Battle Lines Drawn; Championship Leader Patrick Sheltra Leads Hoosier Superspeedway Challenge Title

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra

Chris Knight
June 15, 2010

(TOLEDO, Ohio - June 15, 2010) - - In addition to a national championship at stake, the battle lines are clearly forming for other prestigious titles here in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards.

One of those titles is the crowning of the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Champion, the official presentation coming each season at the championship awards banquet in Covington, Kentucky.

At present, Sheltra Motorsports - the combination of car owner Grace Sheltra and driver Patrick Sheltra - lead the superspeedway charge with 920 points.

"We've stepped it up this year," said Patrick Sheltra. "There's no questioning that. Our restrictor plate performances have been more successful this year than in all my other years of competition. Not to mention our strong run at Michigan last week. There's still a long road ahead as far as the speedway challenge is concerned, but to have everyone chasing us is a nice change instead of the other way around."

The Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship is a separate points title combining all the superspeedway events on the annual ARCA Racing Series schedule. This year's superspeedway schedule is made up of events at Daytona, Texas, Talladega, Pocono, Michigan, Chicagoland and Kansas.

Car owner Grace Sheltra also credits the team effort.

"To be leading the speedway challenge in the ARCA Racing Series is a testament to our race team," Grace Sheltra said. "We've struggled more on the bigger tracks in the past compared to this season. Previously, we've never ever been close to contending for this honor. The dedication, focus and "want" from the team and Patrick has installed the drive to succeed on all of the tracks this season. We cannot predict what may happen in upcoming races, but we plan to be a threat nonetheless. It sure would be nice to take home two trophies at year's end."

Sheltra, who also leads the overall championship points battle, has been a model of consistency in 2010, and the only driver on tour who has not finished out of the top-10. His impeccable performance on the superspeedways this year has a lot to do with his leading the points in both categories.

"I would say to post eight top-10 finishes in eight races this season is pretty commendable," Patrick Sheltra added. "We haven't been able to seal the deal with a win yet but in time that will come. We just need to keep doing what we've been doing and that is top-fiving and top-10ing the field to death. Eventually, the door will open up and we'll celebrate in victory lane again."

In fact, Sheltra has been the best of the best superspeedway-wise this year with speedway finishes of second at Talladega, third at Michigan, fourth at Pocono, fifth at Daytona and seventh at Texas. Everything, seemingly, expect a win.

"It's not like we've gone to the races this year and finished inside the top-10 but weren't a threat for the win. We started off the season in championship mode and really haven't looked back since. I know when Matt Kenseth won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2003, he only won one race. There is no doubt in my mind that our team will win more than one race this season. We'll get there; it's just taking a little longer than we all would like. Until then, we'll keep running like we have been all season long and keep turning some heads."

The No. 25 owner/driver combo of Cathy Venturini and Mikey Kile, the most recent winners on tour from Michigan, are currently second in the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge points with 855, just five points ahead of the No. 32 Win Tron Racing team (owner Nate Thiesse/driver Justin Marks) at 850. The No. 81 of Eddie Sharp Racing (owner Eddie Sharp/driver Craig Goess) is fourth with 790 ahead of the Kimmel Racing team (owner & driver Frank Kimmel) in fifth with 765.

The award officially goes to the car owner and is officially awarded in December at the annual championship awards banquet.

The late Davey Allison was the first recipient of ARCA's superspeedway championship in 1984. Since then, the list of past winners is tall and mighty. Past Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Champions include Eddie Sharp (driver Justin Lofton), Ray Evernham (driver Erin Crocker), Larry Clement (driver Frank Kimmel), Ken Schrader (driver Bill Baird), Harold Steele (driver Tim Steele), Kerry Scherer (driver Mark Gibson), Barry Owen (driver Mike Wallace), James Finch (driver Jeff Purvis), Ron Keselowski (driver Bob Keselowski), Cathy Venturini (driver Bill Venturini) and Don Biederman (driver Tracy Leslie) to name a few.

###

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