BENTON, Mo. — Austyn Gossel is assured that his first triumph with the American Dash Automobile Sequence is close to.
In his third full-time season with the sequence, the Fort Collins, Colo.,native is seeking to show his functionality of profitable on the tour whereas persevering with to develop the chemistry of the staff he has across the No. 16G machine.
He’ll proceed the milestone quest at Benton Speedway on Friday night time. By way of his solely two appearances on the observe with ASCS, Gossel completed tenth in 2024, then earned his career-high on the “Present Me State” three-eighths-mile with a fifth-place consequence within the 2025 showcase.
“I feel it’s been the luck of the draw,” Gossel mentioned. “Final yr, after we went to Benton, it was actually a technical, difficult race floor. It was slick to the bone as much as the curb, and there wasn’t even a lot of a curb, extra like a slab of dust in opposition to the wall that you simply experience all the best way round.
“I obtained an excellent capsule draw, fast time in qualifying, and beginning up entrance with these guys is de facto essential, irrespective of the place we’re. I’ve discovered a rhythm there early on, however it’s a extremely distinctive observe that I actually get pleasure from going there. The final couple of years, it’s been a special floor. However it hasn’t mattered to me what the floor is, I nonetheless wound up operating up entrance there. It’s a spot that simply actually fits my fashion.”
After the Friday go to to Missouri, Gossel will journey 70 miles eastbound to Paducah Worldwide Raceway for the Mom’s Day Salute to shut the 2 days of racing with the sequence. The high-banked Kentucky observe is the place that Gossel has been closest to scoring a victory with ASCS.
He struggled in his first begin on the observe in 2024 with a Sixteenth-place consequence. In his second look in Could of 2025, he improved to complete twelfth. When the sequence returned in September, Gossel discovered his rhythm. Starting the night time, he completed third in his Warmth race, then drove from a fifth-place beginning spot within the characteristic to complete runner-up to Jason Martin on the checkered flag.
“It’s form’ve loopy going from a observe like Benton to a actually demanding racetrack like Paducah,” Gossel mentioned. “Initially, I didn’t care to return there as a result of it wasn’t for me. I talked to a couple guys about it and figuring out methods to race that observe. You need to drive actually onerous, it’s actually demanding, and you need to principally drive it up the banking and let the automobile do its factor.
“However now, I’m actually trying ahead to going again there. That’ll sort of be our figuring out issue. If we don’t run good, then we obtained to determine one thing else with our program going ahead. There’s actually not a cause as to why we must always run unhealthy there with the gear we’ve obtained and the backing that we obtained from everybody that help us. You’re going so quick there, that’s the place you have to throw your nuts over your shoulder and get after it.”
Gossel’s staff possesses dash automobile information lasting a number of a long time. Final season, veteran dash automobile crew chief Bobby Craft joined the staff for the ASCS go to to Dodge Metropolis Raceway Park. That night time, Gossel earned his first second-place end after ranging from the pole.
“The primary night time Bobby got here to assist us final yr, we ended up operating second at Dodge Metropolis,” Gossel mentioned. “It’s progressed from there, and we must always have had a pair wins final yr, however issues weren’t flying for us.
“So, we’ve actually put within the work over the offseason to get higher, and our aim was to win at the least a couple races. If not that, run up entrance persistently. Now we have the pace, we have now the gear, we have now all the proper issues to get us there. We simply need to get there as a staff.”
Although Gossel sits tenth in factors getting into the weekend, he is aware of there’s room for extra development to be proven. His highest end of the season is an eleventh place from the ultimate night time of the Sonoran Conflict at Central Arizona Raceway.
On Saturday night time, he completed sixth within the ASCS Gunsmoke Area opener at Dodge Metropolis Raceway Park in his preparation for extra 360 racing in Could.
“It’s actually about having the mindset that we’re able to operating good,” Gossel mentioned. “I’m actually glad we made the choice to go run (Gunsmoke) to appreciate once more how a lot issues decelerate if you run a 360 in comparison with a 410 (dash automobile). Your response instances decelerate, your pace slows down, however you’re higher at reacting to conditions. Little issues like that matter quite a bit.
“I do know if we get one thing near the setup we had final yr, we will unload out of the field and have an excellent qualifying, good Warmth, and the luck of the capsule draw. The fellows you’re gonna be racing with a lot of the night time will likely be powerful, so I feel the boldness is essential. Entering into understanding that we will win on any given night time, we’ll simply put our eggs within the basket and get after it.”
Gossel will strap aboard his No. 16G dash automobile with the American Dash Automobile Sequence at Benton Speedway on Friday, Could 8, then Paducah Worldwide Raceway on Saturday, Could 9.
