New Daddy Silas Looks For Magical Weekend At Mansfield
“Fast Track Racing Driver Set For 81st Career Start”
MANSFIELD, Ohio (July 14, 2010) - - It’s already been a magical week for Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas and he hopes to cap off the best week of his life with a thrilling victory in Saturday’s Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park (MMP).
This week (Tuesday, July 13), Silas and wife Misty welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world. Landon Paul Silas weighed in at nine pounds, five ounces. Both mother and son are doing great but Silas is eager to give his newborn son an anecdote that will remain a priceless memory for generations to come.
"I'm so happy," said Silas. "This has been an unbelievable week with the birth of my son. Both Misty and Landon are doing great. Getting my first win this Saturday night would be a dream come true."
The anticipation of the arrival of Silas’s first born has tried to play havoc with his ARCA Racing Series career but Silas answered any questions whether or not his focus on racing would be sidetracked last weekend at Iowa Speedway. After missing both practices and qualifying to be at his wife’s side, the veteran driver flew to the Newton, Iowa speed plant late Saturday afternoon to partake in the Prairie Meadows 200 presented by SPEED on Mediacom. After starting at the rear of the field (33rd), Silas maneuvered his No. 11 Rockingham Speedway / Palm Beach Grading Ford Fusion into the top-10 before a late race slide forced the Fast Track Racing driver to cross the line 13th.
“I want to thank everyone on the Fast Track team for their efforts last weekend at Iowa,” added Silas. “In case I don’t tell them enough, I appreciate everything they’ve done for me not only this year but especially the last couple of weeks. I want to also thank Johnny Sauter for practicing the car last Saturday; he did a great job with the setup. Despite the adversity we faced, I think we were pleased with the results.”
With the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX and Menards returning to the tricky MMP for a night of short track thunder, Silas wants to make a statement that his team, despite the bad luck they’ve taken in this year, is still capable of running up front while hoping to make a substantial gain in the championship chase.
After starting 15th last year at Mansfield, Silas methodically used patience to guide his Concord, North Carolina team to one of their 10 top-10 finishes in 2009 with an eighth place outing. With the momentum carrying on the personal side, the likeable ARCA driver is determined to deliver a similar performance.
“A top-10 is great, but I’m looking for a lot more than that this weekend,” Silas sounded. “Mansfield is such a tricky place. It’s really like nothing we compete on during the year. One thing is for sure, you cannot afford to be a slouch. You have to be on your game from the moment the green flag drops to the moment you take the checkered flag. It’s an intense race but it makes a great treat for the fans.”
Entering the 10th race of the season, Silas, a four year ARCA veteran is 12th in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings with three top-10 finishes including a season-best eighth at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Just 70 points separate Silas from cracking into the top-10 in the standings. 275 credits separate the Fast Track Racing pilot from fifth in the overall championship chase.
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., MTW Services, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 81st career ARCA start.
The Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 (200 laps / 100 miles) is the 10th of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The second annual ARCA race at Mansfield Motorsports Park is a one-day show. Practice begins Saturday July 17 with an hour and half practice session planned from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 5:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the week will be available through the BAS Racing Network in conjunction with the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
LONG POND, Pennsylvania (June 2, 2010) - - Without question the last two ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX and Menards events have been tough on Bryan Silas and the Fast Track Racing team. However, if there’s a track that could cure the team’s recent illness, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway just might be the place.
After holding steady inside the top-10 in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings for the first five races of the season, an unexpected exit in the most recent race at Toledo (Oh.) Speedway slipped Silas to 11th in the championship rundown.
While it’s still early in the season, Silas is ready to put the bad luck in the past and rejuvenate his Cal Boprey led team in Saturday’s Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200.
“We have had very strong Fords in the last two races but unfortunately luck has not been on our side,” explained Silas, a native of Stuart, Florida. “As a team, we’re ready to pick up the pieces from the last couple of weeks and put our team back on the right path.”
The 22-year old Silas is set to make his seventh start at the 2.5-mile Pocono triangle and eyeing his first top-10 finish on one of the circuit’s trickiest race tracks. Oddly enough, Silas despite posting a career-best qualifying run of fourth at Pocono in his ARCA debut in 2007 and two other top-10 starting positions has been unable to close the deal with a top-10 run. This weekend though, Silas hopes that statistic will change.
