Patrick Sheltra Hungry For Victory At Springfield |
|---|
Topics: Patrick Sheltra, Allen Crowe 100
|
Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
August 20, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (August 20, 2009) - - The first of two dirt races are upon the ARCA RE/MAX Series this weekend starting with the Illinois State Fairgrounds and without hesitation it would be easy to pick Patrick Sheltra and his Whitesville, Kentucky based Sheltra Motorsports team as a pre-race favorite for Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100.
And with the 2009 season beginning to wind down and just eight races left on the homestretch – Sheltra is aiming to put his veteran team back in victory circle at a place that Sheltra calls one of his “favorites” on the tour.
“Welcome to my turf,” said Sheltra when refereeing to the Springfield, Illinois race track. “I say that every year but I really enjoy these dirt races on the ARCA schedule. I finished fourth here in 2007 and last year we had a car capable of winning the race but were stalled with a flat tire. This year, its bottom’s up and we’re determined to put our team back where they belong, victory lane.”
With an aggressive six race schedule packed within a month’s time, Sheltra knows that kicking off the string with a positive run can put his team back on the path towards blossoming to the front.
“I think these dirt races are what the racing doctor ordered,” sounded Sheltra. “Our team as a whole is excited about Springfield and DuQuoin because we know our chances of winning there increase tremendously. While I’m confident we have a shot at being victorious this weekend, the field is going to be strong which should put on a great event for the fans.”
At this same point last year, Sheltra was securing the 10th place position in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship chase with just six races remaining. This year, Sheltra is eighth on the tour with eight races remaining. Sheltra was able to produce strong finishes inside those final half-dozen races last year which propelled the avid hunter to a career best sixth in the championship chase. This year, finishing inside the top-five is still realistic but it will take a never give-up attitude and a little luck to make it happen.
“This team is not going to give up, that’s a promise,” added the Indiantown, Florida native. “I feel we have some very strong tracks coming our way that we should excel at. As a team, we’ve set the goal for winning a couple more races and finishing inside the top-five. Realistically, we can make it happen!”
Crew Chief John Hayden has elected to bring Sheltra Motorsports chassis number 7 to the Illinois State Fairgrounds this weekend. This is the same automobile the team participated with the Illinois State Fairgrounds last year and notched a runner-up finish at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. The team converted the former Dale Earnhardt, Inc. automobile to a Dodge Charger during the last year. It will be run for just the seventh time in the 23-year old’s career. Chassis number 16 will serve as the team’s back-up automobile. That former Richard Childress Racing entry is a new addition to the team’s fleet. The Whitesville, Kentucky based team tested this Dodge Charger at Michigan International Speedway in May.
Entering Springfield, Sheltra has 59 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with one career victory at Salem Speedway (April 2009). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated nine top-fives and posted 19 top-10 finishes. 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 Allen Crowe 100 (100 miles / 100 laps) is the 14th of 21 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 27th ARCA event held at Illinois State Fairgrounds is a one-day show. Practice begins Sunday, August 23 with a one hour practice session planned from 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. The field will take the green flag Sunday afternoon shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will not be televised but broadcast coverage will be available live through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
For more on Patrick Sheltra, the Sheltra Motorsports team and marketing partnership opportunities 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 23-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 49 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.
###
TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797 or 239.214.1083
EMAIL: chris@patricksheltra.com