Catchfence

Defending ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra has had a busy offseason, trying to determine his future and getting accustomed to being a team owner.

A native of Indiantown and a former South Fork High School student, Sheltra parlayed two wins, 12 top-fives and 17 top-10s last year in 20 races to earn his first title.

Sheltra, 24, is currently working on a deal that would have him racing full time in a NASCAR series this year. He said he is in discussions with six teams and expects a deal to be finalized in the next week or two.

Sheltra will run select ARCA events this year, including Daytona and Talladega, and will have a past champion’s provisional to get him into races — if necessary.

Sheltra said he has been busy this month at Sheltra Motorsports, which is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., working with his new driver, Milka Duno, a former Venezuelan model who has honed her skills in the IndyCar Series since 2007.

“She’s really got a lot of talent and adapts well,” Sheltra said of the Caracas native and current Miami resident, who tested with Sheltra two weeks ago at Daytona. “It’s just a big switch for her coming from IndyCar to the heavier stock cars.

“Just watching her test was impressive. She really came around by the third day.”

Sheltra said his team is waiting for Duno’s group to sign a deal to race in ARCA for the full season. She will drive his No. 63 Dodge Charger in the Feb. 12 season-opener at Daytona, while Sheltra will be in the No. 60 Dodge — owned by Terry Jones.

- Sebastian Sun / TCPalm.com