“I’ve always enjoyed running Pocono,” Silas said. “Qualifying has really never been a problem for me there but during the race for one reason or another we have been unable to seal the deal. We’ve always had fast cars but something out of our control or out of the ordinary has kept us from capitalizing on our strong starting spots. This is the weekend where we plan to connect all the dots.”
He added, “From a driver’s standpoint, it’s incredibly interesting to describe Pocono. It’s like a speedway and a road course in one. The track has three turns with a short-chute that is extremely treacherous. It’s a place you have to hit your marks every lap and if you don’t, it opens the door for the other drivers to take advantage of you. Concentration and trust are the two passing courses to succeed their.”
Entering the seventh race of the season, Silas, a four year ARCA veteran is 11th in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings with two top-10 finishes including a season-best eighth at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Just 30 points separate Silas from ninth in the standings. 140 credits separate the Fast Track Racing pilot from fifth in the overall championship chase.
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., MTW Services, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 77th career ARCA start.
The Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 (80 laps / 200 miles) is the seventh of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series schedule. The 50th ARCA race at Pocono Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 4 with an hour and forty minute practice session planned from 10:15 a.m. - 11:55 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 1:45 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, June 5 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will be tape-delayed on SPEED and will air at 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The race however will be broadcasted live through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
Bryan Silas Fifth In Points Heading To Lone Star State For 75th ARCA Start
JUSTIN, Texas (April 13, 2010) - - A solid 11th place outing at Salem (Ind.) Speedway this past Sunday afternoon propelled Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas to fifth in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings heading into Friday night’s Rattlesnake 150 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The Fast Track Racing (FTR) driver is off to his best start in his four seasons of ARCA competition and while short track racing is gone for six weeks, Silas is itching to get back to an intermediate track where he and newly returned crew chief Cal Boprey flexed their muscles in 2009.
The ARCA Racing Series returns to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time in 12 years but the 22-year old driver won’t be completely blindsided this week. Silas gained experience at the extremely fast 1.5-mile speedway in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event last fall. The Fast Track Racing team also participated in an ARCA sanctioned test there last month.
“You haul at Texas,” said Silas. “I feel that our package on the mile and a half tracks were just as competitive with some of the other teams last year including the ones running Toyotas. Cal (Boprey) and I came to an understanding on what we needed to do to go fast at a place like Texas, so I’m anxious to get there this week and see if we can pick up right where we left off last year.”
Overall, Silas, a well-liked driver in the garage is extremely pleased with the way his season has progressed thus far. “It’s been a good year so far,” Silas remarked. “We’ve kept our noses clean and have had some solid finishes because of that. We’re looking for our first top-five of the year and there isn’t a question that we have the opportunity to make it happen on Friday night.”
When asked of the difference between Texas Motor Speedway compared to some of the other intermediate tracks he has competed on Silas commented, “Texas is a new beast. That’s the best way to put it. It’s extremely fast. You not only have to have a good motor but your setup has to be ideal for the racing conditions. I think the race will be interesting on Friday but hopefully we’ll be leaving with a smile on our faces.”
Whatever the outcome on Friday night, Silas won’t have a whole lot of time to reflect as he’ll quickly head east to compete in the USARacing Series event at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway on Saturday, April 17. Silas will be back behind the wheel of the No. 59 Palm Beach Grading-Rockingham Speedway Chevrolet for Mark Gibson Racing.
“It will be a busy weekend for sure,” added Silas, who had an impressive showing in his 2010 USARacing Series debut at Gresham Motorsports Park before being sidelined because of an incident. “Mark is giving me some great equipment to drive and I’m learning more and I’m having fun. Hopefully we can go to New Smyrna and give them a run for their money.”
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., MTW Services, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 75th career ARCA start.
