Patrick Sheltra Showcases Short Track Talent At Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio (October 16, 2007) - - ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) rookie driver
Patrick Sheltra started off the 2007 year on the wrong foot but the 21-year
old hot shoe ended the season on a extremely high note with a very impressive
eighth place finish in Sundayā€™s Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire.
The Sheltra Motorsports team led by crew chief John Hayden and team manger
Keith Strunk invaded the half-mile bullring looking to rebound from a tough
finish in the spring, but the team knew they were coming full force as the
organization unveiled a brand new short track car purchased by Richard Childress
Racing.
ā€œI know everything thinks we were crazy to bring a brand new car to Toledo,
but we wanted to be competitive and we had to have a car that was built for
short tracks and this one was,ā€??? said Sheltra prior to the long practice
session of the weekend.
Heading towards his second career start at ARCAā€™s home turf, Sheltra was
banking on the teamā€™s setup to guide him through a clean but respectable
practice session. During the hour and a half session, Sheltra posted the 21st
fastest lap with a time of 17.226 seconds or 104.493 MPH. ā€œWeā€™re not bad, but weā€™
re sandbagging a little bit,ā€??? remarked Sheltra. ā€œWeā€™re focusing on race runs.
We know itā€™s important to qualify up front but we think no matter where we
start we have a car that can move forward quickly.ā€???
Making some minor adjustments, Sheltra headed into ARCA SIM Factory pole
qualifying optimistic. Punching out a lap of 17.005 seconds at 105.851 MPH,
Sheltra would ironically find himself 21st on the starting grid for the season
finale.
ā€œI said it earlier; I think the car is going to run strong in the race. Thatā€™
s about where I thought we would qualify. The boys on the Sheltra
Motorsports team have done a phenomenal job of making sure this car is in tip-top shape
for tomorrowā€™s race, so I have no worries. Iā€™m just going to drive the car
like I stole it,ā€??? sounded Sheltra.
Warmer weather conditions greeted the teams on Sunday a day after blistering
cold temperatures kept the teams in sweatshirts and heated race haulers.
After meeting and greeting with fans for nearly an hour and a half before the
race, Sheltra would put on his helmet and build himself into competition mode.
At the start of the Hantz Group 200, Sheltra blasted out of the pack like a
rocket ship. Quickly finding himself in the top-20, the Indiantown, Florida
native radioed to his crew that his machine was fast and he was biding his
time but overtaking positions he could grab.
When the first caution flag waived on lap 12, Sheltra had moved up to the
17th position. On the restart, the multi-colored and bright No. 60 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo began studying its prey looking for the best way to maneuver past
his closest competition.
The race would settle into a fair amount of green flag racing with Sheltra
continuing to march through the leader board and move into the 11th position
by the time the next caution flag waived approaching lap 54.
While some teams elected to pit, the Sheltra Motorsports team decided to
stay out and use track position to their advantage.
Restarting in the top-10, Sheltra would continue to move up the leader board
and sit eighth just after halfway when the yellow flag waived which allowed
the lead pack to their lone trip to pit road. The Sheltra Motorsports team
bolted on four new Hoosier tires while adding Sunoco Racing fuel. The driver
called for no adjustments and the group returned to racing action strongly
inside the top-10.
Over the next sixty laps, Sheltra would flirt with the top-10 before bolting
into the top-five approaching lap 150. Able to see leaders Michael McDowell,
James Buescher and Frank Kimmel, Sheltra would use traffic to his advantage
to cut his distance from the lead pack to nearly inches.
Trying to thrust himself into the lead, Sheltra would be pinned by the No.
66 which allowed a strong line of outside cars to overtake the No. 60 with
Sheltra falling in line in fifth place.
Still in a tight group of competition, Sheltra would try to return to the
front pack but the driver would also have to fend off a strong group of
challengers from behind.
Inside twenty laps to go, as Sheltra headed down the backstretch, the No. 22
nailed Sheltra going into turn three which forced the No. 60 to spin and
make contact with the wall. Frustrated, Sheltra refired his machine and joined
the leaders under the caution flag.
Under the yellow, Sheltra showed his displeasure to the No. 22 by pulling up
alongside Ken Butler III and venting his frustration. Sheltra would soon
withdrawal his anger and head down pit road where the Sheltra Motorsports team
surveyed the minimal damage and sent their driver back into competition.
Starting outside the top-10, Sheltra would quickly take off on the restart
and immediately return to the top-10. The caution flag would waive a few laps
later as Butler III went for a spin down the backstretch.
Under the caution flag, Sheltra asked his crew what position he was in. The
team radioed back ninth with the talented driver vowing to his team that he
would try to gain a few more spots.
Restarting the race inside five laps to go, Sheltra picked off the No. 4 of
Ray Mooi, Jr which allowed Sheltra to grab eighth and cross the checkered
flag.
It was Sheltraā€™s fifth top-10 finish of the season.
After the race, Sheltra climbed from his car and darted over to the No. 22
pit to speak with Butler III about the incident. The two spoke peacefully but
got their prospective pointā€™s acrossed.
ā€œIt was a good day for the Sheltra Motorsports, but it could have been a
whole lot better. We should have been sitting in the top-five but we made a nice
recovery from the spin and were able to put ourselves back in the top-10, so
Iā€™m ecstatic about that. This was a new car to us and it performed awesome.
We never made any adjustments on the car all day long and Iā€™m just tickled to
death with our performance. I think everyone knew we were here.ā€???
When asked about his incident with the No. 22, Sheltra offered, ā€œThat is the
second time in three races that he has gotten together with us and both
times we were all running very strong. Itā€™s disappointing that patience goes out
the window inside twenty laps to go. Itā€™s just plain frustrating and not
fair. We should have been finished around fourth or fifth but instead had to
settle for eighth. It sucks, thatā€™s the bottom line.ā€???
With his strong performance on Sunday, Sheltra locked the seventh position
in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship standings while also rewarding his
mother Grace Sheltra with a top-10 performance in the ownerā€™s standings. The duo
will accept their awards at the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Awards
Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky on
Saturday, December 8.
ā€œWeā€™ve had a good season. It started out a little rough, but we worked hard
and it awarded us with a solid finish in the point standings. Weā€™re coming
back next year and looking to give no mercy, so Iā€™m not worried, weā€™re going
to be a threat, I promise you that.ā€???
In addition to accepting their awards at the ARS Championship Awards Banquet
the team will also formally announce their 2008 plans with new additions at
the annual press conference the prelude to the banquet.
Continuing their sponsorship of Sheltra's No. 60 entry this past weekend was
CP Concrete Products, US Construction, SawHorse Outfitters, Brady Ranch and
FloraGanics.
For more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit _PatrickSheltra.com_
(http://www.patricksheltra.com/)
MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL:
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(mailto:knight849@aol.com)

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