Chris Windom, driver of the No. 32 Champion Brands / Win-Tron Racing Dodge Charger in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Win-Tron Racing

Windom, driver 32, will be racing a Win Tron Racing Toyota for owner Kevin Cywinski.

The event will be shown live on the SPEED Channel.

Windom made his debut in an ARCA car on Aug. 21, 2011, when he drove for Win Tron Racing in the No. 32 Dodge.

Windom had a top 10 performance the night before in a USAC event.

- Canton Daily Ledger

Win-Tron Racing

Windom in his inaugural ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards debut at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield) last month stunned the field with an impressive third place outing in the Allen Crowe 100. Before Springfield, Windom had never sat in an ARCA car let alone a stock car.

During the Allen Crowe 100, Windom hovered inside the top-10 for a majority of the race before recovering from being spun out mid-way during the event to charge through the field for an impressive podium finish.

The effort turned a lot of heads throughout the ARCA garage not including the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team. Heading into Monday’s Labor Day tradition, Windom eyes a victory in just his second career start.

Chris Windom

Despite his lack of experience behind the wheel of a 3,400-pound stock car, Windom adapted quickly which was crucial yet impressive, considering he had only one hour of practice and one lap of qualifying before taking the green flag. Monday’s agenda will be identical which doesn’t faze the 20-year old.

“It is what it is as far as the schedule lay out,” offered Windom. “It’s fine with me though. I trust the setup that Mike (Chaffee, crew chief) is bringing and if it’s not to our liking, we’ll make some adjustments and aim towards another good run on Monday afternoon.”

Win-Tron Racing co-car owner Nate Thiesse admitted it wasn’t a hard decision to put Windom back behind the wheel in the final dirt race of the season.

“Chris showed extreme talent and car control in his ARCA Racing Series debut at Springfield,” he said. “His finesse with the No. 32 Champion Brands / Win-Tron Racing Dodge Charger looked more of a veteran rather than a rookie. We’re excited to have him back with us for Monday’s race and hoping we can have the same success.”

No. 32 Champion Brands / Win-Tron Racing Dodge Charger

Thus far in 2011, Win-Tron Racing owned by former American Speed Association (ASA) champion Kevin Cywinski and Thiesse has had four drivers behind the wheel of their No. 32 entries this year. Portland Texas native Matt Merrell started off the season before handing the wheel over to Ryan Wilson, the winner of last Fall’s Richard Petty Driver Search II for two races before Windom took the reins. Most recently, five-time ARCA winner and fellow Minnesota native Joey Miller guided the team to a seventh place outing at Madison International Speedway on August 26th.

Overall, the team has recorded one win (Merrell, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway), five top-fives and nine top-10 finishes. The veteran ARCA team currently sits ninth in the car owner standings with just four races remaining.

The Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Auto Parts (100 laps / 100 miles) is the 16th of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 29th ARCA event held at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds is a one-day show. Practice begins Monday, September 5 with a one hour practice session planned from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. The field will take the green flag that afternoon shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the 1,328th race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 612.306.1641

For more on Champion Brands LLC and their extensive line of products, please log on to championbrands.com or championsusechampion.com.

Matt Merrell, driver of the No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger celebrates his first career victory in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway in the Hantz Group 200 driving for Win-Tron Racing.

The triumph was a nice and welcomed reward for Merrell and his Lakeville, Minnesota-based Win-Tron Racing team after several weeks of misfortune tried to damper the team’s confidence and spirit.

From the moment the No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger unloaded from the hauler on Saturday afternoon, it was a rocket ship. After netting the 13th fastest time in practice, Merrell stepped up to the plate in qualifying and rocketed his automobile to the third fastest time.

During the course of the 10th race of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series, Merrell patiently waited to make his move on pole sitter Grant Enfinger. Merrell took the lead shortly before halfway and carried the lead over into the second half of the slugfest.

A caution on lap 117 allowed the Win-Tron Racing team to make their lone trip to pit road. With four tires and fuel, Merrell was set for the remainder of the race, but returned to the race track second behind new leader Tim George Jr.

While George Jr. appeared to be heading towards his second career victory in the ARCA Racing Series, Merrell riding in second was begging for a caution as he knew that he had enough to battle for the top-spot in his No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger. Merrell’s wish came true when the yellow flag waived on lap 189.

Just after the restart, Merrell brilliantly made an inside move on George Jr. to inherit the lead before the caution flag waived with Merrell at the point. Setting up for the green and white flags waiving simultaneously, Merrell held off a last-lap attempt by George Jr., but it was the No. 32 Champion Dodge Charger with Merrell at the helm taking the checkered flag first, ahead of a massive melee occurring behind him on the frontstretch. The 26-year old finished 0.289-seconds ahead of George Jr.

Merrell’s first career victory comes in his 23rd career ARCA Racing Series and exceeds past two runner-up finishes at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in 2009.

“Man, I don’t know what to say, this is awesome,” said the jubilant driver. “I cannot thank Win-Tron Racing, Kevin (Cywinski), Nate (Thiesse), Mike (Chafee, crew chief), Mike (Resop, car chief) and the entire team enough for all that they have done for me. They have stood behind me because they believed in me and I am so glad I’m finally able to give them a victory. We had an awesome car tonight. The Champion Brands Dodge was stellar. Tim (George Jr.) was able to get away from us all on that restart but I knew if we could get back to him, that we would have something for him. Thankfully, the caution flag came back out late in the race and I was able to do what I knew our Champion Brands Dodge Charger was capable of.”

He continued, “This is our first win with Champion Brands and I’m thrilled for them. We’ve had a couple of tough weeks, but I knew that if there was a track that I could give them a win, Berlin would be the place. I have an early flight Sunday morning, but we’re definitely going to do some celebrating before I get on the plane!”

Co-car owner Nate Thiesse offered, “We knew it was just a matter of time before Matt would take Win-Tron Racing to victory lane. He wanted it bad tonight and you could see that from the moment that green flag dropped. I’m stoked for him and this entire Win-Tron Racing team. This was a big night for us and I could not be more proud!”

The annual trip to Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, just on the outskirts of Grand Rapids signifies the ninth race that Champion Brands heeded the role as the primary sponsor of the No. 32 Dodge Charger. Headquartered in Clinton, Missouri, Champion Brands LLC produces and blends more than 300 products including fuel, oil and engine additives and lubricants for the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural and specialty markets.

