If Mother Nature Roars; Sheltra Ready To Compete In Rain

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra, Tire Kingdom 150

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
February 26, 2010

JUPITER, Florida (February 26, 2010) - - With an iffy forecast on the horizon for the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway tomorrow, veteran and hometown hero driver Patrick Sheltra isn’t concerned about the possibility of competing in the rain. Instead, the Indiantown, Florida native is embracing the opportunity as a chance to strengthen his racing resume.

Sheltra, driver of the No. 60 Recycling Services-Sheltra & Son Construction Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS will make his inaugural debut at Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) Saturday afternoon and while the race is expected to lift off under overcast skies, the possibility of Mother Nature roaring in with rain isn’t out of the question.

And if it does rain, the ARCA Racing Series is prepared to grasp it’s inaugural switch from Hoosier tires slicks to wets and unlock the field in wet conditions around the 11-turn, 2.034-mile design and FIA Grade II certified road course.

For the 23-year old, optimism is the best word to describe his thoughts about racing in the rain – but if the situation arises, Sheltra will be more than ready.

“I was actually talking with Jon (Wolfe, crew chief) about the possibility of racing in the rain tomorrow,” said Sheltra, who will be the ARCA Racing Series point’s leader when the green flag drops for the Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace.

“The rain has the chance to throw a lot of us for a loop. As drivers, we are going to have to be on our game and use extreme patience and make sure we stay on-course. I’m not quite sure how our speeds will be in the rain – but I know our plan is to race as safely as we possibly can in the rain without wrecking our racecar.”

He continued, “the move to race in the rain is unprecedented as far as I’m concerned by ARCA. I think it means a lot for us drivers and teams that they have enough faith in us to race in the rain while still trying to put on a good show for the fans. My goal is to finish inside the top-10 and retain the ARCA Racing Series point’s lead.”

The ARCA pro concluded, “If the rain comes, I promise you it will be something that I’ll never forget.”

All About Flowers, American Concrete, Buffalo Wings & Rings, CAM 2 Blue Blood Racing Oil, Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, Indiantown Marina, Recycling Services and Sheltra & Son Construction, Inc. join the team as marketing partners in Saturday’s contest.

Entering Palm Beach, Sheltra has 68 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards starts to his credit with one career victory at Salem Speedway (April 2009). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated 11 top-fives and posted 23 top-10 finishes. A third place qualifying effort at Rockingham Speedway (April 2009) is Sheltra’s best time trials efforts to date. He has controlled the ARCA field five times for 109 laps.

The Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace (75 laps / 150 miles) is the second of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The first ARCA race held at Palm Beach is a two day show. Practice begins Friday, February 26 with a three hour practice session planned from 11:30a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day Friday, February 26 slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, February 27 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

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

Join the official Patrick Sheltra fan page on Facebook by clicking here.

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 Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards (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 Mooresville, North Carolina.

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