Persistence Pays Off For Patrick Sheltra & Co. In Iowa

Persistence Pays Off For Patrick  Sheltra & Co. In Iowa 

“Never Give Up  Attitude Yields First Top-10 Finish Of 2008�??  

NEWTON,  Iowa (April 21, 2008) - - Not  even a soggy weekend at Iowa Speedway 
could keep Patrick Sheltra and his  Whitesville, Kentucky team from a top-10 
finish in Saturday’s Prairie Meadows  250.  
After  Mother Nature invaded the ARCA RE/MAX Series tour for a second 
consecutive week;  persistent rain showers forced the cancellation of ARCA practice 
on Friday at  the .875-mile paved oval. With the voidance of practice ARCA 
officials were  forced to set the starting grid based on 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series 
car owner  point’s; positioning the team eighth on the starting grid.   
When  teams arrived on Saturday morning, the track was still drenched but 
operating  officials were in full-force trying to dry the Newton, Iowa  facility. 
A very short practice was given to the team’s Saturday morning opting  to 
give the teams an opportunity to log some laps before the start of the third  
event of the season. 
Sheltra logged the 23rd  fastest time during the session but quickly notated 
that his No. 60 Ferguson  Pipe-FloraGanics Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS was solid. 
“We were not 100 percent,�??  Sheltra said. “The car is fine, but everyone was 
taking it real easy out on the  track. It was incredibly green with all of 
the rain and there were a couple of  slick spots, but I’m happy with the 
performance of the car. We’re starting up  front and that’s important towards 
gathering a good  finish.�?? 
At the start of the 250-lap event,  Sheltra quickly inched his machine into 
the top-five by lap two and continued to  hold that position until early 
handling issues would slide the 21-year old  talent back through the running order.  
Maintaining his position inside  the top-12, the first caution flag would 
waive on lap 28 with Sheltra reporting  to crew chief John Hayden that his car 
was “spinning�?? coming out of the corners.  Hayden acknowledged his request 
calling for four tires, fuel and two rounds in  the rear as a chassis adjustment 
to help Sheltra’s handling issue.   
Restarting 12th,  Sheltra would hover just outside the top-10 over the next 
series of 50 circuits.  Reporting to his Sheltra Motorsports team his car was 
still “loose�?? the late  model dirt ace would change his line around Iowa 
Speedway which would show in  Sheltra’s lap times which would continue to 
strengthen as the race charged  along.  
The exceptionally clean ARCA race  would put several cars off the lead lap 
and Sheltra would lose a lap to the  leaders despite running in the top-12 
approaching lap 72. The caution flag would  waive just four laps later but Sheltra 
was the second car a lap down making him  illegible for the “free pass�?? back 
on the lead circuit.  
The sophomore ARCA team would not  have to wait long to ream the benefits of 
the “lucky dog�?? as on the next caution  on lap 81, Sheltra would find himself 
back on the lead circuit.   
Sometimes rewards means  concessions and as the beneficiary of the “lucky dog�??
, the lead lap car must  start at the tail-end of the longest line which 
consisted of a huge line of  lap-down machines which would put Sheltra clear 
towards the rear of the  field. 
The amount of heavy traffic would  hinder Sheltra as it took longer than 
expected for the No. 60 to move through  the congested field which would find the 
Indiantown, Florida native falling  off the lead circuit again. 
Luckily, the yellow flag would fly  on lap 131 with Sheltra again being the 
recipient of the “lucky dog.�?? Returning  to the lead circuit for the second 
time of the day, Sheltra would find himself  holding the 10th position.  
Having to go through again just  what he accomplished could have spelled 
disaster for Sheltra but he emerged like  a veteran and was able to line up with 
the lead group after a lap 163 caution.  Electing to stay out which move 
Sheltra back into the top-five right behind  fellow competitor Bryan Silas. 
Sheltra would maintain his spot  inside the top-five before being overtaken 
by competitors with fresher Hoosier  rubber. Another yellow flag inside fifty 
laps remaining would allow the Sheltra  Motorsports team to bring their No. 60 
to pit road for last minute adjustments  and a final shot to return to the 
top-five. 
