These are exciting days for auto racer Andrew Gresel of Hepworth.
In what is a grinding, inch by inch, step by step profession, Gresel has elevated his craft to the level of the ARCA Racing Series and this weekend will participate in a series of test runs at Daytona International Speedway.
This weekend’s trials will be a primer for mid-February when Gresel makes his debut in ARCA, again at Daytona, in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, a race that will be staged in conjunction with the Bud Shootout.
The preparation for this adventure has been lengthy and perpetual.
Competing first out of Sauble Speedway, and then at tracks around Ontario, Gresel has turned heads with some spectacular results, including winning the Great Canadian Race at Delaware Speedway back in May.
The potential of advancing to the ARCA series took a lot of consideration….a LOT of consideration…..but now that the moment is at hand, he admits he’s excited about what he calls a huge opportunity.
The cost of competing in ARCA is staggering- Gresel estimates that the financial tag ranges from $ 80,000 to $ 150,000 per race, depending on the bells and whistles that accompany your entry.
Still, Andrew Gresel and his team hope to compete in a half dozen or more races in the ARCA series and while they’ll be listed as huge underdogs from the get go, the green flag of opportunity drops this weekend at Daytona.
I’m Fred Wallace