Saturday night’s win was the first for Win-Tron Racing since Justin Marks led the team to Victory Lane at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway last February.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is a trip out West to Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa for the running of the Prairie Meadows 200 on Saturday, July 16th. The 11th race of the season will air live on SPEED and ARCARacing.com beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Merrell made his 24th career start in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway this weekend. In his previous 23 outings, Merrell has one win (Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, July 2011), nine top-fives and 12 top-10s. His best start position for Win-Tron Racing occurred at the tricky triangle of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where he qualified his No. 32 CollinsHope.org Dodge Charger second in June of 2009.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 612.306.1641

For more on Champion Brands LLC and their extensive line of products, please log on to championbrands.com or championsusechampion.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

Matt Merrell

A blown tire at Chicagoland Speedway and a practice incident at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway have tried to rattle the cage of the Lakeville, Minnesota team but the team has overcome the hiccups which included a 10th place finish in the Pocono ARCA 200 to maintain a solid footing in the championship standings.

Like Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Speedway, Merrell has never raced at MIS but the Portland, Texas native will lean on the expertise of his team led by crew chief wizard Mike Chaffee.

“I’m not worried about going to a place that I’ve never been before,” offered Merrell, who stands sixth in the championship standings after seven races. “This Win-Tron Racing team is on top of their game when it comes to these big ovals. The team had a strong run at Michigan last year with Justin Marks and believe me I want to do the same for them and Champion Oil on Friday afternoon.”

The 26-year old added, “We’ve had some bumps in the last two races, so I would like to rebound on Friday with a win for the team. They won a race by this time last year, so I feel like they are long overdue for a trip to victory lane. Nate (Thiesse, car owner), Kevin (Cywinski, car owner), Mike (Chaffee), Mike (Resop) and all the boys have given more than I could ever ask for all year long, so it would be a nice reward for us all.”

Closing in on the half-way mark of the 2011 season, Merrell is satisfied with the team’s performances but illustrates that the veteran ARCA team still has a lot on the table. “We’re not going anywhere,” Merrell sounded. “The championship battle is tight, but we’re not going down without a fight. We just have to keep plugging away at those top-fives and top-10s. When push comes to shove, I would like to be in the thick of the battle.”

The first of two contests held in the Great Lakes state signifies the seventh race that Champion Oil will heed the role as the primary sponsor for the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team. Headquartered in Clinton, Missouri Champion Oil, a division of Champion Brands LLC produces and blends more than 300 products including fuel, oil and engine additives and lubricants for the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural and specialty markets.

Thiesse offered his comments on Friday’s race. “We’re all looking forward to Michigan. It’s a place over the years where we have really excelled at. Matt has shown time and time again that he can master a track in his first try. We don’t expect anything different this week.”

Merrell will make his 21st career start in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Pocono Raceway this weekend. In his previous 20 outings, Merrell has eight top-fives including runner-up finishes of second at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (August) in 2009 and 11 top-10s. His best start position for Win-Tron Racing occurred at the tricky triangle of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where he qualified his No. 32 CollinsHope.org Dodge Charger second in June of 2009.

The RainEater Wiper Blades 200 (100 laps / 200 miles) is the eighth of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 30th ARCA race at the Irish Hills track is a two-day show. Practice begins Thursday, June 16 with a one hour and half practice session planned from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin on race day, Friday, June 17th at 10:00 a.m. The field will take the green flag later in the day shortly after 5:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on SPEED. Live timing and scoring throughout the 1,320th race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

For more on Champion Oil, Champion Brands LLC and their products, please log on to championbrands.com or championsusechampion.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

Matt Merrell

The Portland, Texas native has endured several different types of race tracks during his young career. From short tracks, to intermediate tracks and even the intimidating superspeedways of Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway but this weekend the opportunity to strengthen his resume by competing at a road course is an opportunity and not a hindrance.

“I’m more than ready,” said Merrell. “You have to approach tracks that you have never been to before with optimism. Who knows, I might even surprise myself this weekend. The biggest thing for me this weekend is not to break what we’ve already built so far in 2011 including moving up to second in points. A good run will help keep us in this championship chase.”

And that platform that Merrell has built in 2011 has been impressive. With a third place outing at Daytona, a ninth at Talladega, a fifth at Salem (Ind.) Speedway and a third in the most recent adventure at Toledo Speedway, the possibilities of keeping his streak alive remain at an all-time high.

“I cannot boast enough about this Win-Tron Racing team,” added the 26-year old protégé. “Nate, Kevin, Mike (Chafee, crew chief), Mike (Resop, car chief) and the rest of the guys are some of the best in the business. They know what they are doing even when it comes to road course racing, so I’m just eager to get behind the wheel of our No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger.”

To help prepare the former USARacing Pro Cup Series star for his first tango with NJMP, Merrell recently attended the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving at Firebird Raceway. Merrell spent four days under grueling testing conditions which included three days of testing in a Chevrolet Corvette C6 Grand Sport and spent his last day in a Formula 1200 open-wheel car.

“I learned a lot at the school,” Merrell mentioned. “You learn the typical dos and don’ts, but you also get to experience some of what could happen first-hand for yourself. I know that even tough I wasn’t in a stock car, the techniques will no question help me on Sunday.”

An added bonus for Merrell is that he has developed a bond with former Win-Tron Racing pilot Justin Marks who erupted with his first career ARCA victory win at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway with the Lakeville, Minnesota based team last February.

“Being able to lean on Justin the past couple weeks has been a huge bonus,” sounded Merrell. “He has told me what to be prepared for this weekend at New Jersey. He’s told me what to expect, what could happen and how to setup and make a move on the competition, that all helps. I’ve taken a lot of input in from him and it’s planted into my mind. I know that if I need to, I can also pick up the phone and call him this weekend too.”

Nate Thiesse, co-owner of Win-Tron Racing isn’t worried about his driver’s inexperience heading into the fifth race of the year. “Matt will be fine. One of his brightest abilities is how well he is able to adapt quickly to new surroundings and New Jersey this weekend will be the perfect scenario. I think with the help of the Bob Bondurant School and talking with Justin (Marks), we won’t see anything less that what Matt has delivered all year long.”

