MARNE, Michigan: ARCA Menards Series veteran Greg Van Alst escaped the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last weekend with a top-10 finish.
This weekend, the Anderson, Ind. native treks to Berlin (Mich.) Raceway eyeing a top-five finish for his team in Saturday night’s Berlin ARCA 200.
It’s been two years since Van Alst last graced the tight short nestled in the small city of Marne, Michigan, just outside Grand Rapids. On that memorable June night, Van Alst showcased his prowess with a commendable eighth-place finish, a testament to his team’s relentless pursuit of the ARCA Menards Series championship at the time.
More than 24 months later, Van Alst returns to the iconic short track, his determination burning brighter than ever. He is ready to do whatever it takes to inch closer to that championship lead and deliver his second career ARCA Menards Series victory, making the upcoming race at Berlin Raceway a potentially pivotal moment in his season.
“I feel really good heading to Berlin after our positive finish last weekend at Mid-Ohio,” said Van Alst, his voice filled with gratitude towards his team. “I am not a road course racer by any means, but the relentless hard work by my team allowed me to drive the hardest towards the end of the race and bring us our third top-10 finish of the season.
“We’ve dusted off, and now we’ll go back to Berlin – a track where I felt we were OK in 2022- and see what we deliver. Short tracks are a big opportunity for us to earn top-five finishes.”
With five career top-five ARCA finishes, most recently on a short track at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway last September, the former ARCA | CRA Series champion knows that delivering his team their second top-five effort of the season will not only reward the team with much-needed points but also give his family-owned team a nice boost.
“Other than Iowa, it’s been a pretty decent season for us,” explained Van Alst. “If we aren’t inside the top-10, we’re right there just outside the top-10 inside the top-15. That’s good, but not great.
“That being said, there’s still a lot of racing left, but we’re trying to chase an ARCA championship on a shoestring budget with a lot of heart and determination – so to be second in the championship standings is a great achievement for our team.
“Over the next month, it will be hard to close the gap because Andres (Pérez de Lara) is so good, but we feel that with our short-track program, we can compete with Rev Racing and the other powerhouse ARCA team and keep us in the hunt.”
With one of his 22 top-10 ARCA finishes delivered at Berlin Raceway, Van Alst says he believes his Anderson, Ind.-based team can return to the track and be better than they were in 2022.
“Berlin is a very unique short track,” explained Van Alst. “You feel like you are always turning. There’s little time to relax. The backstretch doesn’t have a wall and provides a little extra room for racing if needed, but it’s just hitting the balance right, especially for later in a run.
“We had a good setup – but what we learned a couple of years ago, we can apply more notes to our setup and I think we can inch closer to the top-five and keep ourselves there for 200 laps.”
This weekend, the family-owned team welcomes back CB Fabricating as the primary partner of the team’s No. 35 Ford Fusion for 200 laps of action.
Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating and assembly.
In addition to CB Fabricating, Zaki Ali (Injury & Criminal Trial Attorney; 1-888-649-1-ALI) and Top Choice Fence will serve as associate partners for Van Alst’s 47th career ARCA start.
“We have the same great partners like Chris Barkdull and CB Fabricating that keep us going,” added Van Alst. Without the support of CB, Zaki Ali, and Top Choice Fence, who have also been around for all eight
races this year, our second trip to Berlin might not have been possible.
“We’re still focused on completing the season. We could always use more support, but I know that running well and cutting our points deficit presents the opportunity to bring in new partners as the series approaches the halfway point of the year.
“We will keep digging and go to every race with our best intentions and hope that we’re able to deliver the results we are looking for.”
With eight races complete, Van Alst remains second in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 37 points behind championship leader Andrés Pérez de Lara, with 11 races remaining this year.
Since 2002, Van Alst has 46 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit, one win, five top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
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 Berlin ARCA 200 (200 laps | 88 miles) is the ninth of 20 races on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Saturday, June 29th, from 4:35 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 6:00 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on the FOX Sports App and Flo Racing while airing on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) at 10:00 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (Eastern).
