Bryan Silas Ready To Cap Off NASCAR Season In Homestead Finale

Topics:  Bryan Silas, Ford 200

Chris Knight
Fast Track Racing
November 13, 2007

MIAMI, Florida (November 13, 2007) - - It’s been a little over a month since racecar driver Bryan Silas has competed in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) event, but for the 20-year old Silas, the break has been a welcomed one. In addition to running a limited NCTS schedule, Silas just completed his first full season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Silas however is ready to dust off his uniform and readjust his shoes in preparation for Friday’s NCTS season finale, the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

While Silas has experienced the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway, the breathtaking Bristol Motor Speedway and even rewinding back to his NCTS debut at Kansas Speedway earlier this year, Silas can call Homestead home and he would like nothing more than to close out his 2007 racing season with a positive run in the 25th race of the season.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the truck series on Friday,” noted Silas, who resides in Stuart , Florida . “I’ve really enjoyed myself in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. I can tell you, it’s helped me become a better driver.”

While Silas does not have any prior experience at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway, the sophomore bound driver is banking on his previous mile-and-a-half experiences to play to his advantage Friday night. “I’ve had a lot of success on the bigger tracks in ARCA and NASCAR this year,” Silas noted. “There’s no reason why we cannot do the same at Homestead this week. I know the pressure is going to be on to perform. It’s going to be a tough field. There’s going to be a lot of good trucks and finishing is the key, but we have to familiarize ourselves with the track and make sure our Chevrolet Silverado is good enough to make the event. Then we can turn our concentration onto the season finale."

He continued, “the last time out at Talladega we had a good truck. We just got collected in another driver's mess and I really would like to avoid that on Friday night. I think everyone will see a huge change in our truck program. We’ve made some dramatic changes but I know it’s the best for the team. Everyone will see the improvements we made, it’s for the better, I guarantee it.”

To further get himself back into the racing niche, Silas spent Tuesday testing at the newly-resurrected Rockingham Speedway helping him get back in the saddle for Friday’s anticipated thriller. “Testing at Rockingham Speedway was great,” sounded Silas. “It does not matter what track you log laps on, any place is better than none. It’s helping me not only get back in the groove but helping me further get ready for the ARCA race their next May.”

Gateway Insurance, who jumped onboard as Silas’s primary backer in his inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Kansas Speedway earlier this summer is returning to Fast Track Racing and will plaster their logos on Silas’s No. 71 Friday night. “It’s only fitting to have Gateway Insurance on our truck again," added Silas. “They were with me for my debut and they are with us as we put a period to our 2007 racing season. I’m excited to have them back onboard and hopefully we can deliver them a solid finish.”

40 entries are pre-entered for Friday night’s event meaning Silas will have to beat four machines in order to guarantee him his sixth NCTS start of the year. “I’m not worried about not making the race,” Silas commented. “Like I said earlier, I think the changes we made to enhance our truck program will show this weekend at Homestead . Sure, we’ll make a qualifying run, but we’re not really threading the needle about getting into the race, it’s about having the perfect setup for under the lights.”

Silas will return to the ARCA RE/MAX Series full-time in 2008 with another round of approximately seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series etched in as well.

“I’m looking forward to next year. I have a feeling it will be a good year. This year was all about learning. We know the do’s and don’ts in both series and it gives us a great baseline for 2008. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are a championship contender in ARCA while picking up the pace and running competitively in the top-10 in the trucks. I can’t wait.”

The Ford 200 (134 laps/200.1 miles) is the 25th of 25 races on the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule. Practice begins Friday, November 16 with an hour (8:30am-9:30am) practice session planned. A final “Happy Hour” (10:25am-11:25am) practice session is also set for Friday morning. Bud pole qualifying is set to commence Friday afternoon at 5:00pm. The race will be broadcasted live on the SPEED channel beginning with the pre-race show at 7:30pm and the main event starting at 8:00pm local time. MRN will handle the airwaves starting at 7:30pm. The race will also be available via Sirius satellite radio channel 128 also launching at 7:30pm. All times are local. TruckSeries.com will also provide extensive at track coverage beginning Friday.

For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com
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