DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After a successful rookie campaign in the ARCA Menards Series in 2022, Greg Van Alst and his Greg Van Alst Motorsports team last weekend went to Daytona International Speedway for the annual pre-race practice hoping to start his sophomore season with momentum.
Last January, the Anderson, Indiana native stood on the gas and whipped his No. 35 CB Fabricating Chevrolet to the fastest time of the weekend, showcasing the team’s potential and undoubtedly putting themselves on the map as a contender to win the series’ season-opener.
Qualifying sixth, the team’s opportunity to win its first ARCA Menards Series race didn’t materialize, but with the 2023 season about to open its curtain, Van Alst is ready. More than ready.
“I love everything about Daytona,” Van Alst said. “This place is so special to me for a lot of reasons, including our accomplishment last year. Thankfully, we haven’t had to do much to our superspeedway car over the last year other than make the necessary tweaks to get ourselves ready for the test.”
When asked if he believes his volunteer team can back up their achievement from last January, Van Alst was quick to respond – but with a twist.
“Without a doubt. I believe in my guys. They want it just as bad as I do – if not worse,” he said. “We’ve put a lot of sweat and tears into getting our No. 35 Greg Van Alst Motorsports Chevrolet ready to go this week. Surprisingly our 2021 car was better than the car we had in 2022. I’ve also learned a lot about these cars and what we have to do while building and preparing them.
“I feel like we are bringing the best piece we have ever had. With that said, we will be looking for the feel we had in the car in 2021. I’ll know when I feel it.
“I know you just have to mount that perfect lap to put up a good time, but I believe between myself, my crew chief Jim Long and my spotter Brandon Lines – we can leave the track this weekend feeling just as confident as we did last year.”
With a focus on the impending 20-race schedule in 2023, Van Alst is hoping his team’s dedication along with a stout new television package will allow the series and teams to reap the benefits and open the door for new marketing partners to join his Indiana-based team along the way.
“I am proud of what our team accomplished last year racing full-time on a tight budget,” he said. “We could not have done without the support of Chris Barkdull and CB Fabricating, and while I’m super thankful to have him along for the ride in 2023, we are hoping we can attract more partners along the way who believe in our journey.
“We have a lot we want to do in 2023. I want more than one top five. I want to find ourselves in the hunt to win. I don’t care where it is. A win is a win, and it certainly would satisfy all the emotions of the long hours, dedication and time away from our loved ones was worth it.”
Knowing Daytona has often been known for showcasing first-time winners and manifesting fairytale stories, he hopes to experience that firsthand on Feb. 18 in the 80-lap opener.
“If we can find that feel, with several speedway races under my experience I feel we have as good of a shot to win as anyone else does,” added Van Alst. “We will be a team on a mission next month and nobody should take us lightly.”
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 Twitter (@GregVanAlst35).
For more on CB Fabricating, please visit CBFabricating.com and like them on Facebook (CB Fabricating).
