Patrick Sheltra Returns To Toledo Looking To Finish What He Started

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra, Menards 200

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
May 14, 2009

“Mr. Showtime Looking For Perfect Birthday Present!”

TOLEDO, Ohio (May 14, 2009) - - ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Patrick Sheltra has had a pretty healthy record at Toledo Speedway including a second-place finish last Spring at the legendary half-mile. This weekend, Sheltra and his Sheltra Motorsports team return looking to finish what they started and pick up their second win of the season in Sunday’s Menards 200 by Federated Car Care.

It’s hard to argue that Sheltra hasn’t built himself up as a respectable short track racer in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and knowing that he is one of the favorite’s heading into the sixth race of the season, Sheltra doesn’t plan to disappoint.

“I really enjoy Toledo,” said Sheltra, who turned 23 on May 14. “It’s one of those short track races that you look forward to going to. We came so close to winning there last year, I want to go back there this weekend and finish what we started and put our Buffalo Wings & Rings car back in victory lane.”

Indeed, Sheltra knows how to manhandle the Northern Ohio race track. In four starts, Sheltra has amassed two top-fives and three top-10s. With an average finish of 10th, it’s hard not to note that the Indiantown, Florida native has the track figured out.

“Toledo is a track you can race at. If you get a little damage, you can still run good lap times and get back the front. Starting near the front though keeps you out of the mess and I’m hoping we’ll have a pole-contending run on Saturday afternoon.”

On the heels of his sixth place run at Kentucky Speedway last weekend, Sheltra is overall pleased with his team’s performance this season.

“I cannot knock down these guys on the Sheltra Motorsports team,” sounded Sheltra. “We went to Daytona had a chance to win. Went to Salem and dominated. Rockingham was real good, a second place run. Talladega put us behind but it was mechanical failure while running in the top-five and we bounced back with a sixth place run at Kentucky, so the guys are doing their job, we just need the breaks to go a little more our way.”

For the first time this season, Sheltra will arrive at the track with the Chevrolet bowtie and the Monte Carlo SS brand as the manufacturer of choice for the first of two races at Toledo Speedway this season.

Crew Chief John Hayden has elected to bring Sheltra chassis number 8 to Toledo Speedway this weekend. The primary machine will be the same Chevrolet that Sheltra maneuvered to a second and fourth place finish at Toledo Speedway last year. It’s also responsible for a ninth place finish at Iowa Speedway last season in addition to an eighth place effort at Toledo Speedway in October 2007. Chassis number 5 will serve as the team’s back-up automobile. That former Joe Gibbs Racing entry is the same automobile that Sheltra rocketed to his first victory at Salem Speedway earlier in April.

“We’ve been running Dodges up until this point,” Sheltra mentioned. “However, this has been such a great car for us, that we could not justify cutting it up and transforming it to a Dodge. We’ve run well in the past here with it, there’s no reason we won’t do the same again.”

Officially, Sheltra enters this weekend’s festivities for Buffalo Wings & Rings Racing locking fourth in the championship standings, just 150 points from the top spot.

Entering Toledo, Sheltra has 51 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with one career victory at Salem Speedway (April 2009). Sheltra also holds second place efforts at Rockingham Speedway (April 2009), Toledo Speedway (May 2008) and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds (September 2008) with four additional top-five finishes, (fourth) at Toledo Speedway (October 2008), (fifth) at Talladega Superspeedway (October 2008), (third) at Illinois State Fairgrounds (August 2007) and (fourth) at Berlin Raceway (July 2007) while holding additional top-10s at Kentucky Speedway (May 2009), Nashville Superspeedway (August 2008), 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). A third place qualifying effort at Rockingham Speedway (April 2009) is Sheltra’s best time trials efforts to date. He has controlled the ARCA field five times for 109 laps.

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps / 100 miles) is the sixth of 22 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 65th ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 16 with an hour and a half practice session planned from 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Sunday, May 17th shortly after 2:00 p.m. The event will not be televised but the race will be broadcasted live through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

For more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit PatrickSheltra.com.

For additional input on Buffalo Wings & Rings, please connect to Buffalowingsandrings.com or call 513.831.WING.

About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports (sheltramotorsports.com) is a three-tier Motorsports operation consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Patrick Sheltra, a 22-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 Nationwide Series. 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 .

About Buffalo Wings & Rings:

Buffalo Wings & Rings is the fastest-growing privately owned franchised chain of restaurants in the nation serving Buffalo-style chicken wings, onion rings, burgers, chicken and salads. Founded in 1988 in Cincinnati, OH, Buffalo Wings & Rings operates 44 franchised restaurants in the United States. Buffalo Wings & Rings was ranked the #1 fastest growing restaurant chain nationwide in the July 2008 issue of Restaurant Business, and ranked in the top 500 franchises in the January 2009 issue of Entrepreneur. For more information, visit www.buffalowingsandrings.com or call 513-831-WING.

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TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:

NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797 or 239.214.1083
EMAIL: chris@patricksheltra.com