DU QUOIN, Ill.: With his eighth top-10 in the books following a respectable ninth-place outing last weekend in his Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile debut, Greg Van Alst and his team journey to the Du Quoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds hoping to keep the positive momentum on their side in Sunday night’s Rust-Oleum Automotive Finishes 100.
Returning to the familiarity of oval racing last weekend at The Milwaukee Mile, the Anderson, Ind. native showcased considerable improvement in his short track program which allowed his No. 35 CB Fabricating Ford Fusion to maintain a solid top-10 pace throughout the Sprecher 150 and propelled the former ARCA | CRA Super Series champion to his 11th career top-10 finish in ARCA competition.
On Labor Day weekend, the series reverts to getting down and dirty again with the final dirt track race of the season on deck under the Du Quoin State Fairground lights – where the veteran driver hopes to apply what he learned at the Illinois State Fairgrounds last month.
“I’m really optimistic about this weekend at Du Quoin,” offered Van Alst. “I know what to expect and I know a little more about what I am doing on a dirt track. We had some speed at Springfield but we were still learning as we go.
“Unfortunately, we had a mechanical failure, nothing to do with overheating that hindered our efforts of bagging another top-10. This weekend though, a top-10 run on the dirt would be a victory for us and march us forward for the four remaining races of the season.”
With just a handful of races on deck in 2022, including Sunday’s annual trip to Du Quoin, Van Alst is proud of the accomplishments that his all-volunteer team has showcased throughout the grueling season.
“We’re making it and we have every intention to be at Kansas, Bristol, Salem and Toledo to wrap up the year,” sounded Van Alst. “I’m excited about all of those races. I think they provide great opportunities for us to deliver more top-10s and hopefully a top-five or two – maybe with a little luck a win.
“We’ll see what happens though. It hasn’t been easy by any means. The competition has been tough. We’ve been fortunate enough to recover from the early season setbacks in full force and I think we still can surprise people by the end of the season next month.”
Chris Barkdull’s CB Fabricating, a longtime partner with Greg Van Alst Motorsports has boosted its commitment to the team and will continue its role as the primary marketing partner of Van Alst’s No. 35 Ford Fusion.
Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating, and assembly.
Their 26,000-square-foot facility allows them to service the needs of many different industries. Everything from the Automotive, agricultural, aquatic, medical, transportation, electrical enclosures, and much more.
“We are accelerating forward with a positive attitude and preparing for this upcoming three-week stretch and none of it would be possible without the support of Chris,” expressed Van Alst.
“The consistency we have shown over the last two months is the type of pace that will keep Chris and everyone on this team in it for the long haul – including the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season,” expressed Van Alst.
“With every race complete, even if it is not the finish we are hoping for, it’s a small victory for our team knowing the large mountain that is still left to climb to celebrate in Victory Lane. Du Quoin is on deck and we know it can be a wild card race, but I’m thankful and the team is extremely appreciative to have the support of Chris and CB Fabricating.”
In addition to CB Fabricating, Top Choice Fence, Norton Transport, KRJ Race Products and Lintz Creative will serve as associate marketing partners for Van Alst’s 27th career ARCA start.
Entering Du Quoin, Van Alst sits a career-high fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 107 markers in the arrears to championship leader Nick Sanchez.
“Step by step, we will do everything we can to catch the top three,” sounded Van Alst. “No question they have been the three strongest cars all year, It’s not going to come without some luck and strong finishes, but we are not going to go down without a fight. This is a tough series and we are still proud of where we are at.
“We still stay focused these last five races of 2022 and see what unravels.”
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).
The Rust-Oleum Automotive Finishes 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 16th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Sunday, September 4, 2022, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. General Tire pole session kicks off at 6:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 8:00 p.m. CT | 9:00 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire w1eekend festivities. All times are local (CT).