The lone road racing contest of the year signifies the fourth race that Champion Brands will heed the role as the primary sponsor for the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team. Headquartered in Clinton, Missouri Champion Brands LLC produces and blends more than 300 products including fuel, oil and engine additives and lubricants for the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural and specialty markets.

Entering New Jersey, Merrell is second in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings 95 points behind leader Ty Dillon and five markers ahead of nine-time champion Frank Kimmel in third. Currently, the Win-Tron Racing team holds the reins with Kimmel Racing as the only two teams to finish inside the top-10 in all four races thus far in 2011.

Merrell will make his 18th career start in the ARCA Racing Series presented Menards at NJMP this weekend. In his previous 17 outings, Merrell has eight top-fives including runner-up finishes of second at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (August) in 2009 and 10 top-10s. His best start position for Win-Tron Racing occurred at the tricky triangle of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where he qualified his No. 32 CollinsHope.org Dodge Charger second in June of 2009.

The ModSpace 150 (67 laps / 150 miles) is the fifth of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fourth ever ARCA event held at New Jersey Motorsports Park is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 21 with an hour and a half practice session planned from 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. A final “happy hour” session has been etched in from 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Sunday May 22 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but event coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the weekend will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger

Merrell returned to the helm of the No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger after posting back-to-back top-10 finishes at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway – but for the first time this season the competition had to embrace a tight and treacherous half-mile oval, a place that in the past had denied Merrell a happy result.

In the lone practice session on Saturday, Merrell maneuvered the 10th fastest time allowing a prime opportunity for Win-Tron Racing crew chief Mike Chafee to make adjustments to their automobile hoping for a solid starting position for the third race of the season.

During time trials, the Portland, Texas native negotiated the No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger around the track in 18.018 seconds or 110.889 miles per hour lining the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team 12th on the starting grid for the second consecutive race.

Mother Nature drenched the track Sunday morning forcing ARCA officials to tediously dry the race track right up until race time. The field would rev their engines at 2:15 p.m. and assist in the track drying process by running 20 green flag laps at caution speed.

By lap 21 the field was under normal racing conditions with Merrell quickly making a dent in his competition. By lap 50, Merrell had successfully climbed into the top-10 holding steady in the eight position. Two laps later though, a multi-car wreck broke out on the backstretch leaving Merrell no escape as his No. 32 machine slapped the outside wall. Under the yellow flag, Merrell brought his race car to the attention of his veteran team where damage control was assed and corrected.

Bruised but not battered, Merrell returned to competition and began his charge back to the front. Slowly, but surely Merrell utilized lap traffic and short track madness to break back into the top-10 by the halfway mark.

Routine pit stops approaching the 110-mark brought Merrell back to pit road for tires and fuel before surging back into action. Methodically, Merrell worked through the field and charged up to the rear of the No. 52 of Tom Hessert. The two would battle before Merrell out muscled his machine on lap 127 to control the field for 29 laps until the second place competitor lost control of his car in turn two on lap 155 sending both machines around and subsequently giving the top-spot to Josh Williams.

Stalled on the backstretch, Merrell would have to wait for a push from track officials which ultimately cost him his lead-lap status. Another trip to pit road for damage assessment would bring another round of repairs but not enough carnage to keep Merrell out of the competition.

Restarting the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 one lap off the pace, Merrell would patiently wait for another yellow flag to waive which would put the Champion Brands Racing team back on the lead lap.

Armed with some fresh rubber, Merrell was determined to mount a charge in the closing laps of the event. Restarting eighth, Merrell was able to find his way to fifth and despite a green-white-checkered attempt, the 26-year old was unable to make any more gains, capturing his third top-10 finish in a row and second top-five run of the year.

It was also a personal best effort for the former USARacing Pro Cup Series competitor at the Southern Indiana race track. Previously in three tries, Merrell had faired no better than an 11th place finish in 2009.

“I have mixed feelings,” said Merrell. “We didn’t have the best race car in practice or qualifying but this Win-Tron Racing shined again and we had a super fast car in the race. I thought we would have a shot to win it and the next thing I knew I was spinning in turn two. Luckily, we were able to overcome the misfortune from the spin and still bring Win-Tron and Champion Brands another top-five performance.”

He added, “I know that we are close. It will only be a matter of time before we’re able to celebrate in victory lane. I appreciate Nate (Thiesse) and Kevin (Cywinski) who continue to believe in me and give me the opportunity to drive their No. 32, I’m having a blast.”

Thiesse, co-owner of the No. 32 Champion Brands Dodge Charger reflected on Sunday’s performance. “Matt stepped up to the plate and made the best of a potentially bad situation. Believe me, we all would have liked to have gone back to victory lane at Salem, but our time is coming. I appreciate the dedication and hard work of every member of the Win-Tron Racing team. Two incidents later, we still left with a top-five finish. It could have been a lot worse. We’ll go to Toledo and try again.”

With his seventh top-five and ninth top-10 in 16 races, Merrell is third in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings behind nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel and Ty Dillon. Just 80 points separate Merrell from the top-spot.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is the Menards 200 set for Sunday, May 15th at Toledo Speedway. Merrell will make his third start at the half-mile oval and look to improve on his fifth place performance in May 2009.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

For more on Champion Brands LLC and their products, please log on to championbrands.com or championsusechampion.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry

And for the second consecutive race, Merrell looked more like a veteran rather than an inexperienced rookie when it comes to the intense, mind boggling restrictor plate racing. Armed with the same Toyota Camry that Merrell wheeled at Daytona, the team utilized the three hour practice on Thursday to dial in their newly sponsored automobile.

Producing the 20th fastest time overall, Merrell and his team went to work with veteran crew chief Mike Chafee to made adjustments to their machine in hopes of find additional speed for qualifying. In time trials, Merrell picked up the pace considerably and qualified his No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry 12th in the 39-car field.

The excitement to start the second race of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season would be delayed until Saturday morning after severe storms rattled through the Talladega area shortly before the original start time on Friday afternoon, ultimately forcing officials to move the event to 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

Once the green flag flew, Merrell blasted his Japanese nameplate quickly into the top-10. By lap six, Merrell found himself sitting ninth. Less than 10 laps later, the No. 32 was on the move and had climbed into the sixth position.

When Terry Jones lost a motor on lap 16, Chaffee elected to bring his protégé down pit road for fuel only – deciding to utilize some pit strategy.

