The easiest way to spot a small NASCAR team is not where it finishes, but what happens before the green flag. The Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racings of the garage unload matching equipment backed by factory engineers and manufacturer support. But those like Joey Gase are trying to make race cars from whatever quality parts he can afford.

His team, Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen, runs a mix of Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota equipment. And while he could pretend that’s some unique strategy, trying to use the best of what these OEMs have to offer, what Gase is doing is just about survival.

“We’re not somebody who is a Roger Penske,” Gase said to Jayski.com. It was a clear explanation of what life’s like for an independent team owner in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He also explained why getting real manufacturer support is far harder than most outsiders think.

“Maybe some day, that has other businesses and can rely on that,” Gase further told Jayski. “We are truly a race team and a business, doing everything we can to survive and operate. If that means I don’t get to drive, I want to drive, but if that’s what we have to do, we have to do it.”

Gase founded the team in 2021 and, from 2022 to 2024, partnered with Patrick Emerling. The following year, he began working with Scott Osteen on the project. It’s safe to say the run has been modest so far. The team has only nine full-time NASCAR employees and fields the No. 53 and No. 55 cars every week.

The team uses a collection of chassis from Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and GMS Racing. Depending on the track and the equipment available, Gase may run a Chevrolet one weekend and a Ford or Toyota the next.

Fans often ask why he does not simply commit to one NASCAR manufacturer and get factory backing. Gase says it is not that simple.

“People are like, ‘Why don’t you just choose one manufacturer and get support?’” he said. “Unfortunately, you’re not going to get support from a manufacturer that amounts to anything unless you’re paying for an alliance from a top team. That is disappointing to say the least.”

That comment paints a picture of where the series is right now. Factory support is there, yes, but for teams like Gase’s, it usually comes with a price tag that’s out of reach. He would find others in the garage who understand the struggle. Teams like SS Green Light Racing, MBM Motorsports, and BJ McLeod Motorsports also rely on multiple OEMs for similar reasons.

Gase has given most of his NASCAR career to driving for independent organizations. The goal now is different. He is trying to build a team that can still be here five years from now.

Every Weekend is a Fight to Stay in the Game

The job does not end when Gase climbs out of the NASCAR car. He might be under a race car diagnosing a suspension problem, helping in the garage, or serving as crew chief for one of the team’s entries.

“We work our tails off each and every day,” Gase continued in the same interview with Jayski. “I’m really proud of the group that we have right now. We definitely need more people, but the guys that we do have work our tails off and believe in us and do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

The team has already used 26 different drivers across 55 races, often giving opportunities to racers who do not have the funding needed to land rides with larger organizations.

Gase believes the O’Reilly Series has changed dramatically over the last decade. Years ago, a team with his current resources could regularly run around 15th. Now, he says, the series feels almost like the Cup Series with older-style cars because the competition has become that strong.

GR and Richard Childress Racing use the series as a direct pipeline for their Cup Series rosters, whereas teams like JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., have become huge organizations.

Owner points in NASCAR are another constant concern. They determine whether a team is safely in the field or risks going home without making the race, so every completed lap matters.

To stretch the budget, Joey Gase Motorsports shares transportation costs with other teams and builds race-week crews from people across different regions of the country. That is a long way from the polished factory-backed operations fans usually see on television.

Gase also knows how fragile that world can be. Three independent teams have already shut down this season, and he does not take simply making it to the next race for granted.

“You have to say no sometimes to things and keep on digging and believing,” he said. “To be a team in the series for a long time and hopefully at some point be contending for wins and a championship.”

His team is not chasing championships right now. It is looking for stability. In today’s NASCAR, that might be the harder race to win.