After two mediocre ARCA Menards Series finishes this past weekend at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield), sophomore driver Greg Van Alst and his team journey to The Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile returning to some familiarity in Sunday’s Sprecher 150.
“I’m just grateful to be back on an oval,” said Van Alst with a chuckle.
“Look, it was great to get some more experience on the road course at Watkins Glen and it was a decent finish.
“Then we went to Springfield and ran well but experienced some mechanical setbacks that kept us from finishing better – but in the end, we kept our cars in one piece and logged crucial laps.
“Now that we are back on an oval this weekend, I hope we can return to our top-10 form on Sunday afternoon.”
Van Alst has never competed at the historic Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile just outside of the city of Milwaukee but hopes that his ability to quickly get up to speed on the ovals will pay dividends as the ARCA Menards Series approaches the stretch drive.
“Milwaukee is the start of a stretch that I feel will be really good for us,” Van Alst explained. “Yes, there is the unknown of DuQuoin in a couple of weeks, but I am looking forward to Milwaukee, Kansas, Bristol and Salem.
“Those are going to be some really good races for us and I feel like an opportunity to not only continue to deliver strong finishes but maybe gain some points along the way that will inch us closer to the top three (in points).”
Van Alst knows that reeling in the top-three competitors of Nick Sanchez, Rajah Caruth and Daniel Dye for a spot on the championship points podium is a tall task, but nonetheless, it’s a task that he welcomes as he is focused on continuing to improve his Anderson, Ind.-based team in their inaugural full-time season of ARCA competition.
“We’ve had a good season so far,” added Van Alst. “Yes, it has not been perfect, but it’s definitely been good. I would like to have more top-five finishes to our tally, but that’s something to build on for the rest of the year.
“Six races left in 2022 and that’s six opportunities to go out there and perform and leave nothing on the table.
This weekend’s race in Wisconsin will again be a combined series event – with the ARCA Menards Series East division set to combine with the premier ARCA Menards Series.
Knowing that Sunday’s race can bring even stiffer competition to the race track, Van Alst welcomes the additional car count and talent.
“These combination races are tough, there is no hiding behind that,” Van Alst continued. “There are a few extra cars than the normal beat, but they are good cars and can make the races even more challenging. It’s our job as a team though to be better than our last combo race at Iowa Speedway earlier this summer and make sure we’re fighting comfortably inside the top-10 on Sunday afternoon.”
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 four-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. I’m thankful 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 26th career ARCA start.
Entering Milwaukee, Van Alst sits a career-high fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 95 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.”
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 Sprecher 150 (150 laps | 150 miles) is the 15th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Sunday, August 28, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. A timed General Tire pole session kicks off at 12:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 2:00 p.m. CT | 3:00 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).
Greg Van Alst PR
