Bryan Silas Fourth In Points After Solid Talladega Effort

Topics:  Bryan Silas, ARCA RE/MAX 250

Chris Knight
Fast Track Racing
April 27, 2009

TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 27 2009) - - It was a quiet weekend for Bryan Silas and the Fast Track Racing team but the quietness delivered a career best Talladega Superspeedway finish for Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas in last Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX 250.

On the heels of his ARCA RE/MAX Series career best finish of fourth at Rockingham Speedway the race prior, Silas headed to Talladega on a mission ready to keep his early season surge alive.

The team posted the 28th fastest time in practice leading up to qualifying which had the Fast Track Racing team optimistic heading into time trials. Unfortunately, a miscue in the organization fumbled an opportunity for Silas to make a qualifying attempt which would force the third-year ARCA driver to rely on a provisional to gain entry into the fourth race of the 2009 season.

Starting 33rd, Silas and his team led by crew chief Cal Boprey decided to participate in “Happy Hour” on Friday morning hoping to get a feel for their car while also utilizing the final track time before the race to make adjustments on the No. 11 Rockingham Speedway-Oasis Outsourcing Ford Fusion.

Mounting respectable lap times, the team returned to the garage area with Silas extracting himself from his Andy Hillenburg owned machine feeling confident he could be a contender for the 94-lap event.

On an extremely warm day, Silas and 40 of his closest ARCA competitors took the green flag shortly after 4:00 p.m. with the No. 11 quickly on the move and finding himself in the top-25 when the first caution flag waived on lap three.

Continuing to inch up the running order, Silas found himself solidly in the top-20 when the caution flag came out near lap 40. Four tires and fuel were the call of the stop with the Fast Track Racing team sending their driver solidly into the 18th position.

Back in the view of the lead draft, Silas would hover inside the top-20 during the race’s second half and brilliantly maneuver through the “big one” on lap 85 to find himself inside the top-15.

With a quick caution on the restart following the “big one”, Silas would be forced to make his last moves on a green-white-checkered which he hoped to take advantage of.

Racing hard with Steve Arpin and Tim George, Jr. during the three-lap dash Silas would fall between the two teammates and cross the line 12th, his best Talladega finish in four prior starts.

“It was a good race, but I was hoping we could get our Rockingham Speedway-Oasis Outsourcing Ford Fusion more towards the lead draft. The car just didn’t want to suck up to another car like I needed to. We made the best with it though and we’ll go home with a car in one piece and some points gained. I’m satisfied,” said Silas, who has two top-10s in four starts this year.”

With the effort, Silas rises to fourth in the championship standings and sits a career-high fourth in ARCA RE/MAX Series championship points heading into the next venue on the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule, the Buckle-Up Kentucky! 150 at Kentucky Speedway set for Saturday, May 9th. Silas captured a solid top-10 effort in the same race last year.

Fast Track Racing will take advantage of an off-weekend and head to Kentucky Speedway this week and participate in an open-test for the ARCA RE/MAX Series on Wednesday, April 29.

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