Bryan Silas Turns To Toledo Looking For Terrific Performance |
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Topics: Bryan Silas, Hantz Group 200
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Chris Knight
Fast Track Racing
October 10, 2007
TOLEDO, Ohio (October 10, 2007) - - Stuart Florida’s Bryan Silas heads to Toledo Speedway this weekend looking to end his rookie campaign on the ARCA RE/MAX Series tour with a bang in Sunday’s Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire.
The 20-year old rookie has enjoyed success this season but over the course of the past 22 races, Silas has also been on a roller coaster ride. Strong runs soured by bad racing luck have plagued the Fast Track Racing team in the point standings but as the likable rookie has stated exiting Talladega , “We’re going to Toledo to end our season on a high note!”
A lot of attention has already been surrounding the FTR (Fast Track Racing) team as it was publicly announced last Tuesday that car owner Andy Hillenburg had purchased North Carolina Motor Speedway which has been renamed to Rockingham Speedway by Hillenburg. The team carried the track’s new logo during last Saturday’s Mountain Dew 250.
“I am super excited for Andy,” Silas mentioned. “He has been on cloud nine every since he was announced as the new owner. He has a lot in store for the track and the fans. I’m really fired up for the future of Rockingham Speedway.”
The half-mile bullring of Toledo Speedway is a track that Silas has been accustomed to. With a start in 2006 and another one earlier this year, Silas knows how to wheel his No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS around ARCA’s hometown track. With a little luck, Silas is feeling extra confident about Sunday’s race.
“We’ve had two top-10s on the short tracks this year and what a better way to close out our season with another one on Sunday,” said Silas, who pulled double duty last weekend at Talladega competing in both the ARCA RE/MAX and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. We had an excellent run going in the spring but fell victim to problems on pit road. We recovered to finish in the top-15 but we’re looking for more than that this weekend, a lot more.”
He continued, “I can’t believe it’s the final race of the season. Where has this season gone? I’ve had a blast this year but some of the finishes don’t mount to the performances we had on the track. Daytona, Nashville , Kentucky , Pocono, and Milwaukee the list goes on and on. The good thing is we can utilize the experience from this season and try to make our 2008 program a lot stronger.”
When asked to compare Toledo Speedway to the rest of ARCA’s short track’s Silas pondered for a moment but replied, “It’s one of the smoothest that we go to. It’s a nice place and provides a great race for the fans. I enjoy the short tracks, I really do. You can’t just be good at a short track though, you have to be lucky too. One minute you can be leading and the next minute you are sitting in the garage watching the end of the race from there. That's just how short tracks go.”
Silas noted, “I’m lucky to have my car owner Andy Hillenburg up in the spotter’s tower coaching me on. He is a great teacher, mentor and friend. He has taught me an awful lot this year and I strongly believe that we would not be sitting where we are right now if it hadn’t been for all his hard work.”
Locking the ninth position in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings, Silas is battling another race. Sitting 240 points from eighth and 45 markers ahead of tenth, Silas looks to retain the ninth position and guarantee a position on stage at the ARCA Championship Awards Banquet in December.
“We’ve said all along that we wanted to finish in the top-10 in the point standings and we are in prime position to do so this weekend at Toledo . We don’t have a chance at catching Justin South for eighth but we have to keep Josh Krug behind us. I don’t want to give up ninth. We've been locking down that spot for a while now. I think it's a pretty good table topper considering everything we've dealt with this season. I’m looking forward to my first ARCA banquet and it will give me that much more confidence to remain focused on making our 2008 season a much better one.
Nortrax, Shell Rotella T, Holland Pump and Palm Beach Grading (PBG) will all sponsor the No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the 62nd ARCA event held at Toledo Speedway.
“It’s the last race of the season and everyone wants to end their season with a good finish. I think it’s going to make the race that much more competitive. I’m glad to see the race is televised and we’re carrying an onboard camera so we’re gunning towards giving our sponsors and fans back home something to cheer about.”
Heading into Toledo, Silas has 28 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.
Before turning all of his attention towards making his third career Toledo ARCA RE/MAX Series start, Silas will join a host of drivers at the third annual ARS Fan Fest at Toledo Speedway on Friday, October 12 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. local time.
The Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire (200 laps/100 miles) is the 23rd of 23 races on the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 62nd ARCA race held at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, October 13 with an hour and-a-half hour practice session planned from 12:30-2:00 p.m. ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag on October 14th, shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com
Bryan Silas, Fast Track Racing, Toledo Speedway , Notes of Interest:
MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Fast Track Racing
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: Knight849@aol.com