Patrick Sheltra Sees Michigan Changes As Form Of Racing Commitment Despite Economy

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra, Racing for Wildlife 200

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
June 10, 2010

BROOKLYN, Michigan (June 10, 2010) - - Current ARCA Racing Series (ARS) point’s leader Patrick Sheltra has always been a fan of Michigan International Speedway (MIS) but as the 24-year old is set to make his fifth career ARCA start in tomorrow’s Racing for Wildlife 200, Sheltra has been overwhelmed with the recent enhancements with the two-mile oval.

Two weeks ago, Sheltra visited the track which is nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan for the open ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards test in preparation for ARCA’s 29th appearance at the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) facility.

Sheltra was speechless when he exited his rental car and approached his Sheltra Motorsports hauler. “All I said in my head was wow,” explained the Indiantown, Florida native. “I knew that the track was going through some major changes but seeing the actual changes in person makes you really think about what the track is doing for the future.”

After participating in the morning test session, the ARCA pro visited the new infield Media Center during his lunch break, which was heavily populated with guests and media. At first, Sheltra wasn’t sure he was at the right place -- referring back to his memories of the old infield Media Center, but once being confirmed he was in the right place, Sheltra wasn’t afraid to hold any comments back.

“What Michigan International Speedway has done is commendable,” sounded Sheltra. “The track has a lot of rich history and hosts a variety of different racing series but seeing the changes they have made from last year to this year is just impressive.”

The estimated cost of the track’s improvements would be substantial enough to fund a solid NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effort for an entire season. Instead, though the track decided to put their old layout in a memory box and make a commitment to the racing industry that new memories would be created.”

“All the series and even the tracks are struggling in some way, shape or form,” Sheltra mentioned. “However for Michigan to dig deep into their pockets to give the track a make-over, especially dealing with the rocky economy that we are in – it just shows that not only are they here for the fans but they are here for the teams as well.”

In addition to the vast array of upgrades of facilities, meeting rooms, suites and tunnel, the track has always taken on an “eco-friendly” approach by utilizing efficient devices that will help save energy while allowing everyone to continue business as normal.

“I’m all about change,” noted Sheltra, who hopes to return to Michigan International Speedway next year in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or NASCAR Nationwide Series. “We started seeing the changes a couple years ago at Michigan with our title sponsor for the race (Racing for Wildlife) and the neat scoring pylon, but I’ve also noticed that the track this weekend is doing a lot with recycling and I understand that they are using eco-friendly materials to make this place safer for the planet. We have Recycling Services on the hood of our Toyota Camry this weekend, so we’re a firm believer in aiding with the track’s goal of making this great racing place more environmental friendly for everyone.”

Sheltra also known as “Mr. Showtime” in the ARCA Racing Series also is quick to point out that while some of the tracks he visits in the ARCA Racing Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and even in the dirt late model are unable financially to make the investments that MIS has made, he feels that the tracks can lean on them to make improvements that would be cost efficient to their particular budget.”

“Obviously, Michigan has been around for a long time and they have some of the resources that other tracks may not have – but I honestly believe that there are steps that the other tracks we visit could make on a smaller scale that would make their race track more environmentally safe and efficient for everyone for many more years to come,” he concluded.

Sheltra has 74 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards starts to his credit with one career victory at Salem (Ind.) Speedway (April 2009). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated 14 top-fives and posted 29 top-10 finishes. A third place qualifying effort at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (April 2009) is Sheltra’s best time trials efforts to date. He has controlled the ARCA field six times for 148 laps.

The Racing for Wildlife 200 (100 laps / 200 miles) is the eighth of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series schedule. The 29th ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Thursday, June 10 with a two hour practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Friday, June 11 shortly after 5:00 p.m. The event will air live on SPEED. Additional race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the week will be available through the BAS Racing Network in conjunction with 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