Restarting just outside the top-10, the No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry rocketed back to the front and by lap 27 had moved into the fifth position.

Throughout the remainder of the 94-lap event, the see-saw battle of the draft saw the No. 32 fluctuate between sixth and eighth respectively.

When the final restart of the day came with less than eight laps remaining, Merrell restarted sixth but found himself attacked by a slew of race cars in the draft which resulted in the No. 32 being shuffled back to the 10th position when the checkered flag was thrown.

Matt Merrell

Thiesse, who served as the backstretch spotter for Merrell during the race offered his thoughts. “Matt continues to impress everyone at Win-Tron Racing. He does a magnificent job in the draft. He was able to come from the back to the front on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, we just ran out of time. This was our first race with Champion Brands aboard and we’re all happy with the results.”

With his 15th career ARCA Racing Series start in the rear-view mirror, Merrell sits fifth in the ARCA Racing Series championships standings just 55 markers behind point’s leader Bobby Gerhart entering the next ARCA race on the schedule, the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem (Ind.) Speedway set for Sunday, May 1.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

For more on Champion Brands LLC and their products, please logon to championbrands.com or championsusechampion.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

Win-Tron Racing

After being out of an ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race car for a little over a year, Matt Merrell reunited with Lakeville, Minnesota’s Win-Tron Racing for the 2011 season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway looking to rekindle some of their magic from the past. And when the checkered flag was thrown, it was evident that the magic never faded.

Having only tested at the newly re-paved 2.5-mile superspeedway once before practice on Thursday, Merrell, the Portland, Texas native was relying on the craftiness of his Win-Tron Racing team led by crew chief wizard Mike Chaffee.

During the four-hour practice run on Thursday, Merrell in the No. 32 Bemm Boatworks / Red Line Oil Toyota Camry placed seventh overall in the rundown after participating in a light draft with some of his other competitors.

“The car is pretty good,” said Merrell. “I think we would like it to be a little faster but we still have some time to do that. I’m just thankful to be back with these guys and be here at Daytona.”

Qualifying took place on Friday afternoon and the Win-Tron Racing team was one of the nice surprises during the session as Merrell had stalked his Toyota Camry into the top-five before landing fourth overall.

“I’m pretty stoked about the race,” sounded Merrell. “The guys made some changes to the car before qualifying and it’s obvious we went in the right direction. I’m enjoying myself immensely in Daytona and I’m just hoping that we’ll have a good run in the race.”

At the start of the 80-lap event, Merrell quickly placed his Toyota Camry on the yellow line following leaders Kyle Fowler, Steve Arpin and Bobby Gerhart around the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

The first yellow flag of the day waived on lap four for a one-car incident involving the No. 94 of Brett Hudson. Merrell remained quiet on the radio but anxious to get back to green-flag conditions.

Back to racing, Merrell continued to keep his machine in the top-five until Tom Hessert was turned on lap 18 bringing out the second yellow flag of the event. It was during the yellow that the former USARacing Pro Cup Series driver brought his red and white machine to the attention of his team where Sunoco Racing fuel was inserted into the No. 32 Bemm Boatworks / Red Line Oil Toyota Camry.

Restarting mid-pack, Merrell found a strong group of race cars where he quickly made his way back to the front.

The red flag would be displayed after a lap 45 incident involving the No. 58 of Chad Hackenbracht. During the cessation, Merrell remained focused inside the cockpit trying to plan a strategy inside his head for the approaching thirty laps.

Once racing resumed, Merrell continued to follow the same routine he had been doing most of the race, keeping his automobile pinned to the bottom of the race track and sucked up tightly in the lead draft.

The “big one” broke out on lap 64 with Merrell well-ahead of the carnage. Setting up for nearly a 10-lap shootout, the development driver was paying close attention to the lead cars of Bobby Gerhart, Chris Buescher and Joey Licata Jr., studying his prey and ready to pounce on any hiccups they would display.

Tucked in fourth and within inches of a six-car draft coming to the white flag, Merrell took advantage of Licata Jr., jumping his Dodge to the outside line with Merrell quickly slamming the door shut and moving into the podium position.

Merrell gave one last attempt to pass the No. 17 of Buescher coming to the checkered flag but ran out of time. The Win-Tron Racing team led the brigade of Toyotas with their third place finish ahead of fellow Toyota teammate Jason Bowles in the fifth position.

Matt Merrell

Thiesse expressed his thoughts on Merrell’s performance in his superspeedway debut. “Matt did an exceptional job,” said Thiesse, a former driver himself. “He was a rookie Saturday but he looked more like a veteran. He knew what to do and when and he listened to the team very well. It was his effort behind the wheel that gave us a great foundation to start the season. Hopefully, we can put something together to put Matt back in the seat for Talladega.”

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will take nearly an eight week pause before action resumes at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Friday, April 15th, 2011 live on SPEED.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

For more on Bemm Boatworks, please log on to Bemmboatworks.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

Win-Tron Racing

It’s been a little more than a year since the former USARacing Pro Cup Series driver has been with the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team but the two are reuniting in hopes of rekindling the magic and success they achieved in 2009 at the “World Center of Racing” for Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona.

Win-Tron Racing, arguably noted as one of the most competitive teams in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will have to try and shield the rookie stripe of Merrell who despite his 13 career starts has yet to neither conquer nor tackle a restrictor plate track.

Leaning on their No. 32 Red Line Oil Toyota Camry and the experience of Win-Tron wizard crew chief Mike Chaffee, the group is hoping to find themselves in the lead draft when the season-opener draws to a close at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

“I cannot begin to describe how excited I am about returning to Win-Tron Racing,” said Merrell, who in 13 contests has accumulated five top-fives and six top-10 finishes. “To get the call from Nate (Thiesse, Win-Tron Racing co car-owner) and Kevin (Cywinski, Win-Tron Racing co car-owner) to drive their piece in what undoubtedly will be the biggest race of my career is not only humbling but an honor.”

Despite a multi-million dollar re-pavement to the 2.5-mile superspeedway, the Win-Tron Racing team declined to participate in an open three-day open test session last month.

“It really doesn’t bother me that we didn’t test,” offered Merrell. “I guess the biggest thing I will be lacking is drafting, but I’m assuming I’ll be able to do that in the two practice sessions leading up to the race. I know to some I’ll be fresh meat in the draft but I’m hoping that the respect that the Win-Tron Racing team has earned will off-set some of that lack of experience.”

