MARTINSVILLE, Va.: Set to make his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season in Saturday’s Marine Corps 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, short-track veteran Greg Van Alst is eager to produce a season-best finish for his Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen team.
The Anderson, Ind. native is set to make his first Xfinity Series short track start of the season after competing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, respectively.
With a season-high 26th-place finish at the “World Center of Daytona” last month, Van Alst is eager to improve and deliver his Mooresville, N.C.-based team a top-20 finish.
Van Alst is confident that his short-track experience will be an asset this weekend at Martinsville.
“I’m really looking forward to Martinsville,” said Van Alst. “Short tracks are my bread and butter. It’s where I’ve had the most success throughout my career, and I feel like Martinsville presents a great opportunity for us to have our best finish of the season.”
The former ARCA Menards Series winner is also looking forward to capitalizing on his recent Martinsville Speedway finish, where last November, Van Alst earned a solid finish in his track debut at the famed paperclip oval.
“I learned a lot last year at Martinsville,” Van Alst said. “It’s a tough place — tight corners, heavy braking, and a lot of beating and banging — but I felt like we held our own and came away with a respectable result. Now that I’ve got some laps under my belt there, I feel like I have a better understanding of what to expect and how to approach the race.
“Martinsville is all about track position and survival. If we can keep the nose clean and be there at the end, I think we have a shot to put ourselves in a good spot when it counts.”
After three diverse starts on a superspeedway, intermediate track, and a one-mile oval, Van Alst believes the return to a short track will play to his strengths.
“We’ve shown speed at times this year, but things just haven’t fallen our way,” Van Alst added. “Martinsville is a place where you need to be patient, take care of your equipment, and be in a position to capitalize at the end. If we can stay out of trouble and have a clean race, I think a top-20 finish is within reach.”
Van Alst’s No. 35 team, led by veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Sr, has been steadily improving with each race. Despite suffering mechanical gremlins at Las Vegas, the veteran driver is optimistic that their hard work will translate to success on Saturday night.
“We’ve been building something good here at Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen,” Van Alst said. “The team has been working hard in the shop and at the track, and I’m grateful for the effort everyone has put in. Hopefully, we can reward that with a strong finish at Martinsville.”
For the second time this season, Van Alst’s No. 35 Chevrolet will carry continued support from Anderson, Ind.-based CB Fabricating.
Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating, and assembly.
“Chris (Barkdull, CB Fabrication owner) is a huge short-track guy,” added Van Alst. “He knows what it takes to be successful at tracks like Martinsville, and having his support and knowledge behind us gives me a lot of confidence heading into the weekend.
“Chris has been a big part of helping us get this program off the ground, and it would mean a lot to have a strong run for him and everyone at CB Fabrication.”
For his 11th career Xfinity Series start, Van Alst will continue to be supported by long-time partner CB Fabricating while welcoming CBT (Car Boat Truck) Detail, Top Choice Fence and Vern’s Concrete as associate marketing partners for the first of two Xfinity trips to the Old Dominion this season.
Since 2023, Van Alst has had 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, earning a career-best 26th-place finish twice, most recently at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2025.
For more on Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen, please like them on Facebook (Joey Gase Motorsports) and follow them on Instagram (@joeygasemotorsports) and X | Twitter (@J_G_Motorsports).
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 Marine Corps 250 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the seventh of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2025 schedule. 25-minute group practices will occur on Friday, March 28, 2025, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 5:35 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Saturday, March 29, shortly after 5:00 p.m., with live coverage on The CW Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).
