Sheltra Motorsports Talladega Superspeedway Private Test Notes & Quotes

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
January 23, 2008

TALLADEGA, Alabama (January 23, 2008) - - ARCA RE/MAX Series, Sheltra Motorsports
Preseason Testing, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega , Alabama
Private Test Notes & Quotes
Wednesday, January 23, 2008.

After a complete washout yesterday, Sheltra Motorsports and several other ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) teams were able to finally tackle the 2.666-mile speedway just after 12:30pm Central Time Wednesday afternoon. Sheltra Motorsports, who will run the full ARCA schedule for a second consecutive season is utilizing the private test as a final opportunity to dial in their No. 60 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in preparation for the season opener, the ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway set for February 9, 2008.

Attached below are some notes and quotes from today’s activities.

PATRICK SHELTRA, NO. 60 FERGUSON PIPE ENTERPRISES, INC, AMERICAN CONCRETE INDUSTRIES, HARDIE PIPE, FLORGANICS CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO SS

SHELTRA: (ON THE OPEN TEST) “So far so good. The Sheltra Motorsports bunch has worked really hard since the Daytona test in December to make this car more competitive and it looks like the hard work has paid off. The tracks are so different, but our lap times are very solid and the handling of the car is awesome. Sheltra Motorsports is looking good!”

SHELTRA: (WHAT DID YOU BEFORE GETTING ON THE TRACK THIS AFTERNOON?) “We helped dry the track (laughs). The track was absolutely soaked this morning, so as soon as I arrived this morning, I jumped into the rental car and joined the rest of the team cars that were out there. It was a lot of fun. We were able to get the car up to 125 mph, but then she shut off, so we just cruised around that speed around the track for a good hour or so. I had a blast!”

SHELTRA: (YOU PUSHED BACK THE START OF YOUR 2008 DIRT LATE MODEL SEASON TO STAY AND TEST WEDNESDAY AT TALLADEGA , WAS THAT PLANNED?) “No, it really wasn’t. We decided at the last minute to pull out of Wednesday’s night’s Dirt Late Model event in Brunswick , Georgia to concentrate on the ARCA test. If we are going to be set for Daytona and try and run for a championship, it was very important for me to stick around. No worries though, I’ll be in Brunswick on Thursday night and I’m looking forward to hoping in my No. 23 Chevrolet and getting dirty.”

SHELTRA: (ON THE ANTICIPATION OF MAKING HIS SECOND CAREER RESTRICTOR PLATE START AT DAYTONA NEXT MONTH) “I’m looking forward to it. I tell you what; I learned so much at Talladega last October that I feel it will really play into my hands next month. We have a stronger piece than what we had at Talladega and our times that we posted at Daytona were very satisfying. We’re also guaranteed into the show, so there’s no pressure there. We can just concentrate on our race day package.”

SHELTRA: (ON HAVING MOTORSPORTS VETERANS KEITH STRUNK AND JOHN HAYDEN LEAD HIS SHELTRA MOTORSPORTS TEAM IN 2008) “Keith and John are a crucial part of the Sheltra Motorsports team. Keith and John are no strangers to winning races and Keith has a championship under his belts and I know he is hungry to win another championship. We sat down at the end of last season and agreed if we were going to take a shot at the championship, we would have to raise the bar. We’ve raised that bar and I think everyone will see a more firm and committed Sheltra Motorsports team in 2008.”

SHELTRA: (HIS GOALS FOR THE 2008 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES SEASON) “During the off-season we took the chance to bring the perfect personnel in while also updating our equipment in preparation of making a gallant charge at the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship. By no stretch is it going to be easy, but I have a great team behind me with a lot of leadership. We can win races this year; we have all the ingredients to make that possible, we just need a little luck too.”

SHELTRA: (YOU’RE MOVING UP TO THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES AS WELL THIS YEAR, ANY PLANS TO RUN DOUBLE-DUTY AT TALLADEGA ?) “Anything’s possible. It is a race that we are looking at very heavily. Most of the races that we are going to run this year will coincide with the ARCA RE/MAX Series events, so Talladega is on the map. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a huge step for me and I don’t want to take anything away from our ARCA program, so its baby steps this year in the trucks. I have great support from the team we are planning on partnering with and they will do what’s in the best interest of my career.”

Eddie Sharp Racing, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard, Ken Schrader Racing, Andy Belmont Racing and DGM Racing also participated in Wednesday’s private test at Talladega Superspeedway.

Stay tuned for a revamped website, but in the meantime for more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit PatrickSheltra.com.

SHELTRA MOTORSPORTS FAST FACTS:

Team Name: Sheltra Motorsports, No. 60 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS

Driver: Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown , Florida

Car Owner: Grace Sheltra, Indiantown , Florida

Marketing Partners: Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, Inc, American Concrete Industries, Inc, Hardie Pipe, Indiantown Marina, Drug Discovery Testing (DDT), All About Flowers, Speed Media, Casite Products, Sheltra & Son Construction, Sheltra Cattle Company, J&S Bulk Transportation, Inc., Martin County Petroleum and FloraGanics.

Crew Chief: John Hayden

Team Manager: Keith Strunk

####

MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: Knight849@aol.com