| Patrick Sheltra Looks For Magic On DuQuoin Dirt
DUQUOIN , Illinois (September 5, 2009) - - ARCA RE/MAX
Series veteran driver Patrick Sheltra was so close to victory
last year at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds he could taste
it. Instead, Sheltra had to settle for a close second behind
nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel. On Monday,
Sheltra will look to finish what he started in the Southern
Illinois 100.
Sheltra will make his third start at the “Magic Mile”
Monday and is aiming for his third straight top-10 finish
at the one-mile dirt oval. Should Sheltra accomplish the
feat it will mark the fifth time that Sheltra has finished
inside the top-10 in an ARCA dirt race in six starts. His
only finish outside the top-10 was a 12th last year at Springfield
when Sheltra blasted through the field after cutting down
a tire running in the top-five but ran out of time on his
march towards the front.
“I’m going to DuQuoin to win and that’s
the bottom line,” said Sheltra, who will pilot the
No. 60 Buffalo Wings & Rings Dodge Charger. “I
could have used my bumper and took Frank (Kimmel) out last
year but I don’t want to race like that. After the
run we both jumped in the lake afterwards to celebrate our
battle. It sure though would be nice to finally get a win
ARCA style on the dirt.”
Knowing that Sheltra is an accomplished dirt racer off
the ARCA scene, the Sheltra Motorsports team is always considered
a threat and a pre-race favorite when the ARCA cars sling
the dirt. Some say that’s adding extra pressure to
a rising star but for the 23-year old Sheltra, it’s
just part of the biz.
“I don’t feel any added pressure on the dirt,”
he said. “I treat this like any other ARCA race. Yeah,
I feel like sometimes we have the extra hand but anytime
we go to a dirt race you have other drivers who have a wealth
of knowledge on the dirt too. Our advantage is that we’re
a full-time ARCA team with great guys, good cars and an
awesome marketing partner. The dots all connect together
and that’s why we are such a success.”
Should the Indiantown, Florida native pull it off on Monday,
the win would be just as meaningful as his first career
ARCA victory at Salem Speedway where Sheltra pulled off
the upset in April and set a true Cinderella story after
battling back from severe injuries sustained in the ARCA
opener at Daytona International Speedway in February.
“Winning on the dirt would be huge for me,”
Sheltra sounded. “It’s been one of my goals
since I’ve come over here to ARCA. We’ve been
close but we need to make that move now and put a checkmark
next to victory on dirt. I think we’ll have a better
car than we did at Springfield (finished third) and if we
can keep the tires cool and the tread together we should
be the one being chased to the start-finish line.”
Crew Chief John Hayden has elected to bring Sheltra Motorsports
chassis number 7 to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds this weekend.
This is the same automobile the team participated with the
Illinois State Fairgrounds last month and finished third.
It’s also the same piece that Sheltra utilized to
notch a runner-up finish at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
in 2008. The team converted the former Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
automobile to a Dodge Charger during the last year. It will
be run for just the eighth time in the rising phenom’s
career. Chassis number 5 will serve as the team’s
back-up automobile. That former Joe Gibbs Racing entry is
the same automobile that Sheltra rocketed to his first victory
at Salem Speedway in April.
Entering DuQuoin, Sheltra has 62 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts
to his credit with one career victory at Salem Speedway
(April 2009). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated
10 top-fives and posted 20 top-10 finishes. A third place
qualifying effort at Rockingham Speedway (April 2009) is
Sheltra’s best time trials efforts to date. He has
controlled the ARCA field five times for 109 laps.
The Southern Illinois (100 miles / 100 laps) is the 17th
of 21 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The
27th ARCA event held at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds is
a one-day show. Practice begins Monday, September 7 with
a one hour practice session planned from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00
a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin
at 11:00 a.m. The field will take the green flag shortly
after 1:00 p.m. The event will not be televised but broadcast
coverage will be available live through the ARCA Racing
Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
For more on Patrick Sheltra, the Sheltra Motorsports team
and marketing partnership opportunities please visit PatrickSheltra.com.
For additional input on Buffalo Wings & Rings, please
connect to Buffalowingsandrings.com or call 513.831.WING.
About Sheltra Motorsports:
Sheltra Motorsports (sheltramotorsports.com) is a three-tier
Motorsports operation consisting of dirt and asphalt competition.
Patrick Sheltra, a 23-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 Nationwide Series. 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.
About Buffalo Wings &
Rings:
Buffalo Wings & Rings is the fastest-growing privately
owned franchised chain of restaurants in the nation serving
Buffalo-style chicken wings, onion rings, burgers, chicken
and salads. Founded in 1988 in Cincinnati, OH, Buffalo Wings
& Rings operates 52 franchised restaurants in the United
States. Buffalo Wings & Rings was ranked the #1 fastest
growing restaurant chain nationwide in the July 2008 issue
of Restaurant Business, and ranked in the top 500 franchises
in the January 2009 issue of Entrepreneur. For more information,
visit www.buffalowingsandrings.com or call 513-831-WING.
TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
Chris Knight, Sheltra Motorsports
P: 239.834.9797
E: chris@patricksheltra.com |