On the final run of the day,  Sheltra tried to maneuver through the field but 
instead was forced to fight for  every position on the race track including a 
nice battle with fellow Floridian  Bryan Silas. A vibration would keep 
Sheltra at bay crossing the line ninth  notching the team’s first top-10 finish of 
the year. 
“We’re real happy with the  finish,�?? said Sheltra, who recorded his sixth 
career top-10 finish in the ARCA  RE/MAX Series Saturday. “While we were glad to 
receive the lucky dog award  twice, it really is a lot of work for the teams 
to battle back into the lead  group. Other than that, it was a good clean 
solid weekend which is what we need  to keep doing to stay in the championship 
chase. I’m really proud of everyone on  the Sheltra Motorsports team for all 
their efforts and they are a big reason we  finished in the top-10.�??  
With his ninth place finish, Sheltra  maintains sixth in the ARCA RE/MAX 
Series championship point standings heading  into Friday’s Kansas Lottery $150 
Grand at Kansas Speedway. Sheltra did however  gain ground on fifth and fourth 
place runners Tom Hessert III and John Wes  Townley respectively. 
Leaving  Iowa, Sheltra has 28 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with a 
career best  finish of third on the dirt at Illinois State Fairgrounds (August 
2007) with an  additional top-five finish (fourth) at Berlin Raceway (July 
2007) while holding  additional top-10s at Iowa Speedway (April 2008), Kentucky 
Speedway (June 2007),  DuQuoin State Fairgrounds (September 2007) and Toledo 
Speedway (October 2007).  Three ninth-place qualifying efforts at Kansas 
Speedway (April 2007), Pocono  Raceway (June 2007) and Illinois State Fairgrounds 
(August 2007) is Sheltra’s  best time trials efforts to date. 
Next  up for the ARCA RE/MAX Series is a one-day show at Kansas Speedway for 
the  running of the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand set for Friday April 25th,  the 
fourth installment on the 2008 calendar. The event will also debut Sheltra  
Motorsports Dodge program, the first of 10 events that the team will run under  
the Chrysler nameplate this season.  
For  more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit the newly re-launched 
_PatrickSheltra.com_ (http://www.patricksheltra.com/) .   
About Sheltra  Motorsports: 
Sheltra Motorsports (_sheltramotorsports.com_ 
(http://www.sheltramotorsports.com/) ) is a  three-tier Motorsports operation consisting of dirt and asphalt 
competition.  Patrick Sheltra, a 21-year old native of Indiantown, Florida 
competes in the UMP and WoO (Dirt)  Series; while also running a full schedule in 
the ARCA RE/MAX Series (No. 60)  and a limited schedule in the NASCAR 
Craftsman Truck Series (No. 35). Sheltra  Motorsports ownership is combined of 
Richard, Grace and Patrick Sheltra. The  team is headquartered in Indiantown, 
Florida with  additional operations in Richmond, Indiana and Whitesville, Kentucky.  
Sheltra Motorsports Quick  Facts: 
Team Name: Sheltra Motorsports, No. 60  Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS  
Driver: Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown, Florida 
Car Owner: Grace Sheltra, Indiantown, Florida 
Marketing Partners: _Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, Inc,_ 
(http://www.ferguson.com/)  FloraGanics, American  Concrete Industries, Inc, _Hardie Pipe_ 
(http://www.jameshardie.com/) ,  _The Casite Company_ (http://www.casite.com/) , J&S 
Bulk Transportation, Inc.,  US Construction Supply Corp., Martin County 
Petroleum, Sheltra & Son  Construction, Sheltra Cattle Company, Recycling Services, 
_Indiantown  Marina,_ (http://www.indiantownmarina.com/)  All About Flowers, 
_Speed Media_ (http://www.speed-media.com/) ,  _Klotz  Synthetic Lubricants,_ 
(http://www.klotzlube.com/)  _DMC Graphics_ (http://www.dmcgraphics.com/)  and 
_Purcell Tire & Rubber_ (http://www.purcelltire.com/) .   
Crew  Chief: John  Hayden 
Team  Manager: Keith  Strunk  
### 
TEAM  COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:  
NAME: Chris  Knight, Sheltra Motorsports   
PHONE: 239.834.9797  or 830.261.1215 
EMAIL:  
(mailto:%20%20\n%
20%20%20This%20email%20address%20is%20being%20protected%20from%20spam%20bots,%20you%
20need%20Javascript%20enabled%20to%20view%20it%20%20%20) knight849@aol.com   
 





**************Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car 
listings at AOL Autos.      
(http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851)