement and right when I came in was when it came to a screeching halt because of the economy and because teams were not willing to invest in young drivers.

They were investing millions of dollars into whatever young driver they had chosen and I came in at the very end. I spent essentially a year in the sport being groomed to do essentially what Kyle Larson is doing now and then all of a sudden the money stopped.

So I kind of had to restart and just figure out how to make a living just so I could stay here. And that’s what’s taken me down this path as things have rebounded and the sport has regained its traction the opportunity is coming back for the young drivers.

The economy might not be all of it either because the current crop of drivers are getting older. The guys that were old when I first arrived here six or seven years ago are still driving and they’re even older. The only difference between now and then are that they are seven years older.

Because our cars are so unique and our racing is unique, experience trumps talent much of the time. But if you give talent experience it will eventually overcome. I think Kyle Larson is the perfect example as Ganassi has given him the time and experience. He clearly has the talent and now they’re giving him the experience. He will get a chance and I think he’s going to be just fine.

As far as me getting overlooked for those rides, it’s just hard because of what I’m doing here. I would like to be talked about for those rides and I have been talking to those owners but a lot of those teams have their young drivers already established. I truly believe that I can’t be here another 10 years unless I get that shot.

So my goal is to be here another 10 years and make a living.

PS: A real highlight of your season is going down to Pensacola in December and running the Snowball Derby Super Late Model race. Why has that become a favorite race of yours?

LC: First, I have a great ride for the Snowball Derby this year. I’m going to drive for Gary Adrian in the No. 29 Adrian Carriers car. Jeff Choquette has run good in that car and I feel like I’ll have a good shot.

PS: Absolutely — finished second last year.

LC: It’s a huge deal. What we do here in NASCAR is a long-term project where our goals are not to win next week — it’s to win three or four years from now. So when you do this for 36 weeks in a row and you don’t really get a chance at a trophy, it’s so exciting to go to the Snowball because we have a chance to win from the moment we walk into the gate.

So we count down the days until the Derby.