Points Leader Patrick Sheltra Focused On More Than The Meadows At Iowa

Topics:  Patrick Sheltra, Prairie Meadows 200

Chris Knight
Sheltra Motorsports
July 6, 2010

NEWTON, Iowa (July 6, 2010) - - Atop of the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX and Menards point standings for the third consecutive race, Patrick Sheltra enters Saturday’s Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway looking to keep his impressive 2010 season, which has consisted of eight consecutive top-10 finishes on track but more importantly yield his Sheltra Motorsports team with a win in the ninth race of the year.

Since moving to North Carolina during the off-season, Sheltra’s ARCA Racing Series performance has been nearly flawless and with veteran crew chief Jon Wolfe calling the shots on race day, the 24-year old Sheltra returns to the .875-mile speedway aiming for his first top-five finish including his second career-win in his fourth career start at the Hawkeye State racetrack.

“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Iowa but we haven’t been able to seal the deal with a finish we could be satisfied with,” said Sheltra, whose three previous runs at Iowa Speedway have delivered top-20 performances. “I have a good feeling that the our momentum that we’ve enjoyed this season will continue and we can finally find ourselves in contention for a win there.”

For the first time at Iowa Speedway, Sheltra will unload a Toyota Camry for competition. The Mooresville, North Carolina based operation has run the Japanese nameplate in three races this season posting three top-10 finishes including a manufacturer best of third in the most recent contest at Michigan International Speedway last month. The Prairie Meadows 200 is expected to be the only short track this season where Sheltra will powered by the world’s number one automaker.

“Even though Iowa is a short track, horsepower is important there,” admitted, Sheltra, a native of Indiantown, Florida. “You can compare Iowa to Richmond International Raceway, where you have to be able to have a good rotating car and have the power to maneuver through the turns. Jon (Wolfe, crew chief) and I have a plan for this weekend and I think it will pay off. We’ve been extremely appreciative to Toyota and Triad Racing Technologies for everything they’ve done for our team this year. We’ve had paramount success with them this year and we’re looking forward to another race with similar results.”

Sheltra continued, “You have to approach Iowa like you would any other short track. You have to be fast but also have to be alert. You can have the fastest car in the field but if you or even your spotter isn’t paying attention; you can find yourself in trouble quick. We’ve had a couple scraps this year with short track spins and such but we were able to recover and find ourselves right back in the hunt. Really, Saturday’s race is a long race. You just have to use your head and have some patience and everything else should fall into place. We also have to keep in mind that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be on the track Saturday, so the track characteristics may change a little bit; so we have to prepared for that too.”

Before steering all of his attention to the No. 60 Sheltra Motorsports Toyota Camry on Saturday, Sheltra will meet and greet with the ARCA Racing Series fans at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa on Friday, July 9 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local. Further information about the event is available by visiting the team’s web site.

Cost-effective marketing partnerships are still available for this weekend at Iowa Speedway and for the remainder of the 2010 ARCA Racing Series season. For additional information, please contact brandon@patricksheltra.com or marketing@patricksheltra.com.

Entering Iowa, Sheltra has 75 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 15 top-fives and posted 30 top-10 finishes. A third place qualifying effort at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (April 2009) and Michigan International Speedway (June 2010) is Sheltra’s best time trials effort to date. He has controlled the ARCA field six times for 148 laps.

The Prairie Meadows 200 (200 laps / 175 miles) is the ninth of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The fifth ever ARCA race at Iowa Speedway is a one-day show. Practice begins Saturday, July 10 with an hour and thirty five minute practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. A final fifty minute session has been etched in from 1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 5:15 p.m. The event will take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The event will air live on SPEED. Additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and audio broadcasting throughout the day will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) presented by ARCA Nation online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Central).

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 professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Patrick Sheltra, a 24-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. The team is headquartered in Indiantown, Florida with additional operations in Richmond, Indiana and Mooresville, North Carolina.

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