“You really have to keep both the front and rear tires on the car,” stated Gresham, who will wheel the No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota in the Ansell Protective Gloves 200 at LOR. “It’s going to be brutal on tires. Heck, you have to make sure that you are going to have a car under you at the end of 200 laps. It’s going to be a long race and I am going to have to keep the car in good shape. If I can do that, we’ll be in good shape.”
Thursday’s race will be the first time ARCA cars will tour the Clermont, IN track since Bob Schact won there on August 3, 1985. Other past ARCA winners at the former Indianapolis Raceway Park include Davey Allison, Bruce Gould, Ralph Latham, Marvin Smith and Ramo Stott.
Everyone should be on a level ‘playing field’ Thursday given the ARCA Series has not competed at the track in more than 25 years. That said, Gresham thinks he may have a slight advantage considering he just won on another super-flat oval recently.
“In a lot of ways, Lucas Oil Raceway feels a lot like New Hampshire Motor Speedway to me,” said Gresham, who drove the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a victory in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event at NHMS two weeks ago. “It’s just smaller. New Hampshire has been really good to me, so I’m looking forward to going to Indy. I like going to places I am familiar with and I am usually fast at those places. I have a lot of confidence going in just knowing that Lucas Oil Raceway is a lot like a place I have been successful before.”
Gresham – the current NKNPSE championship points leader – also feels he’ll have an additional pack of aces up his sleeve thanks to one of the top teams in the ARCA series in Venturini Motorsports.
“I always look forward to going to the racetrack with Venturini Motorsports,” stated the 18-year-old Griffin, GA native. “That’s especially true going to a place like Indy where there are a lot of eyes watching what you are doing. It really helps to put your best foot forward and do the best you can. Racing with the Venturini’s gives me the opportunity to do that.”
Thursday’s race will be Gresham’s ninth career ARCA start and his first-ever event at Lucas Oil Raceway. In his previous eight career ARCA races, Gresham has one win – the Tim Richmond Memorial 200 at Mansfield Speedway (7//17/2010) – and four top-10 finishes. This will be his fourth start of the 2011 season with Venturini Motorsports, his best finish a second at Michigan on June 17.
The Ansell Protective Gloves 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway will take the green flag at 7 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday.
The event will be telecast live on SPEED TV and can also be heard on Internet radio at www.arcaracing.com.
Fans can also follow Gresham throughout the day Thursday on Twitter@MaxGresham and on Facebook at Max Gresham Fan Page.
Additional information about Max Gresham can be accessed at www.MaxGresham.com.
Information about Venturini Motorsports can be obtained at www.VenturiniMotorsports.com.
- Max Gresham Motorsports Press Release
