Gresham Motorsports Adds ARCA Win To Team's List Of Victories
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRIFFIN, GA (July 23, 2010) – Max Gresham gave crew chief Gene Roberts the best birthday present possible last Saturday in winning the Tim Richmond Memorial 200 Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) event at Mansfield (OH) Speedway.
“Winning the ARCA race was special,” said Roberts, the top kick at Gresham Motorsports. “We ran well and led the previous week at Iowa but didn’t get the finish we wanted. I was happy to come back the next week and get a victory. The fact that it was my birthday made it that much sweeter.”
At just 17, Gresham is the latest young star to rocket on to the national scene. Gresham’s Mansfield win – in just his third career ARCA start – and two victories in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series this season have put him on everyone’s radar as one of the breakout drivers of 2010.
And the year is only half over.
Like David Ragan, Joey Logano, Reed Sorenson and Beau Slocumb before him, Gresham has had the benefit of having Roberts in his corner throughout his meteoric drive up the racing ladder. Roberts, a longtime NASCAR Nationwide and Cup Division crew chief and team manager, has served in those roles for Gresham Motorsports for the last five years.
According to Gresham, that’s been an invaluable asset.
“Gene is fair - and he’s direct,” Gresham stated. “He wants things done his way. He’s the boss. I don’t have a problem with that. I’ve learned so much from him. I would never be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for Gene and the Driver Development Program he created at Gresham Motorsports. There are a bunch of other guys that could say that too. I’m just the latest one. Right now, they’ve got Gene Kirila in the Late Model program and my brother Charlie in the Legends program run by Jeremy Kalina. They are both good drivers and the equipment is great. You might do it Gene’s way most of the time, but when you have the winning results we’ve had, you have to say it’s the right way to do things.”
Roberts has a full arsenal of resources at his disposal at Gresham Motorsports. The first is a top-notch race shop located in the shadow of Atlanta Motor Speedway, the home track for the Gresham Motorsports U.S. Legends Program. The sparkling Griffin, GA facility also houses the team’s Pro Late Model, Super Late Model and ARCA efforts – each with its own winning history.
“I think our track record speaks for itself,” said Roberts. “We’ve had great success at several racing levels with David, Joey and Max and I personally had a lot of success developing Reed Sorenson. We have a great team here with people who have top notch experience levels. I would compare our record with anyone out there. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished here. We’ve had a great success rate.”
With Max Gresham more than likely headed to the Nationwide ranks and beyond in the next couple of years, Roberts is already on the lookout for next group of young stars to mentor through the GMS ‘Driver Development’ Program.
“We look at all different series of racing for our candidates,” said Roberts. “Legends, sprint cars, you name it. We look at talent level and see who is rising to the top, drivers who have the best win averages in their particular series. Unfortunately, the economy is dictating what potential drivers who want to move forward can afford to do financially. It’s tough to get the equation right – it’s hard to find drivers with both the talent and economics level to make it work. Fortunately, they’ve always been able to find us.”
Gresham Motorsports is currently taking applications for its 2011 ARCA, Pro and Super Late Model, and US Legends International Driver Development Programs. Qualified candidates with sponsorship funding are encouraged to inquire at info@greshammotorsports.com.
Companies interested in marketing partnerships with Gresham Motorsports and Gresham Motorsports Drivers should contact Tony Gresham at tgresham@gresham-inc.com