Gase making career steps slowly but surely

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - When you're building a career, the steps to where you want to be are often short, and can seem repetitive.

So when Cedar Rapids native Joey Gase talks about his 2015 plans, and they sound almost exactly as they did a year ago, it's not a bad thing. Though there aren't leaps and bounds, there's still progress to be seen for Gase. The newly-turned 22 year-old (his birthday was Feb. 8) moved to Concord, N.C. about a month ago from Cedar Rapids and spends three days a week at the Jimmy Means Racing shop - pitching in and working on his cars alongside the crew.

Most important of all, though, is he's beginning to feel much more comfortable within the NASCAR universe - something any successful driver needs to be able to carry him or herself well enough to attract sponsors and top rides.

'I would say I'm starting to get more comfortable with everything I do. Whether it's sponsors, trying to get sponsors - and there's no one way to get that, so you never know how that'll happen - it's a big learning process,” Gase said on Thursday. 'We're a small team. What a driver has to do on a top team is a lot different than what I have to do. A top driver on a top team obviously has the same driving responsibilities and appearances, but I have all those responsibilities; then throw in working on the car, organizing absolutely everything with the sponsors, getting the sponsors. I'm my own PR guy, too.

'I kind of do whatever needs to be done.”

That type of effort is common among drivers in Gase's position, and he's far from the only driver currently in the Xfinity - and in some cases Cup - Series to be working so hard on and off the track to keep his career both afloat and moving forward.

His work attracting sponsors has netted a hood sponsor for Daytona, which is something the team couldn't say less than a week ago. In addition to the familiar Donate Life campaign that's close to his heart, Agri Supply (a farm and fleet company similar to Theisen's) came on board to be on Gase's hood, and will join on for a few other races throughout the season.

When they confirmed their partnership, there wasn't a fancy news release or tweet campaign - they sent him a message on social media.

'I found out (last) Saturday night (Agri Supply) was going to be the hood sponsor - over Facebook,” Gase said. 'I put on Facebook Thursday or Friday that we were still looking for a hood sponsor, and their marketing lady messaged me to ask how much. She went up to the top (of the company) and asked, and we were able to get it. Found out over Facebook that we were going to be able to do it.”

Such is the life of a young racer doing his best to make it.

Obviously, though, he won't be able to make it on networking and elbow grease alone. His on-track performance must improve as well.

Though Jimmy Means Racing hasn't made any quantum leaps in terms of funding, equipment or personnel from last year to this year, Gase is hoping continuity and improvements in a few areas will help being consistency.

Like his career, the first step in his team making steps is finding solid ground.

'Last year we met all our goals, and the biggest thing I see from the year before over the winter is everything is a lot more prepared and ready to go. From rebuilding things, to making cars look nicer, to general maintenance on everything in general is a lot better,” Gase said. 'It'll probably be much the same, maybe a little bit better. But you never know what might happen throughout the season. You could get another, bigger sponsor and things like that. We'll see what happens.”

Long term, it's a long process.

Short term, the goals and issues are as simple (and complicated, if group qualifying has anything to do with it) as making the Xfinity Series Alert Today Florida 300 on Saturday. He's not locked into the field - the Xfinity Series did away with the top-30 locked-in rule - and isn't sure how group qualifying will go exactly.

Speedweeks is well known historically for the stress it places on drivers, and 2015 is no different.

'Our first goal is to make it into the race on Saturday,” Gase said. 'The new format is no one's really locked in anymore. We're still looking good - we were 28th in (owner) points - but you never know what might happen at Daytona.

'I'd say it's medium (stress level) right now. We'll see what happens. I think we'll be all right.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com