| Patrick Sheltra Eager For Kentucky Speedway
Rematch
“Indiantown, Florida Native Looking For
Inaugural Victory Friday Night”
SPARTA, Kentucky (July 14, 2008) - - After a little rest
and relaxation, ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) sophomore driver
Patrick Sheltra will gear up for round number 11 on the
2008 schedule when the green flag waives at Kentucky Speedway
Friday night for the running of the Kentucky ARCA RE/MAX
150.
And if Sheltra Motorsports May Kentucky Speedway performance
is any indication, the team will likely return to the front
at the historic 1.5-mile oval and look for win number one
in the No. 60 Groupe Beton Brunet-Ferguson Pipe-FloraGanics
Dodge Charger.
“I’m ready for Kentucky,” said Sheltra
who spent his downtime in Dryden, Texas, a city with a dense
population of 11. “We had a real good run in May but
the extended cautions hurt a lot of teams including us.
That was then and this is now. I’m ready to win and
Kentucky would be a great place to do it at.”
Rewinding back to ARCA’s 16th appearance at Kentucky
Speedway, fans enjoyed a solid and competitive race but
a late race caution would set up for a green-white-checkered
finish. Cautions would continue to fly sending the race
into overtime. Already close on fuel mileage, the extended
laps would wreak havoc on the Sheltra Motorsports team as
Sheltra had to relinquish a solid fourth place effort to
pit for four tires and fuel. On the final run of the night,
Sheltra was on a mission and marched from his restarting
position of 15th to maneuver his camouflage Dodge Charger
to an impressive seventh on the final lap. It was at that
time, Sheltra’s best performance of the year.
“Kentucky Speedway always provides great racing and
the race in May was no exception,” remembered Sheltra.
“I expect the same type of competition this weekend.”
Sheltra Motorsports located just two and a half hours from
Kentucky Speedway in the small town of Whitesville, Kentucky
elected not to participate in the recent open test at the
Sparta, Kentucky based facility and Sheltra is confident
his team won’t miss a beat.
“I’m not worried at all,” commented Sheltra
on the decision to skip the open test. “We know what
our car will do during the day and night. The Sheltra Motorsports
bunch has worked their tails off to make sure our Dodge
Charger is ready to go.”
Crew Chief John Hayden has elected to bring Sheltra Motorsports
chassis number 12 to Kentucky Speedway this weekend. This
is the same automobile that Sheltra steered in the Drive
Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150 to a solid seventh place finish.
Chassis number 11 will serve as the team’s back-up
automobile. This is the same piece that the Whitesville,
Kentucky based team competed with at Pocono Raceway in June.
“Our Dodge program has been strong. Other than Pocono
where we lost a motor, we’ve run in the top-10. The
car we’re bringing back this weekend has sat on jack
stands since the May race and we haven’t touched it
until a few weeks ago. The car really planted good to the
track here in May and we’re hoping it will do the
same Friday night.”
For the second consecutive event, Groupe Beton Brunet will
return with Sheltra as the primary marketing partner for
the Kentucky ARCA RE/MAX 150.
Groupe (pronounced Group) Beton (pronounced Be-Ton) Brunet
(pronounced Brew-Nay) has more than 75 years experience
in the underground/infrastructure industry throughout Eastern
Canada. Groupe Beton Brunet grown substantially in adding
(7) new acquisitions and various product lines. Groupe Beton
Brunet has expanded their markets to include the United
States with a plant located in Florida.
“We’re super excited to have Groupe Beton Brunet
back on board for Kentucky. This is a completely different
venue for them, so we’re looking forward to running
up front and putting their name out there even more.”
Locking ninth in the championship standings with 10 events
remaining on the 2008 calendar, 130 markers separate Sheltra
from entering the top-five in the championship chase and
the 22-year old superstar knows that a stellar run Friday
night will keep the team’s championship chase alive.
“Point’s have been the name of the game this
season,” sounded Sheltra. “We’ve only
had two finishes outside the top-20 and we’re ninth
in points. That just tells you what kind of season it has
been this year. We have to raise the bar another notch during
the second-half and collect some points.”
