Finish Overshadows Performance For Patrick Sheltra At Talladega

Finish Overshadows Performance For Patrick Sheltra At Talladega

Topics: Patrick Sheltra, ARCA RE/MAX 250

Finish Overshadows Performance For Patrick Sheltra At Talladega

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
April 27, 2009

TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 27, 2009) - - Patrick Sheltra in the No. 60 Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge Charger headed to Talladega Superspeedway last weekend aiming for his third consecutive top-five finish of the season in the ARCA RE/MAX 250, unfortunately overheating woes sidelined the team and forced a finish that no means equaled the strength the Sheltra Motorsports team really had.

In their first race carrying Cincinnati, Ohio based Buffalo Wings & Rings onboard as the team’s primary marketing partner, Sheltra answered the new look with a career-best speedway qualifying run of 11th. He backed that effort up by setting the fastest time in final practice leading up to the start of the fourth race of the season.

From the drop of the green flag, Sheltra was quickly on the move and had secured a position safely inside the top-10 but when the caution waived on lap four Sheltra immediately keyed his radio and informed crew chief John Hayden that his water temperature had climbed to 260 degrees.

Hayden, a former ARCA RE/MAX Series driver instructed the 22-year old Sheltra to bring his Buffalo Wings & Rings machine to pit road so they could pull off some tape.

Once back on track, Sheltra again spoke up and said that the temperature was not going down. Bringing the car back down on pit road the team took the remainder of the tape off the front grill while also connecting the cool-down unit to the Dodge Charger sinking the temperature down to a modest 200 degrees.

On the restart, Sheltra emerged from deep in the pack and started a fast outside line train that caught the lead pack within several circuits which saw Sheltra become a man on a mission to put his green and camouflage Dodge back in the hunt.

Still battling warm temperatures the team pitted with the leaders approaching lap 40 where the team changed four tires and added Sunoco racing fuel before sending Sheltra back into competition.

Hovering inside the top-five, Sheltra remained in contention to win his second race of the season but as his Buffalo Wings & Rings automobile exited turn four on lap 61, Sheltra’s engine gave way forcing the Indiantown, Florida native to bring his car to pit road and make the hard left hand turn into the garage where the team diagnosed the problem as fatal. Sheltra would finish the event in the 33rd position.

“It’s a shame,” said Sheltra. “We had a great car. The thing was hot right from the drop of the green flag. We were hoping it was just a bad gage but it turned out not to be the case. I have to thank Buffalo Wings & Rings, all of our marketing partners, our fans and Scott Herman (MTV’s Real World: Brooklyn) for their support. I know we took a hit in the points, but it’s early and we’ll get them back.”

The finish dropped Sheltra from first to fourth in the series points standing just 130 markers from retaking the top-spot. The series will enjoy an off weekend before returning to action on May 9 for the running of the Drive Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150 at Kentucky Speedway. The Sparta, Kentucky based track is the site of Sheltra’s first career top-10 finish in ARCA RE/MAX Series competition in 2007.

Leaving Talladega, Sheltra has 50 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 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.

In addition to running a full ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule this year, Sheltra will also run a limited dirt schedule and also plans to run selected NASCAR Nationwide Series events with his Whitesville, Kentucky based Sheltra Motorsports team.

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 .

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TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:

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