Patrick Sheltra Aspire To Snatch First Career Victory At Kentucky

Patrick Sheltra

May 08, 2008

SPARTA, Kentucky—After a rocky performance last Sunday at Rockingham Speedway, sophomore ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) driver Patrick Sheltra and his Whitesville, Kentucky-based Sheltra Motorsports are ready to return to familiar territory in Saturday night’s Drive Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150 at Kentucky Speedway.

In five races this season, the team has maneuvered four top-15 finishes including an eighth and nine place finish at Iowa Speedway and Kansas Speedway respectively. The team has been able to adapt to running in the top-10 as the team has maneuvered their No. 60 into the spotlight in all five events this season.

While an early race incident (while running in the top-10) and an engine failure brought a disappointing 34th place finish at Rockingham Speedway last Sunday, the sophomore ARCA team has no time to fret. The team has been focusing on Saturday’s race with the determination to put Sheltra back on top and in contention for his first career victory.

For Sheltra, the 21-year old rising star, he’ll return to the track that awarded him his first career top-10 finish in RE/MAX Series competition last May. In fact, Sheltra was the second top running full-time ARCA driver.

“Kentucky, here we come,” said Sheltra, who will make his third start at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night. “The first race at Kentucky brought a good night for our Sheltra Motorsports team; we’re hoping to redeliver the same type of performance this weekend.”

If Sheltra was in Las Vegas, the odds would be on his side.

The first of two trips to Kentucky Speedway this season will bring back the Dodge Charger for the Sheltra Motorsports operation. Last month, the team unveiled their Chrysler nameplate at Kansas Speedway in the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand with Sheltra qualifying a career-best eighth then powered to the lead during the 100-lap event before finishing eighth, a season best.

The team is looking to duplicate or better that same success Saturday night.

“Our car was a rocket ship in Kansas,” sounded Sheltra. “My Crew Chief John Hayden and the entire Sheltra Motorsports team have done a fantastic job making our Dodge program as strong as it is. We’re taking the same car with a little more power thanks to RC Consultants and we feel that what we learned at Kansas will play into our hands this weekend.”

Sheltra continued, “Much like Kansas, Kentucky is a very short race. You don’t have time to lay back. You have to be on your game. We took a beating in the point standings last week at Rockingham, so a good run this weekend will put our Sheltra Motorsports team back on track.”

With Mother’s Day just days away, Sheltra would like nothing more than bring his car owner and mother Grace Sheltra her first ARCA victory. “A victory for Mom would be huge for more than just one reason. It’s as simple as that,” offered Sheltra.

Before Sheltra turns his attention to Kentucky Speedway Saturday, he will return to his racing roots and participate in a dirt track showdown at Union County Speedway in Liberty, Indiana on Friday, May 9. Sheltra has stormed into victory lane three previous times at the demanding dirt track behind the wheel of the No. 23 Sheltra Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo. 

Entering Kentucky, Sheltra has 30 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 Kansas Speedway (April 2008), Iowa Speedway (April 2008), Kentucky Speedway (June 2007), DuQuoin State Fairgrounds (September 2007) and Toledo Speedway (October 2007). An eighth place qualifying effort at Kansas Speedway (April 2008) is Sheltra’s best time trials efforts to date. He has controlled the ARCA field once for four laps.