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Patrick Sheltra Anxious For Pocono Return

Topics: Patrick Sheltra, Pocono ARCA 200

Patrick Sheltra Anxious For Pocono Return

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
June 3, 2008

“Sheltra Motorsports Looking For Career Win No. 1 Saturday”

LONG POND, Pennsylvania (June 3, 2008) - - Still riding high on his career-best second place run at Toledo Speedway in the most recent ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) event, Patrick Sheltra and his Sheltra Motorsports team return to Pocono Raceway this weekend looking to seal the deal and capture their first career victory in Saturday’s Pocono ARCA 200 at Pocono Raceway.

Sheltra, the sophomore ARCA RE/MAX Series driver has enjoyed a very successful second season. In seven races this season, Sheltra has netted one top-five and four top-10 finishes including six races in the top-15.

The solid season has Sheltra eighth in points in one of the tightest championship chases in ARCA history. With that being said, Sheltra knows that Saturday’s event poses no room for error and he needs to back up his Toledo performance.

“Pocono. I’m ready,” said Sheltra. “Everyone is still feeling really good about our run at Toledo Speedway. I think we proved to everyone that we’re a threat this year. We hope to continue that statement this weekend at Pocono.”

Aiming to make his fourth career start at the 2.5-mile triangle speedway Sheltra aims for his first top-10 finish at the historic Pennsylvania track. “We came close to a top-10 finish last August,” Sheltra recalled. “I think with what I’ve learned and what we’ve learned as a team, our chances of a top-10 finish this weekend are very realistic.”

For the third time this season, Sheltra and his Whitesville, Kentucky based Sheltra Motorsports operation will bring a Dodge Charger to the track. This time however, the team will bring a new piece to the track. With two top-10s already in the books under the Dodge banner, the team is hoping for the same type of results this weekend. In their first two Chrysler-nameplate races of the season, the Dodge program rewarded the team with finishes of seventh and eighth at Kentucky Speedway and Kansas Speedway respectively. The new manufacturer also catapulted Sheltra to record a career best qualifying effort (Kansas) while also leading the field for four laps at the 1.5-mile race track of Kansas Speedway.

“I’m confident in our Dodge program,” added Sheltra. “Even though we’re not bringing the same car to the track this weekend, I’m not worried at all. The Sheltra Motorsports team has been working hard all year long. They’ve brought top-10 cars each and every week and I don’t expect anything to change this weekend.”

Crew Chief John Hayden has elected to bring Sheltra Motorsports chassis number 11 to Pocono Raceway this weekend. This is a new automobile to the team acquired during the off-season. Chassis number 15 will serve as the team’s back-up automobile. The team ran that model at the open ARCA RE/MAX Series test at Michigan International Speedway last week.

Sheltra sounded, “This is another Penske Racing Dodge. They have good pieces, very good pieces. Everyone’s seen that with our car at Kansas and Kentucky , hopefully we can take this car to victory lane on Saturday.”

With finishes of 22nd, 24th and 11th at Pocono Raceway in the past two years, the 22-year old knows an exceptional run will help him climb the point’s ladder approaching the half-way mark into the 2008 season. Currently, Sheltra is 150 points from the top-spot and only 60 markers from the top-five currently locked by John Wes Townley.

“I’ve been saying it all here, the point’s are tight. One wrong move and you could be out of the top-10. I think I’ve improved tremendously as driver this year. With the help of my team and spotter Kevin Huffines, I’ve become a smarter racer and that has awarded us the finishes we’ve earned so far this season. I need to keep that mentality in check again this weekend. We need to come out of Pocono with a top-10 finish.”

Entering Pocono, Sheltra has 32 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 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 once for four laps.

The Pocono ARCA 200 (200 miles/80 laps) is the eighth of 21 events on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The first of two events held at Pocono Raceway this season is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 6th with an hour and forty minute practice session planned from 10:15 a.m.-11:55 a.m. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is slated to begin at 1:45 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Saturday, June 7th shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will same-day tape delayed on SPEED scheduled to air Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. Additional race coverage including live timing and scoring will be available online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

For more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit the newly re-launched PatrickSheltra.com.

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 .

Patrick Sheltra, Sheltra Motorsports, Pocono Raceway 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 Pocono, Sheltra Motorsports will run a Dodge Charger that will make its ARCA RE/MAX Series debut this weekend. 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 (eighth) heading into Pocono Raceway 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 60 markers from entering the top-five and 150 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 320 left hand turns on Saturday afternoon, four hundred eighty (480) less turns than the series last outing, the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care at the .5-mile track of Toledo Speedway last month.

In addition to running a full 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule, Sheltra will also run a limited schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and compete in selected dirt late model events (UMP and WoO Series) throughout the United States.

Sheltra Motorsports Quick Facts:

Team Name: Sheltra Motorsports, No. 60 Dodge Charger

Driver: Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown , Florida

Car Owner: Grace Sheltra, Indiantown , Florida

Marketing Partners: Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, Inc, FloraGanics, American Concrete Industries, Inc, Hardie Pipe, The Casite Company, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, J&S Bulk Transportation, Inc., US Construction Supply Corp., 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.

Crew Chief: John Hayden

Team Manager: Keith Strunk

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TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:

NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797 or 830.261.1215
EMAIL: knight849@aol.com