LONG POND, Pa.: Set to make his fifth ARCA Menards Series start of the season in Friday afternoon’s General Tire #AnyWhereIsPossible 200 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Greg Van Alst is eyeing to conquer the track dubbed “The Tricky Triangle” and record his first top-five of the season.
The 2019 ARCA CRA champion has certainly made a lot of noise this season in his own No. 35 CB Fabricating Chevrolet SS – but Van Alst is hungry to finish what he started last month at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
In his Charlotte debut, the Anderson, Ind. native contended early inside the top-five before electrical setbacks ruined their performance and left the Greg Van Alst Motorsports team with a 14th-place result.
“I can’t wait to get to Pocono Raceway this weekend for a lot of reasons,” said Van Alst. “Not only because it is a new race track – but it’s an opportunity to bounce back from a good Charlotte performance that was overshadowed with an OK finish.
“I believe we have corrected the gremlins that stole a top-10 finish from at Charlotte and look forward to Pocono and the challenges the track presents.”
Van Alst turned his first laps on Thursday partaking in an open test session at the Lond Pond race track.
Throughout the session, Van Alst’s lap times continued to improve before landing eighth quickest overall.
“The test was very productive,” sounded Van Alst. “The track is certainly unique but also very technical. I learned a lot at the test that should help for practice, qualifying and the race on Friday.”
When it comes to Pocono, Van Alst is determined to put his team inside the top-five when the checkered flag waves.
“I believe Pocono is one of those places we can make it happen,” he continued. “It’s a place where some strategy could fall into our hands. A top-five would certainly feel like a win for us, so that is what we are chasing.”
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 Chevrolet.
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.
For the second consecutive race, not only is Van Alst racing for his second top-10 finish of the year on Friday but awareness too.
CB Fabricating president Chris Barkdull was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and will utilize the ARCA event through the in-car camera to bring attentiveness and awareness to the disease as Barkdull begins treatment soon.
“We would not be racing at Pocono – heck any of these ARCA races this season without Chris,” added Van Alst. “He’s just not an investor or a partner in this thing – he’s family. When he was diagnosed he was determined to do his part to educate the public and that is exactly what he is going to do.”
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 eighth career ARCA start.
Should Van Alst leave Pocono cleanly, he plans to add the upcoming ARCA Menards Series race at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway to his summer schedule on Jul. 31.
Additional specifics on Greg Van Alst Motorsports’ 2021 ARCA Menards Series program are forthcoming, including a detailed series schedule.
For more on Greg Van Alst and Greg Van Alst Motorsports, please stay tuned for a new website, but 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 General Tire #AnyWhereIsPossible 200 (80 laps | 200 miles) is the eighth of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A quick forty-five practice session begins on Fri., Jun. 25 from 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is slated for 4:00 p.m., with the green flag set to wave shortly after 6:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).