For Thiesse, the decision to put Merrell back in the driver’s seat wasn’t hard.

“Matt showed in 2009 that he could get the job done,” sounded Thiesse. “He is an incredible kid with a lot of talent. When the seat became available, it wasn’t difficult to pin-point who we really wanted to put in the Red Line Oil Toyota. We feel that Matt will pick up right where he left off.”

The piece that Win-Tron Racing will sport in Saturday’s season-opener will have all the intentions of giving Merrell the prime opportunity to push his career to the next level. The team has elected to bring back the same Toyota Camry that their 2010 driver Justin Marks sat on the inside of row number two (third), hovered in the top-10 for the entire race before settling for ninth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last April.

“As always, the Win-Tron Racing team is giving me a car capable of winning,” offered Merrell. “As it stands right now, we’re only partnered for Daytona, so I would most definitely like to deliver them a good finish that will allow us or someone else to pick up the momentum in Talladega a short time later.”

Thiesse concluded by saying, “We’ve shown that we’re competitive and we can win with one driver or a multitude of drivers. We’re a development team for a reason and hopefully we’ll get the chance to continue that presence in 2011. While, we’re trying to nail down a more productive schedule with Matt, the seat is open following Daytona to breed the newest talent in one of the most diverse racing series available.”

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 48th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 10 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 11 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 12th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

FOR THE STRUTMASTERS.COM 300

AT SOUTH BOSTON SPEEDWAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2010.

- Logan Ruffin clinched Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in today’s Strutmasters.com 300 at South Boston Speedway.

NOTES:

- Ruffin competed in all 14 USA Racing Pro Cup Series races in 2010. He racked up five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. He is a 16-year old native of Memphis, Tenn.

Logan Ruffin

“I like to thank Turner Motorsports for the opportunity they gave me this year. It really meant a lot. They helped us out this year and I would also like to thank Kevin Cywinski, my crew chief, for helping me. What a lot of people do not know is that we’ve only got one guy working in the shop right now. I’d really like to think Martin Lyle. He’s done a great job all year and helped get this car r eady to go all by himself every week. I cannot think these guys enough. They’ve done a fantastic job. We’ve had great pit stops, great racecars; a lot of opportunities to win just hadn’t been able to pull it off yet. I’d like to thank Steve Turner [car owner] for the opportunity and I hope we get to do it again next year.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS WINNING RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TO TURNER MOTORSPORTS?

“It’s very important. They’ve never won a race in the Pro Cup Series and they’ve never won Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Pro Cup Series so I was able to do one of the things that they wanted me to do thi s year. Our checklist for the year was to get seat time, win a race, win the championship and win Raybestos Rookie of the Year. I feel like we definitely accomplished two of those and had a shot at getting all four of them, just didn’t fall into place. But we’ll be back and we’ll get it done.”

YOU RESTARTED IN THE TOP THREE LATE IN THE RACE THEN HAD PROBLEMS. WHAT HAPPENED?

“We think we broke a pinion gear. We broke something in the driveline though and ended our day, unfortunately. I think we had a shot at finishing in the top three for sure and finish in the top three in points also but it just wasn’t our day.”

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR?

“Honestly I’m not sure. We’re yet to hear what we’re going to do. I’m really waiting to kind of see what Turner Motorsports is going to do next year and what their plan is. I’m just waiting on a phone call I guess [smiles].”

WHAT IS THE MAIN THING THAT YOU LEARNED THIS SEASON?

“The main thing I learned in this series, well first of all, I had to learn a lot about the weight of the car. I talked to everybody about that this year. The weight of these cars is so much different than a late model that you have to really get your braking down. And the second thing is I learned a lot about pit stops. I’ve never done pit stops before and I’ve really had to improve on those throughout the year. The third thing would have to be really learning to be more patient. These races are a lot longer than what I’m used to and I feel like I’ve accomplished that throughout the year. Those were really the main things.”

The USAR Pro Cup Series, formerly Hooters Pro Cup, is owned by Interstate Investment Group (IIG) and is based in Concord, N.C. For more information on USARacing, visit www.usarprocup.com.

Patrick Sheltra winner of the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award

The Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award is given to the owner of the ARCA Racing Series team scoring the most race points – not counting qualifying or lap bonuses – in the eight races at Daytona International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway (two), Michigan International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, and Kansas Speedway.

Sheltra, in addition to becoming the sixth driver/owner to win the ARCA Racing Series championship, is the first driver/owner to win the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award since Davey Allison won in 1984.

“Man, what a huge accomplishment this was for our Sheltra Motorsports team this year. Over the years of our presence in ARCA, I feel we have lacked on the bigger tracks. This year, we knew we had to step up the program in order to have a shot at winning the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge,” said the winner. “Overall, our intent was to use those speedway events to aid us in our bid towards the championship. But to have the honor to take home the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge championship trophy as well is a real honor.”

The driver of the No. 60 Sheltra Motorsports car – a Dodge at Daytona and Talladega and a Toyota at the other six races – finished with 1475 points in the competition, beating by a margin of 115 points the No. 32 Win-Tron Racing entry owned by Kevin Cywinski and driven by Justin Marks.

Eddie Sharp (No. 81 Eddie Sharp Racing; driver Craig Goess) finished third with 1350 points. Frank Kimmel (No. 44 Kimmel Racing; driver Frank Kimmel) was fourth with 1290 points, and Cathy Ventruini (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports; driver Mikey Kile) was fifth with 1285 points.

Sheltra finished fifth at Daytona and seventh at Texas before a runner-up result at Talladega in April gave him the Superspeedway lead for good. He finished fourth at Pocono and third at Michigan in back-to-back weeks, and returned to Pocono in July with a sixth-place finish.

One week after winning his first race of 2010 on the dirt mile of the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., Sheltra scored his first speedway victory of the year at Chicagoland. At that point, Sheltra had completed seven Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge races and had finished in each of the top seven positions exactly once.

Sheltra finished fifth at Kansas on the final day in September to complete a run of eight top-10 finishes in eight races – a feat accomplished by no other driver – and clinch the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award.

Sheltra credited crew chief Jon Wolfe for being keenly decisive in pursuit of the series and Superspeedway Challenge championships.

