Patrick Sheltra, No. 60 Ferguson Pipe Enterprises Iowa Speedway Fast Facts |
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Topics: Patrick Sheltra, Prairie Meadows 250
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Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
April 16, 2008
Patrick Sheltra, No. 60 Ferguson Pipe Enterprises-FloraGanics Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS; Prairie Meadows 250 Parts Fast Facts
ARCA RE/MAX Series Race No. 3, Prairie Meadows 250, Iowa Speedway , Newton , Iowa
Race Information: Event: Prairie Meadows 250, Saturday, April 19 at 12:30 p.m. Local Time Track: Iowa Speedway Qualifying: Saturday, April 19 at 9:00 a.m. Local Time Track Length: .875-mile paved-oval.
Salem Recap: The strong runs continue for sophomore ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Patrick Sheltra as the Indiantown, Florida native collected a 11th place finish at Salem Speedway this past Sunday in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 by Federated Auto Parts. Sheltra has worked his way up to second before being turned by another competitor forcing the first spot outside the top-10.
Welcome Back: For the second time in his ARCA RE/MAX Series career, Patrick Sheltra will take the green flag at Iowa Speedway Saturday. The 21-year old driver recorded a 20th place finish in his inaugural debut in the Prairie Meadows 250 after qualifying 15th.
Sunny But Wet: This past Tuesday, Sheltra Motorsports tried to participate in the open ARCA RE/MAX Series test at Kentucky Speedway but major seepage issues at the 1.5-mile oval forced the cancellation of the fourth open test session of the year. The team was hoping to test one of their new Dodge Chargers acquired from Penske Racing in preparation for the Drive Smart Buckle Up Kentucky 150 at the Sparta , Kentucky speed plant next month.
Lighting Quick: Sheltra Motorsports unveiled their in-house pit crew this past weekend at Salem Speedway. The over-the-wall-crew consists of tire changers Shane Russelburg and Eric Wettstain, tire carriers Bill Mares and Alex Timmerman, jackman Getty Cavitt, catch-can man Mike Royal and gasman Barry Thomas. The team has been bolting out 14 and 15 second pit stops at the team’s Whitesville , Kentucky shop this week.
Autographs Anyone?: After his duties at the track on Friday afternoon, Sheltra will spend his evening at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino ( Altoona , Iowa ) participating in an autograph session from 6:00pm to 8:00pm local time.
Watcha Haulin?: Crew Chief John Hayden has elected to bring Sheltra chassis number 4156 to Iowa Speedway this weekend. The primary machine will be the same Chevrolet that Sheltra maneuvered to an eighth place finish at Toledo Speedway last October. Chassis number 4145 will serve as the team’s back-up automobile. Sheltra ran that former ppc Racing entry at Springfield (Illinois State Fairgrounds), DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and Berlin Raceway last year.
Point Standings: After round two on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule, Patrick Sheltra sits sixth in the championship standings accumulating 175 points from Salem . Sheltra is only 30 markers from moving into the top-five currently held by SunTrust Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Tom Hessert III. 125 credits separate Sheltra from the points lead held by last weekend’s winner Justin Allgaier.
Looking Ahead: In addition to a full ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule, Sheltra Motorsports and driver Patrick Sheltra will also compete in a limited dirt late model schedule (UMP and WoO) while also advancing Sheltra’s asphalt career by launching a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (No. 35) career later this year.
Sheltra Motorsports, Iowa Speedway Pre-Race Quotes: Patrick Sheltra, driver of the No. 60 Ferguson Pipe Enterprises-FloraGanics Chevrolet:
On Salem Speedway : “ Salem was a great race, we just didn’t get the finish we deserved again. It was the best I’ve ever run at Salem and because of impatience from another competitor it cost us a top-10 finish. Nothing we can do about it now, we’ll just look for redemption in September.”
On Iowa Speedway : “A wonderful facility. The place is fast and looks great. We had a great car at the end of the race last year and I’m hoping that what we learned last season will apply over to this weekend. I desperately would like to gain our first top-10 run not only for me but for the guys on the Sheltra Motorsports team.”
On Chassis Number 4156: “This is a great racecar. We purchased it from Richard Childress Racing last year and ran it at Toledo Speedway last October with great results. It’s our first real “short track” car. I’m anxious to see if we can repeat the success of the car Saturday at Iowa Speedway.”
On Sitting Sixth In Points: “I almost had to do a double take. It’s awesome though. The hard work of everyone on the Sheltra Motorsports team is really paying off so far this season. We’re hoping to keep the momentum going this weekend and hopefully for the rest of the year.”
Sheltra Motorsports, Iowa Speedway Pre-Race Quotes: Grace Sheltra, owner of the No. 60 Ferguson Pipe Enterprises-FloraGanics Chevrolet:
On Salem : “It’s a shame what happened to us at Salem . It was uncalled for but we were able to bounce back with a respectable finish. I’m really proud of the efforts of not only Patrick but the team as a whole. We’ll look for better results in September.”
On The Sheltra Motorsports Team Moving The Pit Crew In-House: “We had great pit stops at Salem Speedway, so we’re not second-guessing the move. We have a strong bunch that goes over the wall and we feel that they can keep up the quick stops all year long.”
PRIOR RESULTS:
Patrick Sheltra , Iowa Speedway Prior ARCA Race Results:
Date Event Start Finish Laps Status 06/07 Prairie Meadows 250 15 20 241/250 Running