MARNE, Michigan—Heading into ARCA’s shortest track of the season at Berlin Raceway, sophomore ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) driver Bryan Silas returns to the. 4-mile race track looking to repeat his recent string of strong qualifying runs but more importantly add a fourth top-10 finish to his season in Saturday night’s Berlin ARCA 200. “It’s back to Berlin,” said Silas. “It’s one of my favorite tracks on the schedule but we haven’t been able to finish as good as we’ve qualified. Hopefully Saturday’s start-to-finish will be the momentum we need to turn our season around.”
While the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season hasn’t been particularly bad for Silas including three top-10 finishes at Salem Speedway, Iowa Speedway and the May Kentucky Speedway event, Silas is far from satisfied and hopes that with the second half of the season in full swing, the No. 11 Nortrax-Shell Rotella T automobile will be up front a lot more.
“The season’s been okay but not up to our standards,” the Stuart, Florida native admitted. “We have good people and good equipment but we’ve been plagued by different situations that have cost us dearly in the final running order. We’re 12th in points and can’t be happy with that. Hopefully over the next couple of races we’ll be able to inch forward and make it into the top-10. Berlin would be the place to do it.”
After a disappointing 21st place finish last Friday night at Kentucky Speedway, Silas knows that the beating and banging which is typical of the Marne, Michigan racetrack can put everyone on a level playing field with the Fast Track Racing team ready to take advantage.
“Berlin Raceway provides some of the tightest racing of the season. However, I’ve been to Berlin where it’s been a wreck-fest and where there’s so many green flag laps, you’re like, okay, where’s the caution? There’s plenty of door banging and tire rubbing but that is what makes ARCA racing so good and puts everyone on the same level at Berlin.”
To get an early start on short-track racing, Silas, the avid racecar driver that everyone has become accustomed to, participated in the USAR Hooter’s Pro Cup event at Southern National Speedway. After qualifying 26th, Silas stormed quickly into the top-20 before suffering radio issues resulting in a lengthy pit stop. Returning to competition, Silas was well aware that he was out of the hunt but utilized the Crane Cams 250 as a test session which comfortably brought him home in the 23rd position.
Nortrax, Shell Rotella T, Holland Pump, ICI Homes, Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor the No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the 12th event on the 2008 ARCA calendar.
“It’s a shame that Berlin doesn’t get national television attention,” Silas sounded. “It’s a great racetrack with plenty of action. I’ve been told that ARCA will have live radio coverage from the track which is great for us and our sponsors. We’ve qualified in the top-10 the last couple of years and I want to do that and much more on Saturday night.”
Entering Berlin, Silas has 41 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with a career best finish of eighth at Kentucky Speedway (May 2008), Iowa Speedway (April 2008), Salem Speedway (April 2007 and April 2008) and Kentucky Speedway (July 2007) while holding an additional top-10 performance at USA International Speedway (March 2007). He holds a career best short track time trials effort of seventh at Berlin Raceway (July 2007). A fourth place qualifying effort at Pocono Raceway (June 2007) is Silas’s best speedway run to date. He has controlled the ARCA field for 26 laps in three races.
| 
|