Bryan Silas Keeps Top-10 Streak Alive At Salem Speedway

Topics:  Bryan Silas, Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic

Chris Knight
Fast Track Racing
September 21, 2009

SALEM, Indiana (September 21, 2009) - - In one of the quickest ARCA RE/MAX Series races in recent Salem Speedway history, Bryan Silas maneuvered his 10th top-10 finish of the 2009 season with a solid ninth place run in Saturday night’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic.

The team unloaded Saturday morning with a Ford Fusion, a short track change from the team’s standard Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the 19th race of the year. Under the direction of crew chief Cal Boprey, Silas clocked the 14th fastest time by maneuvering his No. 11 Rockingham Speedway-PBG Ford around the Salem Speedway in 18.034 seconds at 110.791 seconds. “We’re okay but we still have a little work to do,” said Silas after practice. “This is a new car for us at Salem , so we have a little tweaking to do. We should be okay though.”

In qualifying, Silas again posted the 14th fastest lap by delivering a time of 17.911 seconds at 111.552 miles per hour. It was a decent pickup for the Stuart, Florida native.

“We were hoping for a little more than that,” Silas admitted. “Our car seems to be responsive in race trim and that’s when it’s most important.”

From the drop of the green flag, the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic field strung out with Silas on the move trying to maneuver towards the top-10.

An early long-green race saw the No. 11 Fast Track Racing entry move solidly into the top-12 before the first yellow flag waived around lap 20.

On the restart, Silas again pushed forward and had moved into the top-10 by lap 60 but the leaders were settling a torrid pace and put much of the field at least one lap down when the next caution flag waived.

Electing to pit for tires and fuel, Silas found himself hovering inside the top-12 again but with patience and much of the field on the same lap, Silas steadily marched toward the front. The second and final pit stop of the night brought the No. 11 down pit road for four tires and fuel.

Back to racing, the new grip would take a number of laps for the No. 11 to gain traction to the racetrack which would see the 22-year old move back into the top-10 which is where he would cross the start-finish line ninth.

“It was an okay night,” said Silas after the race. “We knew we needed to get through Salem alive and we did that. I just wish we would have been able to race closer to the front but we at least locked another top-10 and moved closer to finishing inside the top-five. I have to thank our team for never giving up all night. I’m proud of them.”

Silas remains sixth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship standings with just two races remaining.

Next up for the ARCA RE/MAX Series is the next-to-last race of the year at Kansas Speedway on Thursday, October 1 for the running of the Kansas Lottery 150. Silas will make his third career start at the 1.5-mile oval and look to better his 16th place performance from 2008.

For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
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