2/27/2022
GLSS-Great Lakes Super Sprints
1,343 Miles East Bay to East Bay
Prudenville, MI – Racing is a passion! Passion is a strong and barely controllable emotion which is an intense desire or enthusiasm for something. Passion to Phil Gressman is racing at East Bay Raceway Park, Tampa Bay, FL on Saturday, February 19th, driving 1,343 miles to East Bay, Prudenville, MI and racing on ice on Saturday, February 26th. Gressman definitely has a passion for racing sprint cars. He’s all in, or he’s all out…there is no in between with him.
Gressman grew up in Clyde, OH and has spent his whole life between Clyde and Fremont, OH. Growing up in a sprint car hot bed, it was only natural for Gressman to move from go karts to 305 sprint cars in 1993. For the past 25 years though, he has raced 360’s and 410’s, traveling the country from as far east as Pennsylvania, north to South Dakota, west to New Mexico and south to Florida. Most recently, Gressman runs with Great Lakes Super Sprints, winning the Championship in 2019.
Gressman’s passion for driving sprint cars has overflowed into the winter now. He has always made a regular trip to Florida in February to shake down his car and race and get an early start for the season. But he discovered Sprint Cars on Ice last March 6th when he tested his dirt car out on an ice track on East Bay in Houghton Lake, MI.
“It was crazy fun!”, said Gressman after the test and tune a year ago! “I received more calls, texts and messages for 15 minutes on the ice then I’ve gotten in 28 years traveling the country and winning championships!”
2022 kicked off with Gressman’s annual trip to East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL for the 360 Winter Nationals on February 17th, 18th and 19th. Gressman got his car dialed in making the feature Friday and Saturday and being 2nd quick on Saturday out of 47 cars. Then he packed up and had to hussle home and get the car dialed in for the Inaugural Hot Wheels on Ice race on East Bay in Prudenville, MI on February 26th.
After a spectacular trip thru the “snow” cushion during hot laps, Gressman was fighting his car everytime he hit the ice track Saturday. Losing the first race to Dustin Daggett, the 2018 GLSS Champion, Gressman battled back in the 2nd race for a photo finish win. To crown a winner for the inaugural race, we had a 12 lap head to head race off. With 4 laps to go, Gressman started battling a flat front right tire, causing him problems in turns 1 and 3. Daggett held on for the win, but not before a lot of exciting side by side racing!
Gressman has kicked off his 30th season in a sprint car with 3 dirt races and 1 ice race under his belt already. Now he’s back to the grind of his day job, where he’s a Superintendent for Mosser Construction and has worked for 17 years building local schools and hospitals and remodeling historical places like the tunnel at the Toledo Zoo!
This season you can see Gressman traveling with Great Lakes Super Sprints presented by Engine Pro & ARP in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. To see the GLSS schedule and follow this seasons results, go to www.greatlakessupersprints.com or to see the other sprint groups go to www.greatlakessprints.com. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@GLSprints).
Article Credit: Barry M. Marlow
Submitted By: Barry Marlow
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