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

TOLEDO, June 16, 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.

sheltracandidmis10.jpg"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.sheltracarmis10.jpg

"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."