With his 21st birthday occurring on the same day as the Racing for Wildlife 200 at Michigan International Speedway, sophomore ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Bryan Silas is looking for career win No. 1 on Friday afternoon.
With the event also coming on Friday the 13th some would be superstitious but for the Stuart, Florida native it’s any other day with a job to do.
“It’s really weird that Michigan falls on my birthday but it’s pretty cool at the same time,” Silas stated. “I want to win so badly in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. To do it on my birthday and in Detroit’s backyard would be huge.”
The Fast Track Racing development driver returns to Michigan International Speedway (MIS) looking to make his second career start at the demanding two-mile oval. The avid racecar driver would also like nothing more than to net his fourth top-10 finish of the 2008 season.
“I had a good time running at Michigan last year; I just wished we would have had a better finish. We qualified very well but had some brake issues which left us with an unsatisfying finish. We’re a little smarter and I have more experience this year so I hope we can have a strong weekend.”
If the open ARCA RE/MAX Series test at MIS last month is any indication on how well the Fast Track Racing team will perform on Friday then Silas’s goal to be in contention for his first career victory is looking better than ever.
“The test went very well. We continue to try new things over at Fast Track Racing to make our team better. Jeff and I are continuing to communicate well. The changes he made to our Ford Fusion were aggressive but positive. Hopefully we can continue to roll in the right direction this week,” commented Silas.
Currently holding the 12th place in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings, Silas knows that a strong finish Friday afternoon will help him continue to propel forward in the ARCA standings and inch him closer to climbing into the top-10 where the team feels they belong.
“We had a good weekend at Pocono and gained some much needed points. We’re still 12th, but we’re making some progress. It’s not going to happen overnight, so the only thing we can do is continue to give 150 percent with every race and the points will come. I’m really proud of the Fast Track Racing team and I know when the season concludes we’ll all be smiling with the outcome.”
When asked how he’ll celebrate his 21st birthday, Silas replied, “Well, I hope we’ll be celebrating in victory lane. I spent the week with family and friends and did a lot of great activities. My biggest birthday wish will be a good run in Friday’s race because we all deserve it.”
Nortrax, Shell Rotella T, Holland Pump, ICI Homes, Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor the No. 11 Ford Fusion in the ninth event on the 2008 ARCA calendar.
“We led some laps last weekend at Pocono which help put our car in the spotlight,” sounded Silas. “That was important. We need to keep utilizing the same strategy but hope to be there for the entire race. I say this every week but I really do appreciate all of our sponsors, because I know I would not be celebrating my birthday at the race track without them.
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