Bryan Silas Returns To Talladega Looking For Rematch |
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Topics: Bryan Silas, ARCA RE/MAX 250
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Chris Knight
Fast Track Racing
October 2, 2007
TALLADEGA, Alabama (October 2, 2007) - - No one can argue that ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Bryan Silas has given 150 percent this season. His fight to keep his improving reputation continues this week as the ARS swings back into action for Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX 250 from Talladega Superspeedway.
Silas will make his third “restrictor plate” start in one of the most anticipated events of the season and while the Stuart, Florida native is eager for the return, he’s hoping the results are higher on the final rundown.
Last year at Talladega Superspeedway, Silas started unveiling his true potential. Qualifying very solidly, the 20-year old was heading to the front in last year’s Food World 250 before another car shot out of the lead pack right into the path of Silas forcing the No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to make hard contact with the wall abruptly ending his day and inaugural Talladega debut.
In this year’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Silas once again stepped up to the plate. Qualifying strong, Silas remained in the hunt but fell victim to a blown tire erasing him from competition.
Now returning to the 2.666-mile track a year later and a little more knowledgeable about the characteristics of a restrictor plate event, Silas hopes he has paid his dues and Friday’s expected thriller delivers his fourth top-10 finish of the season.
“I love restrictor plate racing, I just don’t have any luck in them,” said Silas, who will also compete in Saturday’s Mountain Dew 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. “We’ve run exceptionally well in both restrictor plate races I’ve been in, just haven’t been able to get to the finish cleanly. Last year’s hit here was really hard. I won’t forget it. The car was junk, but the good news is we aren’t afraid to come back and we have a new hot rod for this week’s race.”
Trying to improve their plate program in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, Fast Track Racing completed a two-day test at Talladega Superspeedway last Monday and Tuesday with Silas tackling two cars and gaining further experience on ARCA’s biggest track.
“We had some success at the test, but the main objective was to gather a good baseline where we stood with the rest of the competition. It’s a good thing that we tested. We learned a lot. The changes we made should award us with more speed and a better car, I’m really looking forward to Talladega this week.”
Silas is one of two drivers who will have a double duty weekend competing in both the ARCA and NASCAR events. The rookie knows that a double dose of racing will only help him as he continues to build his racing resume.
“I’m excited about running the ARCA and NASCAR race this weekend at Talladega ,” Silas sounded. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes along with running both of those races though. Total concentration is what is required from a driver at Talladega . There’s no doubt in my mind that the extra practice and drafting time in both machines will help me for both races. There is never enough practice in racing and I feel that the extra seat time could play an advantage this weekend.”
Locking the ninth position in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings, Silas is battling another race. Sitting 230 points from eighth and 35 markers ahead of tenth, Silas looks to gain some ground on eighth and stretch from 10th.
“Our primary goal heading into the season was to finish in the top-10. We’re on track, but the next two races are extremely critical in keeping our goal alive. It’s going to be hard to grab eighth, but we’re not going down without a fight. As I’ve experienced in the past, anything can happen at Talladega . And you have to be prepared for the unexpected at a short track like Toledo next weekend. But one thing is for sure, we’re going to run the next two races and give our absolute best and hope that we’ll be rewarded in the end.”
Nortrax, Shell Rotella T, Holland Pump and Palm Beach Grading (PBG) will all sponsor the No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the 45th ARCA event held at the Talladega Superspeedway.
“We’re back to live television and the fans are in for a real treat,” added Silas. “This race will be one of the best of the season and we’re hoping to keep our machine in the spotlight and garnish our sponsors with some intense exposure. We’ve done a good job of that lately but we hope to seal the deal with a good finish on Friday afternoon.”
Heading into Talladega, Silas has 27 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with a career best finish of eighth at Salem Speedway (April 2007) and Kentucky Speedway (July 2007) while holding an additional top-10 performance at USA International Speedway (March 2007). He holds a career best short track time trials effort of seventh at Berlin Raceway (July 2007). A fourth place qualifying effort at Pocono Raceway (June 2007) is Silas's best speedway run to date. He has controlled the ARCA field for 23 laps in two races.
The ARCA RE/MAX 250 (94 laps/250 miles) is the 22nd of 23 races on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 45th ARCA race held at Talladega Superspeedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Thursday, October 4 with a two and a half hour practice session planned from 9:00-11:30am. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 3:30pm Local Time. A “Happy Hour” final practice has been etched into the schedule for Friday, October 5 for forty-five minutes from 10:05am-10:50am Local Time. The event will take the green flag on October 5 shortly after 4:00pm Local Time. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage online at arcaracing.com.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com
Bryan Silas, Fast Track Racing, Talladega Superspeedway, Notes of Interest:
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NAME: Chris Knight, Fast Track Racing
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