| Patrick Sheltra Ready
To Get Down To Business At Talladega
“2010 ARCA Racing Series Champion More Than Ready
For NCWTS Return”
TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 19, 2011) - - Making
his return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
for the first time since 2007, last year’s ARCA Racing
Series presented by Menards champion Patrick Sheltra aims
to make a statement in Saturday afternoon’s sixth
annual Coca-Cola 250 Powered By fred’s 250 at Talladega
(Ala.) Superspeedway.
The 25-year old Sheltra will drive the No.
99 Bucked Up Apparel / PatrickSheltra.com Ford F-150 for
T3R. The Indiantown, Florida native will make just his second
NASCAR appearance of 2011 on Saturday. In February, the
driver nicknamed “Mr. Showtime” competed in
the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season-opener at Daytona
(Fla.) International Speedway.
It’s only fitting for Sheltra, also
considered a dirt ace to return to action on a superspeedway
where the fearless driver has impressed immensely at both
restrictor plate tracks including last April at the 2.66-mile
oval where Sheltra led his first career Nationwide laps
driving for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard. He also finished
second in the Talladega ARCA 250 after pushing fellow truck
competitor Dakoda Armstrong to his first career ARCA Racing
Series win last April en route to the championship.
Set to make just his eighth NASCAR start overall,
the Floridian driver wants to draft his way to the front,
stay there and rightfully earn his growing team some exposure
in hopes of grasping his first ever NASCAR top-10 finish.
Sheltra, also wouldn’t mind to attract some attention
to himself in hopes of returning to action on a permanent
basis in 2012.
“I’m looking forward to racing
at Talladega again,” said Sheltra. “I cannot
thank everyone at T3R and the Silas family enough for the
opportunity. I think we’ll have a decent truck in
qualifying but something to bolt into contention during
the race.”
42 trucks have filed an entry for the 22nd
race of the 2011 NCWTS season, meaning Sheltra and Co. will
have to better six other teams in order to make the starting
field on Saturday afternoon.
“Yeah, it’s nail-biting when you’re
a go-or-go-homer, but we really can’t worry about
that until qualifying,” he offered. “I think
even with the big field, we’ll still have a pretty
good truck that should qualify decent and put us somewhere
mid-pack. From there, it will be finding the right drafting
partner and riding until its go time.”
Sheltra added, “I haven’t raced
a lot this season, but that doesn’t mean I have forgotten
how to race. I know Talladega is a mental game and it’s
about being at the right place at the right time. We’ll
be smart when we race on Saturday and try to avoid the “Big
One”, if it should develop. The main goal though is
to be around for the final 15 laps when the action will
peg and it will be game on and every driver for themselves.”
Motorsports veteran Cal Boprey will call the
shots as crew chief for the three-time ARCA winner on Saturday
afternoon. It will be the first time the duo has worked
together. Additionally, like he did in 2009, Sheltra’s
racecar will sport a pink-based paint scheme in support
of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The Coca-Cola 250 Powered By fred’s
250 (94 laps / 250.04 miles) is the 22nd of 25 races on
the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tour. The lone
practice session of the weekend is set for Friday, October
21st from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Qualifying is set
for later in the day set to launch at 4:10 p.m. The field
will take the green flag on Saturday, October 22nd shortly
after 3:00 p.m. with live coverage on SPEED, the Motor Racing
Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite, Channel
90). Pre-race coverage of the contest lifts off at 2:30
p.m. also on SPEED. All times are local (Central).
For additional input on Patrick Sheltra, please
connect to PatrickSheltra.com.
###
TEAM / DRIVER COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Knight Motorsports Management
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: chris@chrisknightpr.com
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