“We added Jon Wolfe at the beginning of the year to help steer the Sheltra Motorsports ship towards a championship effort this year. With his presence came exceptional knowledge and experience not only on the intermediate tracks but with every track in general,” Sheltra said. “With his assistance we also decided to switch our entire mile-and-a-half program over to Toyota this year compared to Dodge and Toyota last year. It proved to be a strong and the right move for the team and with support from Triad and the hard work of the Sheltra Motorsports team it allowed us to contend for the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge. Thankfully, all of our hard work paid off.”

Based in Lakeville, Ind., Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. produces the Official Tire of the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards and is part of one of the longest-standing sponsor relationships in ARCA’s 58-year history. Hoosier has participated as a supplier for ARCA-sanctioned events since the 1960s and has been the exclusive tire provider for the ARCA Racing Series since 1995.

“You cannot say enough about Hoosier’s commitment to the ARCA Racing Series. They have been so good for the series for a long time and are often overlooked for their involvement,” Sheltra said. “Dave Wroblewski and his staff made sure that our team was taken care of at every race this year and that means a lot. I thank Hoosier for sponsoring a championship within a championship and I hope we make them proud!”

The 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards Championship Awards Banquet will take place Saturday, December 4 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 racetracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as left- and right-turn street and road courses.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Logan Ruffin

Same is true for 16-year old Logan Ruffin, 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the USARacing Pro Cup Series. The Memphis, Tenn., native clinched top-rookie honors in the Keith Whitaker Chevrolet 250 October 9 at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway and accomplished one of many goals the Turner Motorsports set for the 2010 season.

Along the way, Ruffin had to earn respect from his fellow competitors, a familiar concept for the young driver.

“I’ve been fighting that since I was 13 years old my first time that I ran late models,” Ruffin said. “If you can race around the guys that have been doing it for years and years, don’t wreck ‘em, don’t try to go out there and rough ‘em up, drive with ‘em and be clean, be smooth, finish the races and if you finish well then you start catching their attention to say this is a kind that we can go race with.”

Adjusting to the heavier Pro Cup Series cars has been a challenge for the young driver, whose background is rich in the lighter late model cars. Nevertheless, Ruffin has claimed five top-five finishes and led 184 laps during his first full season in the series.

“It’s my first full season in these cars so it’s been a big learning curve,” Ruffin said. “I feel like the team and I have gotten a lot better. The weight of these cars is a lot heavier than a late model like I’m used to. That’s been really big. The power on these cars is about like a super late model. They have a lot of torque, you have to be easy on the throttle, have good throttle control, it’s a learning curve but I think we’re going pretty well.”

In addition to capturing Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Ruffin and crew chief Kevin Cywinski wanted to get Ruffin more seat time and contend for wins and the series championship. While the series title might be out of reach, parking his car in victory lane at the series finale at South Boston (Va.) November 6 remains a distinct possibility. He scored a fourth-place finish in the Strutmasters.com 250 June 12 at the .400-mile speedway after leading 38 laps.

The Strutmasters.com 300 is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. They are available for purchase from the South Boston Speedway website and via phone at 1-877-440-1540.

The USAR Pro Cup Series, formerly Hooters Pro Cup, is owned by Interstate Investment Group (IIG) and is based in Concord, N.C. For more information on USARacing, visit www.usarprocup.com.

- USAR Pro Cup Series Press Release

Sheltra Motorsports

Race Information: Event: Kansas Lottery 150, Thursday, September 30 at 4:00 p.m. Local Time Track: Kansas Speedway Qualifying: Thursday, September 30 at 1:00 p.m. Local Time Track Length: 1.5-mile paved-oval.

Last Time Out; Salem Speedway: Patrick Sheltra and his Sheltra Motorsports team finished sixth in the most recent outing for the ARCA Racing Series at Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic. After starting ninth, Sheltra quickly battled his No. 60 PatrickSheltra.com / Ferguson Pipe Dodge Charger towards the front. Unfortunately, an extremely loose race car would keep Sheltra in the hunt for his third win of the season and second overall at the legendary short track. Still, the finish was enough for Sheltra to maintain control of the ARCA Racing Series championship standings after a post-race infraction from another championship contender. The effort awarded the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team with their 15th top-10 finish of the year.

In The Land Of Oz: Indiantown, Florida native Patrick Sheltra will make his fourth career ARCA Racing Series start at Kansas Speedway on Thursday afternoon. In Sheltra’s previous three starts he has a worst finish of 12th and a best finish of eighth occurring in 2008. Last October, Sheltra qualified ninth and bolted quickly into the top-five in the 100-lap contest. Sheltra though would be involved in an early race altercation which kept the Sheltra Motorsports out of contention for a top-10 run and instead had to settle for a 11th place run.

Welcome Aboard Tequesta: For the final two ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards races of the year, Sheltra Motorsports is proud to boast the signage of Tequesta Road and Bridge of Florida on the hood of their Japanese nameplate. A soon-to-be-completed project by Sheltra & Son Construction of Indiantown, Florida, the Tequesta Road and Bridge located in Tequesta, Florida, stands approximately 28 miles Southeast from Indiantown, Florida, symbolizing one of the greatest spectacles of new construction in the Sunshine State. The Grand Opening of the Tequesta Bridge is set for this Saturday, October 2, 2010.

Welcoming Some International Love Too: Jones Group International has leaped aboard the No. 60 Sheltra Motorsports Toyota Camry for the final two events of the year at Kansas Speedway and Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway respectively. Located in Amherstburg Ontario Canada, Jones Group International, a successful construction company is owned by part-time race car driver Terry Jones. The Jones Group International logo will be sported on the television panel of the No. 60 Toyota Camry.

Watcha Haulin?: Crew chief Jon Wolfe has elected to use Sheltra Motorsports Chassis No. 19 this week at Kansas Speedway. This former Red Bull Racing Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) is the same automobile that propelled Sheltra to victory at Chicagoland Speedway last month. This is the same machine that Sheltra finished third at Michigan International Speedway in June. This hot rod also was the team’s primary vehicle of choice at Iowa Speedway. Chassis No. 11 will serve as the team’s back-up machine. The former Penske Racing Dodge Charger was transformed into a Toyota Camry this year. It is the same automobile that Sheltra Motorsports utilized in both Pocono (Pa.) Raceway ARCA events this season. Sheltra finished fourth and sixth respectively on the tricky 2.5-mile triangle.

