BROWNSBURG, Ind.: The weeks have flown by, and now Greg Van Alst’s anticipated 2025 debut in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will take center stage in Friday night’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
Launching his own Truck Series program has brought its fair share of challenges, but for the former ARCA Menards Series winner, the journey has been fueled by the same perseverance and determination that has defined his career. When the green flag waves, it will all be worth it.
Van Alst has been methodically preparing for this new chapter, logging long hours and racking up miles between North Carolina and his personal race shop located on his property in Anderson, Indiana.
With most of the heavy lifting now behind him, Van Alst heads to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis with his sights set on delivering a strong and satisfying finish.
“It’s been a grind getting to this point — late nights, early mornings and a lot of miles in between,” said Van Alst. “But I’ve had a lot of great people behind me and I’m proud of what we’ve built. Just taking the green flag at Lucas Oil Raceway will be a big moment for us, and hopefully we can cap it off with a strong finish.”
Van Alst is no stranger to the iconic 0.686-mile paved oval, and he’s hopeful that his past experience will pay dividends throughout 200 laps on Friday night. The former CRA | ARCA Series champion has made three ARCA Menards Series starts at Lucas Oil Raceway, earning top-10 finishes in each.
In 2023, Van Alst pulled double duty, competing in both the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events on the same night with Young’s Motorsports. While his Truck Series debut was cut short, he’s optimistic that his second opportunity will yield a much smoother and more successful outing.
“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Lucas Oil Raceway — it’s a track I know well and have had success at in ARCA,” added Van Alst. I had the chance to run the Truck race there back in 2023 with Young’s Motorsports, but things didn’t quite go our way.
“Still, I learned a lot from that night, and I’m hoping to use that experience to our advantage this time around. We’ve worked hard to get here and I’m excited for the opportunity to show what we’re capable of.”
Eyeing a top-20 finish on Friday night, Van Alst hopes a strong and competitive performance at Lucas Oil Raceway will set the tone for the remainder of his limited NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule.
Tentatively, his upcoming starts include Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on September 11, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on October 17 and the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on October 24.
“We’re being realistic with our expectations, but a top-20 would be a great start for us,” explained Van Alst. “This is a brand-new effort, and every lap we complete helps us grow as a team.
“If we can have a solid run at Lucas Oil Raceway, it’ll give us some good momentum heading into Bristol, Talladega and Martinsville later this year. Each of those tracks presents its own challenges, but I’m excited to take them on with the group we’ve put together.”
Van Alst has reunited with his championship-winning crew chief, Kevin Shannon, from his CRA | ARCA days, bringing familiarity and proven chemistry to the No. 35 Toyota team as they prepare for their Truck Series debut.
“Having Kevin back on top of the box means a lot to me,” added Van Alst. “We’ve had a lot of success together over the years, and there’s a level of trust and communication between us that you just can’t manufacture. Bringing that into our Truck Series effort gives us a solid foundation to build on right out of the gate.”
Van Alst’s company, Top Choice Fence, will serve as a partner for the team’s debut at Lucas Oil Raceway; however, Greg Van Alst Motorsports continues to actively seek additional marketing partners to join forces with his team as he builds toward the future.
The 2023 Daytona ARCA winner began the 2025 season competing part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen. After eight starts, Van Alst opted to step back and reset his racing schedule for the remainder of the year.
He plans to return to Xfinity Series competition later this season, with details of his next start to be announced.
For more on Greg Van Alst and Greg Van Alst Motorsports, please visit GregVanAlst.com, like them on Facebook (Van Alst Motorsports) and follow him on X | Twitter (@GregVanAlst35).
The TSport 200 (200 laps | 137.2 miles) marks the 16th of 25 races on the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series schedule. It’s a packed one-day show on Friday, July 25, kicking off with a pair of 25-minute group practice sessions from 3:05 to 4:00 p.m. ET. Qualifying will roll off shortly after at 4:10 p.m., setting the 36-truck field for the main event under the lights. The green flag is scheduled to wave just after 8:00 p.m. ET, with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the NASCAR Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
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