Anderson’s VanAlst taking next step in racing career

ANDERSON — Two years ago Anderson’s Greg VanAlst scored the biggest win of his career in a race at Daytona International Speedway.

“Winning the ARCA race changed my life,” VanAlst said, referring to the race’s sanctioning body, the Automobile Racing Club of America, a stock car league.

The victory helped propel VanAlst into a higher level of stock car racing, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, where he’ll compete in 19 races this year with Joey Gase Motorsports.

VanAlst, 43, will drive this Saturday at the famed Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, in the lead-up to Sunday’s Daytona 500. He’ll be behind the wheel of the Anderson-based CB Fabricating car with sponsorship help from Vern’s Concrete.

VanAlst made five starts in the Xfinity Series in 2024, accelerating the process for this season.

“Just being in the garage and talking to the other competitors,” he said of the value of joining forces with the Gase team.

“Scott Osteen, myself and our entire Joey Gase Motorsports team are extremely excited to have Greg … be a part of our team in 2025,” Gase said.

“It’s crazy how things happen and work out sometimes. Greg was in our shop in 2022 when our team started (working on) his ARCA car. Whoever thought he would be driving for us a few years down the road.”

Racing repeatedly in the Xfinity series will give VanAlst’s career a boost. “The ultimate goal is to get as far as possible in a racing career,” he said.

VanAlst is looking forward to one Xfinity race, in particular. In July, he’ll put the pedal to the metal at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“There is nothing like racing at home and on the yard of bricks,” he said.

VanAlst comes into the 2025 season with added confidence, given that he belongs to a team that will set up his car for success.

“It allows me to have more confidence,” he said. “I always envisioned this could happen. But the journey is different than I expected.”

VanAlst said starting his own business in Anderson, Top Choice Fence, has helped grow his racing career by meeting business owners in the local community.

“I would love to race in the Redbud 400 at Anderson,” he said of the Champion Racing Association event for super late models.

VanAlst said he might add more Xfinity races to his schedule. He would jump at the chance to compete in the NASCAR Cup series.

While he focuses on his own burgeoning racing career, VanAlst is also helping his young son get on a fast track.

Ryder started racing late models at Anderson Speedway last year. Greg would like to get him into 12 races at Anderson Speedway this racing season and eventually into a JEGS pro late model ride at Winchester Speedway and Owosso Speedway in Michigan.

“He has more talent than me,” VanAlst said of Ryder. “He was racing go-karts as soon as he could reach the pedals.”

VanAlst started racing go-karts at age 14, then moved into a four-cylinder race car, then modifieds and then late models.

“After that, I did three races in ARCA in 2003 and then raced Hooter’s Pro Cup,” he recounted. “That’s when life changed.”

VanAlst moved back to Anderson from Florida and started the Top Choice Fence company and returned to go-kart racing.

VanAlst captured the Champion Racing Association Super Late Model championship in 2019, putting him into position to test a car at Daytona.

He returned to the ARCA Series in 2021 and joined the series full time last year.