FW: Shirley Nets Third Place Finish at WoO "Pepsi Nationals"

Press Release

SHIRLEY NETS THIRD PLACE FINISH AT WoO ³PEPSI NATIONALS²
Contact: Michelle Petroff, (618) 406-6842 or michelle@michellepetroff.com
 

CHATHAM, IL (September 20, 2005)  Regional racing standout, Brian Shirley,
has captured many headlines in the short time since switching from the
professional motorcycle ranks to dirt late models but the young
throttle-stomper once again outshined some of the best in the business.
Shirley, 24, of Chatham, IL, and his #3s team outranked 36 of the nation¹s
best dirt late model competitors when I-55 Raceway hosted the World of
Outlaws¹ Late Model Series for the annual ³Pepsi Nationals 55².
 
Shirley wheeled his JAYCO Construction/Petroff Towing #3s Brian Shirley
Motorsports¹ CJ Rayburn Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo
around the 3/8-mile high-banks with the eighth quickest qualifying effort of
the night before sealing the deal with a heat race win and runner-up
performance in the dash.  Starting alongside World of Outlaws¹ Dirty Dozen
member Darrell Lanigan, Shirley battled fellow Petroff Towing/CJ Rayburn
driver Shannon Babb in the early laps before falling back after a repeat
encounter with a hole that developed courtesy of heavy rains the week of the
event.  
 
Shirley soon rallied from as far back as seventh to regain third place
before another Petroff Towing/CJ Rayburn driver, Billy Moyer, set sail to
the front.  Moyer made a dramatic three-wide move for the lead over Babb in
the closing laps of the event and Lanigan and Shirley soon followed suit as
Babb struggled with no power steering.  Moyer earned his sixth ³Pepsi
Nationals² victory while Shirley crossed the stripe in third place and was
the highest non-contracted World of Outlaws finisher.  This event marked his
second World of Outlaws start and highest finish to date on the national
tour as his first performance yielded a respectable tenth place finish
earlier in the month at Twin Cities Raceway.
 
³To be able to come home third running with these guys is really, really
good. I couldn¹t have asked for any better night,² commented an ecstatic
Shirley.  ³This group of guys we¹re racing against are the best in the
business. Hopefully we¹ll get good enough soon to be able to beat them. I¹ve
just got to thank everybody involved with us for making this happen.
Petroff Towing, JAYCO Construction, B Auto Parts, CJ Rayburn Race Cars,
Capitol Storage  all of my awesome product sponsors  I can¹t thank them
enough.  We also had Sunoco Race Fuels sign with us this week so this is a
great way to welcome them on board with a strong run at a televised race.
They are all the ones that make this happen.²
 
The #3s team will compete with the World of Outlaws¹ Late Model Series once
again this week at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway on Friday before venturing
to Crown Point Speedway¹s $15,000 to win ³Kevin Roderick Memorial².  The
team will then prepare for their first trek to the famed Knoxville Raceway
for the ³Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals².  The latest team news,
results and schedules can be found online at http://www.brianshirley.com.


Brian Shirley¹s #3s dirt late model¹s sponsors include CJ Rayburn Race Cars
 The Only Chassis Proven To Be Stronger Than Dirt!; Petroff Towing; B Auto
Parts; JAYCO Construction; Capitol Storage; Sunoco Race Fuels; Capitol
Machine Shop; Skateland South; Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway; Charlie
Parker¹s Diner; Budda Enterprises; Hoosier by Smash; Michelle Petroff
Promotions; AXR2/raceXR.com; JFR Graphics; Dinker; ³The Concrete Crusher²;
Ridings Plumbing; Giganti & Giganti Jewelers; Rob & Carol Shirley; DoubleJ;
Pro Power Racing Engines; Allstar Performance; Peterson Fluid Systems;
Performance Rod & Custom; Koni Shocks; Weld Wheel; Bert Transmission;
Afcoils; Taco Carburetors; MSD Ignition and Sweet Manufacturing.