“I want to pull off a real strong finish, for both my sake and the team’s sake,” said Gresham, who will wheel the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry in the event. “I’m going there with the mindset that we’re going to win the race. That’s my goal. I’m shooting to win that race. Anything less than that is going to be a disappointment. This car and team has proven they can win at Iowa doing it this past May with Kyle Busch driving. I’m going to try to do the same.”
Gresham, just 16 years old, is currently second in the American Speed Association Southeast Asphalt Tour ranks with two wins this season. He knows his Iowa NASCAR Camping World goals are lofty especially given this will be just his third start in the division as part of the Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Development Program. The Woodward Academy (College Park, GA) Junior student made his NCWS and JGR Toyota Camry debut in May with a fifth-place effort at South Boston (VA) Speedway before finishing 16th in the Edge Hotel 150 at Adirondack (New Bremen, NY) International Speedway last month.
“Racing with the Gibbs team has been very cool,” said Gresham. “The level of professionalism they bring to the track is awesome. I am so lucky to have this chance to run the No. 18 Camry this year, to be on a team with Matt DiBendetto and Kyle Busch. It’s a great opportunity for me. I couldn’t ask for anything more other than to finish better and I’m confident we’re going to do that at Iowa.”
In tackling the Iowa 7/8-mile track, Gresham will face one of the biggest challenges in his young stock car career.
“I’m pretty excited because the biggest track I have raced at in my career so far is a half-mile” said Gresham. “I’m going to have to adapt to the higher speed and aerodynamic issues quickly on the bigger track at Iowa, but I know I will be up to it. It’s great to go to a track where you can learn new skill sets that advance your career. Racing at Iowa, and driving the JGR Camping World car at the one-mile track at New Hampshire again in two weeks, will do that for me.”
Gresham and his Gresham Motorsports Park/World Crown 300 sponsored red and black No. 18 Toyota Camry will hit Iowa Speedway oval Friday, September 4, with a 9 a.m. Central Time practice session. Qualifying for the Central Iowa Building And Construction Trades 125 will roll off at 4:30 p.m. with the green flag for the 125-lap event falling at 8 p.m.
- Gresham Motorsports Press Release