Patrick Sheltra Comments On 2010 ARCA Racing Schedule

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra, ARCA Racing Series

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
December 2, 2009

INDIANTOWN, Florida (December 2, 2009) - - Last Wednesday, the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX officially unlocked their 2010 schedule which will consist of twenty events comprising the diverse combination of superspeedways, short tracks, dirt tracks and road courses in the series' 58th consecutive season of competition.

23-year old Patrick Sheltra is expected to return to the ARCA Racing Series on a full-time basis on the heels of three consecutive seasons of competition. His latest season included his first career-win at Salem Speedway in April after recovering from a serious injury in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February. Sheltra went on to score four top-fives and eight top-10 finishes overall in 21 starts leading to a ninth place finish in the championship standings.

In total, Sheltra has accumulated 67 ARCA starts, one win, 10 top-fives and 22 top-10 finishes behind the wheel of his colorful No. 60 machine. The Sheltra Motorsports team has rotated the Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota emblems during their short but impressive tenure.

For the third consecutive season, car owner and Mother Grace Sheltra has earned a place inside the top-10 in the final car owner points rundown. This year, Grace Sheltra was one of only three registered female owners to earn a check in the win column.

Sheltra, a native of Indiantown, Florida is anxiously preparing for an upcoming test at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway later this month commented on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX schedule.

PATRICK SHELTRA: (ON THE OVERALL 2010 ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY RE/MAX SCHEDULE) “Even with just twenty races next year, the ARCA schedule is very diverse and very solid. To have two races in the month of February is probably going to be the most welcomed change in the garage area, I’m just looking forward to being a part of it.”

SHELTRA: (ON TWENTY RACES IN 2010) “I don’t care if there is fifthteen, twenty or 35 races as long as the racing is justified and is beneficial to everyone including the fans, the teams and marketing partners. Overall, I think the ARCA teams should be very satisfied with what the sanctioning body has laid down especially during this tough economic time.”

SHELTRA: (ON THE ADDITION OF PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY) “The addition of the road course at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway is a big deal. It’s a big deal for several reasons. It’s by all counts a hometown event for me with it located just 15 minutes up the road from Indiantown and it’s also adds more momentum to the ARCA Series by adding a track of this caliber to their lineup. It’s going to be one of the most anticipated events of the year. I can promise you that.”

SHELTRA: (ON TALLADEGA REMAINING AN APRIL RACE) “I still have mixed feelings about that. I enjoy restrictor plate racing but to get both plate races out of the way so early in the season is a bummer for me. In 2008, we finished fifth there (Talladega) in October and it gave us some momentum for the final couple races. There is no doubt in my mind that our restrictor plate program will be top-notch.” However, it was nice to have a “wild card” race like Talladega thrown into the mix near the end of the schedule.”

SHELTRA: (ON THE ADDITION OF TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY) “Texas is going to be one of those nail biter races, I think. It’s a immensely fast track and I think the young-guns like myself are going to have to lean on the veterans like Frank Kimmel and Mark Gibson on how to get around there. This race has probably the potential to be one of the more exciting races of the year.”

SHELTRA: (ON A RETURN TRIP TO MANSFIELD MOTORSPORTS PARK) “You know, we didn’t have the best showing there this year but it’s a pretty neat facility. The track is very unique and can actually sport some of the best short track racing on the tour. I think the race fans saw that last year and without a question, Mansfield will be one of those races that will come down to the final five laps to be decided. We were entangled in a first-lap incident there in June (2009) and we just had to fight all night and had marched back into the top-10 before we succumbed to a mechanical failure.”

SHELTRA: (ON DIRT RACING NEXT YEAR) “The ARCA Racing Series schedule would not be complete without racing on the dirt. I would like to think we can win those races next year. We’ve been so close but have come up short. The Sheltra Motorsports team has always giving me a strong car and we’ve run in the top-five and even the top-10 but we just haven’t been able to claim that checkered flag. I hope we’re able to change that stat in 2010. I was hoping we might get another dirt race on the schedule next year but I’ll take the two we have.”

SHELTRA: (ON RETURNING TO NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK) “New Jersey Motorsports Park has become one of the nicest facilities on the ARCA scene. It’s a great place with great people who opened their arms to make us feel welcomed. We had a really good car there this year and had a top-10 finish. I think that the fans saw one of the best ARCA road-course races in history last year at New Jersey. It was a pretty clean race with a lot of intensity and action. I’m starting to get the hang of these road courses a little bit, so I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy racing on them.”

SHELTRA: (ON ENDING THE SEASON AT ROCKINGHAM SPEEDWAY) “It fits pretty nicely. We’ve had some success at the track and we’ve experienced some bad luck at “The Rock” but I cannot justify a better place to crown a Champion than at a track that empowers such a rich history. It’s a shame we’re not racing their twice next year but it’s definitely fitting and proper to close out the year at Andy Hillenburg’s track.”

SHELTRA: (ON THE DISSPEARANCE OF KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY) “I feel like Kentucky Speedway was one of my better tracks on the ARCA scene. We were never really a threat to win but we were solid each and every time we unloaded. I know that the track has gone through some ownership changes and their racing window had shrunk considerably compared to prior years. We’ll miss racing in the “Bluegrass” state in 2010, but I hope it’s a track that returns to the ARCA lineup down the road.”

SHELTRA: (ON A RACE TRACK MISSING FROM THE 2010 ARCA RACING SERIES SCHEDULE) “I really wish we could get Winchester Speedway back on the tour. It’s a fun place to race and I think a lot of the drivers would agree with me. There is no other short track on the circuit that you can compare to Winchester Speedway; it’s just that powerful of a racetrack. I’m disappointed it’s not on the schedule but maybe down the road it will be and if I’m able to compete in the race, I will.”

For more on Patrick Sheltra, the Sheltra Motorsports team and marketing partnership opportunities please visit PatrickSheltra.com.

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About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports (sheltramotorsports.com) is a three-tier Motorsports operation consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Patrick Sheltra, a 23-year old native of Indiantown, Florida competes in the UMP and WoO (Dirt) Series; while also running a full schedule in the ARCA RE/MAX Series (No. 60) and a limited schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Sheltra Motorsports ownership is combined of Richard, Grace and Patrick Sheltra. The team is headquartered in Indiantown , Florida with additional operations in Richmond , Indiana and Whitesville , Kentucky .

About Buffalo Wings & Rings:

Buffalo Wings & Rings is the fastest-growing privately owned franchised chain of restaurants in the nation serving Buffalo-style chicken wings, onion rings, burgers, chicken and salads. Founded in 1988 in Cincinnati, OH, Buffalo Wings & Rings operates 49 franchised restaurants in the United States. Buffalo Wings & Rings was ranked the #1 fastest growing restaurant chain nationwide in the July 2008 issue of Restaurant Business, and ranked in the top 500 franchises in the January 2009 issue of Entrepreneur. For more information, visit www.buffalowingsandrings.com or call 513-831-WING.

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TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797 or 239.214.1083
EMAIL: chris@patricksheltra.com