Happy Birthday “Sister”: Sydney Wolfe, the daughter of Sheltra Motorsports crew chief Jon Wolfe will celebrate her 16th birthday on Sunday October 5th. Sheltra made a promise to his “sister” before he departed for Kansas Speedway Tuesday afternoon that he would do everything in his power to bring her home a win in the 19th race of the year as a special “sweet 16” present.

Autographs Anyone?: Before turning to his duties on Thursday, Sheltra will make a stop at the Cabela’s (10300 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas 66111, across from France Family Drive adjacent to Kansas Speedway; 913.328.0322) On Wednesday, September 29th from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. local for a meet and greet and an autograph session.

New Record Set; But Thirsty For More: While eclipsing his 10th top-five finish of the year at Toledo (Oh.) Speedway, Patrick Sheltra continues to rewrite his own personal record books for the number of finishes inside the top-five and top-10 for a full-season. In his previous three full-time seasons, Sheltra had posted a season high of four top-five finishes in 2009. Sheltra’s personal best overall season of nine top-10 finishes in 2008 was overtaken again by his performance in the Southern Illinois 100. Thus far in 2010, Sheltra has mastered two wins, 10 top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes in 18 races, including the sixth place finish at Salem (Ind.) Speedway two weeks ago. Sheltra is hoping to expand his new personal record with just two races remaining this year.

Point’s Check: 18 races down, two to go, Sheltra with the guidance of crew chief Jon Wolfe sits first in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings accumulating 4290 points. The driver nicknamed “Mr. Showtime” remained in the top-spot following his solid run last at Salem (Ind.) Speedway. The 24-year old Sheltra also controls the first position in the ARS car owner standings. The top-seven ARCA Racing Series drivers are separated by just 215 points to the leader for control of the top spot in the championship chase. Earlier this year, Sheltra held the top-spot for three consecutive races (Toledo, Michigan and Pocono) in a row, and shared the top-spot with Tom Hessert for one race (DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds). In 2009, he also shared the top-spot with Parker Kligerman for one race (Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway).

Sheltra’s Covered In Special Point Standings Too: While the Sheltra Motorsports team is searching for their first championship, the team is still after a host of other awards too. Patrick Sheltra and mother Grace Sheltra leads the ARCA “special points” Superspeedway Challenge sector. Car owner Grace Sheltra leads Kevin Cywinski (No. 32) by a 90-point gap entering the final speedway race of the season this week at Kansas Speedway. Currently, Patrick Sheltra is also first in the CGS Imaging Hard Charger, first in the Racing Electronics Lighting Challenge and first in the Fast Track High Performance Driving School award.

Nice Statistic; Solid Stats: By posting his 15th top-10 finish of the season at Toledo (Oh.) Speedway on September 12, Sheltra is the only driver in the ARCA Racing Series to finish inside the top-10 in 15 of the 18 races completed thus far in 2010. Sheltra kicked off his strongest start to an ARCA season with a fifth place performance at Daytona, a 10th place performance at Palm Beach, a fourth place run at Salem Speedway, a seventh place outing at Texas Motor Speedway, his season-best second at ‘Dega, an eighth at Toledo Speedway, a fourth place run at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, a third place outing in the Racing for Wildlife 200 at Michigan International Speedway, a sixth place at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, a second-place outing in the Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, a 13th place outing at New Jersey Motorsports Park, a win on the dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and another win at Chicagoland Speedway, a fourth place result at the Du Quoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds, a third place at Toledo (Oh.) Speedway and most recently a sixth place finish in round number 18 under the lights at Salem (Ind.) Speedway.

Wanna Come Along For The Ride? Marketing Partnerships Still Available: Multiple cost-effective marketing partnership packages are still available for the 2010 ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR seasons for Patrick Sheltra. Let Sheltra Motorsports show you how to find victory lane in more ways than one! For additional information on how to be apart of our winning organization, please contact Brandon Hinson (brandon@patricksheltra.com) or email marketing@patricksheltra.com.

Patrick Sheltra ARCA Career At-A-Glance: Entering Kansas, Sheltra has 85 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards starts to his credit with three career victories at Salem (Ind.) Speedway (April 2009), the Illinois State Fairgrounds (August 2010) and Chicagoland Speedway (August 2010). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated 20 top-fives and posted 37 top-10 finishes. A second place qualifying effort at Chicagoland Speedway (August 2010) is Sheltra’s best time trials effort to date. He has controlled the ARCA field 10 times for 276 laps.

Are You In The Know?: Patrick Sheltra and Sheltra Motorsports are proud to be apart of the Facebook (Official Patrick Sheltra Fan Page) and Twitter (@patricksheltra) cravings. If you have an account, join our club as the Sheltra Motorsports team drives towards winning the 2010 ARCA Racing Series championship.

ENDING SOON; So Vote Him Your Favorite Driver!: Race fans can vote Patrick Sheltra as the 2010 ARCA Racing Series most popular driver by visiting ARCANation.com. From now until the end of the season, race fans can click on to ARCA’s official fan-related web site and vote once a day for their favorite ARCA Racing Series driver. The winner will be announced at the ARCA Racing Series Championship Awards Banquet in Covington, Kentucky this December. If you’re an ARCA Nation member your vote counts twice per day for one driver. If you’re a non-ARCA Nation member, your vote counts only once. Sign up today at ARCANation.com. and vote for Patrick Sheltra!

Patrick Sheltra

On Salem Speedway: “We were just happy to leave Salem with a top-10 finish. By no means did we have the car that we wanted. The car was just so loose that no matter how much we tried, we just could not get the car to perform the way we wanted to. Despite the handling, we were able to fight hard and maneuver another consistent run, which hopefully will a key element in allowing us to secure this championship.”

On Kansas Speedway: “I’m looking forward to Kansas Speedway on Thursday. We’re bringing one of my favorite cars to the race track. We opted not to test at Kansas but we skipped the test at Chicagoland Speedway and still were able to go out there and blow the field away with the win. I really feel like that we can do the same thing this week, while also keeping our championship dream intact heading into the season finale at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway next weekend.”

