Toledo Speedway hasn’t been particularly kind to ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Bryan Silas in the past. However, during Sunday’s Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care it appeared that Silas had conquered the speedway only to fall victim to bad luck in the event’s second half causing a sour finish.
With two top-10s in the series two trips to a short track this season, Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas was hoping to make it three-for-three in ARCA’s hometown race. Shaking down his No. 11 Nortrax Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS prior to heading to the half-mile Northern Ohio race track, Silas was banking on the laps he acquired at the test, his previous experience at Toledo Speedway and the wisdom of crew chief Jeff McClure who celebrated in victory last May at Toledo Speedway.
The first practice session ended with frustrating results for the Fast Track Racing team. With power under the hood, Silas was unable to find a comfortable grip and showing a massive loose condition on his No. 11 Chevrolet.
Turning to his crew Jeff McClure for help, they both would put their heads together hoping to find a setup the two would be comfortable with for qualifying in the seventh race of the 2008 ARCA season.
In ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying, Silas’s lap of 17.252 seconds or 104.336 mph put the Fast Track Racing automobile 28th on the starting grid. “I feel a lot better about the car, ” offered Silas after time trials. “Jeff did a great job with the changes and even though we have a long way to go in the race, I’m confident, we’ll have something solid. ”
At the start of the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care, Silas wasted no time trying to maneuver his car to the front. Picking up three cars on the immediate start, Silas would hover inside the top-25 when the first caution flag waived on lap 11.
Over the series next 30 circuits, Silas would continue to slice his way through the pack staying out of trouble and climbing up in the running order. By lap 55, Silas had made a trip down pit road where the Fast Track Racing team made a routine pit stop for four tires and fuel.
Back to racing, Silas hooked on the rear-bumper of the No. 60 of Patrick Sheltra with the two restarting 17th and 18th respectively; the two would find themselves emerging from the mid-pack with Silas entering the top-10 on lap 98.
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