Gase still grinding, chasing NASCAR dream

NEWTON - Joey Gase is a busy guy.

The 22-year-old Cedar Rapids native has to be if he wants to continue his career in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and reach the places he wants to reach. It's been highlighted before that he's his own PR and marketing man, and he gathers the sponsorship for his car each week.

He's his busiest when he comes home for the two Xfinity Series races at Iowa Speedway each year, which is typically when his sponsor obligations are most plentiful. As hard as he has to grind to keep his head above water and body in the seat of a racecar, there's nothing he'd rather be doing.

'I've worked so hard to get to this point and there are so many people who would kill just to be able to race in the Xfinity Series. That makes you want to keep going,” Gase said. 'And I really don't want to do anything else. I think about it all the time, how I could quit and go get a day job. But that would be really boring. I don't know how that would work out. It's something I've wanted to do all my life and have worked for all my life and I have a lot of support behind me.”

The Inside Track Podcast: Joey Gase

That support comes in many forms for the Cedar Rapids Xavier graduate, and without his dad, grandparents and girlfriend, much of the last five years would have been impossible.

He's been running this gamut of searching for a ride and sponsors long enough that he's seen the lowest of low points. His phone and email are typically ringing and buzzing regularly - either that or he's calling or reaching out - but he's experienced enough silence in his effort to climb the ladder.

Chasing a dream doesn't happen without forging ahead through adversity, and Gase has learned that firsthand.

'There's been a lot of downs and you didn't know how to get out of it or what was going to happen next,” Gase said. 'It's funny how things work sometimes. Sometimes something bad happens, then a few weeks later something good happens. You've just got to keep on digging and hope for the best.

'Once you get in the racecar, it just makes everything better. That's where I want to be.”

In advance of the U.S. Cellular 250 on Saturday night at Iowa Speedway, Gase came back to Cedar Rapids early to get a jump on all he has to do before the race. He landed an extra sponsor in ForeverHip.com to go with his usual primary sponsor in the Iowa Donor Network, and he had appearances scheduled throughout the week to help promote both.

The extra sponsorship will bring in much-needed funds to improve the over-the-wall pit crew - a major flaw in the week-to-week performance of his No. 52 team - plus extra tires. It's rare for his Jimmy Means Racing Chevy to have sticker tires throughout a race, but Saturday night Gase should have the full allotted amount of new tires for which to compete.

'The extra money we're getting will help a lot. I think we're going to have a really good over-the-wall pit crew and some good tires. So everything that hurts us normally, we're going to be in a lot better shape with this weekend,” Gase said. 'I'd be OK or happy with a top 25. I'd be really happy if we got a top 20.

'It's been an up and down year. We're still working really hard on trying to meet our goals in the Xfinity Series.”

Gase's grind doesn't end with the Xfinity Series, either.

He's made six career Sprint Cup Series starts in the No. 32 GoGreen Racing Ford - four last season and two so far this year, the last of which coming at Kansas Speedway in May. With that car now occupied by Josh Wise for several events the rest of this season, it's left Gase to look elsewhere for his Cup chances.

He still left the door open for a return to the No. 32 for select races, but it's likely a chance will have to come from somewhere else. There have been some discussions, but nothing official so far. And if he's learned anything to this point, it's how to look for and find opportunities.

'I think there's still some chances (in the 32), but I am going to venture out and see what other rides are out there and maybe get my feet wet and see what it's like on a couple other teams,” Gase said. 'It's still all in the discussion phase. In the racing world, I think it's hard for anyone to get anything concrete until about a week before and it's just how it works unfortunately. I think next year I'll definitely still be in the seat in the Xfinity Series and hopefully a lot more in the Cup Series. I'm definitely starting to talk more with teams in the Cup Series.

'We'll just have to see how everything plays out.”

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