Entering Kentucky, Sheltra has 35 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts
to his credit with a career best finish of second at Toledo
Speedway (May 2008) with two additional top-five finishes
(third) at Illinois State Fairgrounds (August 2007), (fourth)
at Berlin Raceway (July 2007) while holding additional top-10s
at Michigan International Speedway (June 2008), Kentucky
Speedway (May 2008), Kansas Speedway (April 2008), Iowa
Speedway (April 2008), Kentucky Speedway (June 2007), DuQuoin
State Fairgrounds (September 2007) and Toledo Speedway (October
2007). An eighth place qualifying effort at Kansas Speedway
(April 2008) is Sheltra’s best time trials efforts
to date. He has controlled the ARCA field twice for 15 laps.
The Kentucky ARCA RE/MAX 150 (150 miles/100 laps) is the
11th of 21 events on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule.
The 17th ARCA race at Kentucky Speedway is a one-day show.
Practice begins Friday July 18 with a two hour and fifteen
minute practice session planned from 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is slated to begin at 4:30
p.m. with live television coverage on SPEED. The field will
take the green flag later that evening shortly after 8:00
p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional
race coverage including live timing and scoring available
online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
For more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit the newly re-launched
PatrickSheltra.com.
Patrick Sheltra, Sheltra
Motorsports, Kentucky Speedway Notes of Interest:
· Sheltra Motorsports will run a mixture of Dodge
Chargers and Chevrolet Monte Carlos Chevrolet during the
2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. For Kentucky, Sheltra Motorsports
will run a Dodge Charger that will make its second ARCA
appearance Friday night The car was acquired from Penske
Racing during the off-season. The car was previously driven
by 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman. RC Consultants
will provide the horsepower for the sophomore ARCA team.
· Sheltra currently maintains a point’s position
in the top-10 (ninth) heading into Kentucky Speedway this
weekend. Sheltra moved into the top-10 in the series’
second race of the season at Salem Speedway and has remained
locked in the top-10 since. The Indiantown, Florida native
is just 130 markers from entering the top-five and 420 credits
from the number one position held by SunTrust Rookie-of-the-Year
candidate Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Last year, the then 21-year
old superstar finished seventh in the championship standings
competing in 22 of the scheduled 23 events.
· Sheltra will make 400 left hand turns on Friday
night, six hundred twenty eight (628) less turns than the
series last outing, the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 at the .625-mile
track of Cayuga Motor Speedway late last month.
· In addition to running a full 2008 ARCA RE/MAX
Series schedule, Sheltra will also run a limited schedule
in NASCAR and compete in selected dirt late model events
(UMP and WoO Series) throughout the United States.
About Sheltra Motorsports:
Sheltra Motorsports (sheltramotorsports.com) is a three-tier
Motorsports operation consisting of dirt and asphalt competition.
Patrick Sheltra, a 21-year old native of Indiantown, Florida
competes in the UMP and WoO (Dirt) Series; while also running
a full schedule in the ARCA RE/MAX Series (No. 60) and a
limited schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (No.
35). Sheltra Motorsports ownership is combined of Richard,
Grace and Patrick Sheltra. The team is headquartered in
Indiantown, Florida with additional operations in Richmond,
Indiana and Whitesville, Kentucky.
Sheltra Motorsports Quick
Facts:
Team Name: Sheltra Motorsports, No. 60
No. 60 Dodge Charger
Driver: Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown, Florida
Car Owner: Grace Sheltra, Indiantown, Florida
Crew Chief: John Hayden
Team Manager: Keith Strunk
Marketing Partners: Groupe Beton Brunet,
Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, Inc, FloraGanics, American Concrete
Industries, Inc, The Casite Company, J&S Bulk Transportation,
Inc., US Construction Supply Corp., CP Concrete Products
of the Palm Beaches, Martin County Petroleum, Sheltra &
Son Construction, Sheltra Cattle Company, Recycling Services,
Aaron’s Outdoors, Indiantown Marina, All About Flowers,
Speed Media, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, DMC Graphics and
Purcell Tire & Rubber.
TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797 or 830.261.1215
EMAIL: knight849@aol.com
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