On The Support From Tequesta Road and Bridge of Florida: “I really want to thank all the folks from Tequesta Road and Bridge of Florida for jumping aboard our Toyota Camry not only this week at Kansas but next weekend at Rockingham too. This has been a big project for Sheltra & Son Construction and for the folks over in Tequesta wanting to jump aboard our racing train really means a lot to me. I hope we can give them a good run at Kansas and an even better memory at Rockingham next week.”

On Jones Group International: “I can’t say enough about Terry Jones and his company, Jones Group International. He called us and told us that he wanted to help us any way he could to ensure we have a legitimate shot at winning the ARCA championship. Not only has Terry been a great friend to Sheltra Motorsports, but he’s also been a good competitor on the race track. It’s pretty neat to have some International flavor from Canada supporting our race team, eh!”

On Points: “The championship is going to come down to the wire. We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing the past month or so. Hopefully, the breaks will continue to fall our way and we’ll find ourselves leading the standings after Kansas. I’m confident in the ability of my team and I cannot wait to climb in that race car on Thursday!”

PRIOR RESULTS:

Date Event Start Finish Laps Status

04/07 Kansas Lottery $150 Grand 9 12 99/100 Running

04/08 Kansas Lottery $150 Grand 8 8 100/100 Running

10/09 Kansas Lottery 150 9 11 103/103 Running

The Kansas Lottery 150 (100 laps / 150 miles) is the 19th of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The 10th ARCA race held at Kansas is a one-day show. Practice begins Thursday, September 30 with a two hour practice session planned from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag shortly after 4:00 p.m. The race will be broadcasted live on SPEED with additional broadcast coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the 1,312 race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards since it was formed in 1953 available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

Fast Links:

Driver / Team: Patrick Sheltra on the web: PatrickSheltra.com

Marketing Partner: Tequesta Road and Bridge of Florida: Tequesta.org

Sanction: ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards: ARCARacing.com

About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports (sheltramotorsports.com) is a three-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Patrick Sheltra, a 24-year old native of Indiantown, Florida competes in the UMP and WoO (Dirt) Series; while also running a full schedule in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards (No. 60) and a limited schedule in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Indiantown, Florida with additional operations in Richmond, Indiana and Mooresville, North Carolina.

- Sheltra Motorsports Press Release

Laps That Matter

Donations can be made two different ways: any monetary amount of 25 cents or more can be pledged for each lap Justin completes in the 200 lap event, or contributors may also choose to donate one lump sum. For example, if you donate 25 cents per lap, your contribution for the completion of 200 laps will be $50.00. The final contribution to The V Foundation will be tallied up following the American 200.

The V Foundation

To request a donation form or for more information, please contact Win-Tron Racing Public Relations Manager Kirby Johnson, at Kirby@Win-TronRacing.com or by phone at 608.289.8919. Pledge forms need to be filled out and returned by October 8th, 2010. All donations are tax-deductible and receipts will be issued following the event.

For more on Justin Marks, visit www.justinmarksracing.com and follow him on Twitter (@Justin_Racing)

For more on Construct Corps, visit www.constructcorps.com and follow them on Twitter (@ConstructBuddy)

For more on Win-Tron, visit www.win-tronracing.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@WinTronRacing)

About Justin Marks

California native Justin Marks began his love of racing after attending local races and the Indianapolis 500 with his father at the age of 14. His racing career sprouted from local street stock racing and grew into a successful SCCA and Rolex Sports Car Series career. Marks finished 16th in the 2001 Rolex Sports Car 24 Hours of Daytona in his first career professional race, and later collected a total of 12 wins in the SCCA and Rolex Sports Car Series combined. In 2009, he competed once again in the 24 Hours of Daytona and came home with a victory.

Marks moved on to ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series competition in 2007, where he competed in select races over the next two years. This season, Justin is competing full-time in the ARCA Racing Series with Win-Tron Racing in the No. 32 Construct Corps machine. For the latest news on Justin, please visit www.JustinMarksRacing.com.

About Win-Tron Racing

Based in Lakeville, Minnesota, Win-Tron Racing officially began in 2007 with one main goal in mind: to win races. Owned by a former successful racecar driver in Kevin Cywinski, and engineer Nate Thiesse, Win-Tron has successfully competed for wins in the ARCA Racing Series with the No. 32 machine since its first appearances in 2004 under a former name, Country Joe Racing. Though the organization has seen several different drivers behind the wheel of its entries, Win-Tron and driver Justin Marks are set to compete for the entire season in 2010, with hopes of capturing a team first ARCA championship. For more on Win-Tron Racing, visit www.Win-TronRacing.com.

About Construct Corps

We are a cutting edge temporary skilled labor provider to the construction industry. We have the first centralized operations and recruiting system. With a database in excess of 120,000 workers from more than 9,000 zip codes, our partner contractors have the ability to take on projects nationwide. Construct Corps is uniquely positioned as the company with the most qualified workers in the most locations with one point of contact.For more on Construct Corps, please visit www.ConstructCorps.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release

Hoosier Racing Tire Superspeedway Challenge

With just 20 points separating the top three drivers in 2010, and with just two races remaining, it’s going to again come down to the final event at Rockingham.

However, there is one very important title that will be decided immediately following the Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway September 30.

ARCA will crown its Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Champion following the 150-mile race at Kansas. Currently, the Sheltra Motorsports No. 60 team (car owner & driver Patrick Sheltra) is leading the superspeedway points headed into Kansas by 90 over Win-Tron Racing (car owner Kevin Cywinski and driver Justin Marks).

“We’ve worked hard this year to improve our overall speedway program. We’ve always been good on the restrictor plate tracks but as a team, we’ve put extra effort into our mile and a half program this year,” Sheltra said.

“Our success on those tracks has allowed us a comfortable lead in the ARCA Superspeedway Challenge going into Kansas Speedway next week. We could not have done so well this year without the help of Toyota and Triad Racing Technologies, who have been excellent partners with Sheltra Motorsports this year. I cannot thank my guys enough too for their endless efforts. While we’re going for the overall championship, it sure would be nice to bring home the Superspeedway title too.”

Sheltra’s average superspeedway finish is an impressive fourth in 2010 to Justin Marks’ 6.6. Sheltra, who has not finished outside the top-seven on superspeedways this year, finished first at Chicagoland, second at Talladega, third at Michigan, fourth at Pocono, fifth at Daytona, sixth at Pocono and seventh at Texas.

- ARCARacing.com