The Rattlenake 150 (100 laps / 150 miles) is the fourth of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The second ever ARCA race held at Texas Motor Speedway is a two day show. Practice begins Thursday, April 15 with a two hour practice session planned from 12:30p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Friday, April 16 shortly after 6:30 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.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
Bryan Silas Prepares For USAR Return With Mark Gibson Racing
STUART, Florida (March 22, 2010) - - On a normal weekend, Bryan Silas is racing against Mark Gibson of Mark Gibson Racing (MGR) on the track in the ARCA Racing Series. This weekend, Silas, a native of Stuart, Florida will drive for Mark Gibson Racing (MGR) in the No. 59 Palm Beach Grading-Rockingham Speedway Chevrolet in the 2010 USARacing Pro Cup Series season opener at Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park.
The alignment ensures a healthy team and a talented driver for the North Georgia 250. Over the past three years, Silas, a full-time competitor for Fast Track Racing (No. 11) in ARCA has dabbled in the short track sanctioning series while Gibson, after monstrous success in ARCA last year, is leaning towards making a new successful part time home for his Statham, Georgia based operation.
“I am very excited about this new partnership,” said Silas, who plans to make his 15th career USAR start at the newly designed and renamed short track this weekend. “Mark has a great reputation in the racing industry and is very knowledgeable when it comes to racecars, so I am looking forward to being on the same team. I know it is not unrealistic to start out the season with a top-five run if not a win.”
Gibson offered similar sentiments about having Silas as his pilot. “Everyone at MGR is looking forward to getting started on our Pro Cup season with Bryan,” Gibson remarked. “I have watched him as he develops as a driver and I am impressed with the change in the last two seasons. Bryan will win a race this year, there is no doubt. Our goal is to give Bryan the opportunity to gain valuable seat time in a very competitive series and also win some races.”
Since debuting in the series in 2006, Silas has competed in 14 events, finished a career-best eighth last October at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway and has posted a career-best qualifying run of 17th at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2008.
With Gibson, a four-time winner on the ARCA tour calling the shots as crew chief, Silas is hoping to start this new opportunity on the right foot.
“I’ve heard that Gresham is a really nice place,” said Silas. “Everyone seems to be a fan of the track and from what I understand it puts on a great show for the fans despite its tight racing conditions. We have expectations for the weekend; but the main priority is getting the communication rolling with Mark and having a good finish.”
Gibson added, Gresham Motorsports Park is our (MGR) home track. It is only twenty minutes from the shop. The Gresham’s have done a great job with the renovations. It should be a great race. Our goal as a team is to run in the top-10 all day. If we can do that I feel a win is not out of the question.”
In addition to Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park (twice), Silas and the MGR trio will also compete at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, Langley (Va.) Speedway (twice), Lake Erie (Pa.) Speedway, Concord (N.C.) Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and South Boston (S.C.) Speedway this season.
The 2010 season-opener for the USARacing Pro Cup Series is set for Saturday, March 27 from Gresham Motorsports Park. The action begins with two practice sessions set for Friday, March 26 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. and again from 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Two additional rounds of practice have been etched in on race day beginning at 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and a final session set for 1:10 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Qualifying is slated for 4:00 p.m. with the North Georgia 250 set to take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit USARacing Pro Cup Series on the web at, USARProCup.com.
Further input on Mark Gibson Racing is available by clicking MarkGibsonRacing.com.
JUPITER, Florida (March 1, 2010) - - Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas made his Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway debut Saturday and while the 22 year old wasn’t able to notch a second consecutive top-10 finish this season, the ARCA Racing Series driver left the Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace seventh in the championship standings.
Working with new crew chief Dennis Conner, the duo set their sights on practice hoping to dial in their No. 11 Rockingham Speedway-Palm Beach Grading Ford Fusion. During the lengthy practice, the team was able to mount the 17th fastest lap.
With qualified assigned by groups in 10 minute increments, Silas was the 15th car to make a qualifying attempt around the PBIR race course. During his run, he muscled his Andy Hillenburg-owned machine around the track in 81.749 seconds at 89.087 miles per hour good enough to line up 16th. “We’re heading in the right direction and the car is real stable,” offered Silas.
When the green flag dropped Saturday afternoon, Silas quickly moved up into the top-15 where he stayed during much of the race’s first quarter. The goal leaning into the event was to stay on track, gather more experience and leave in one-piece.
Early on, the goals were being exceeded with Silas hovering between the 13th and 16th positions. Soon though, the question of whether the ARCA competitors could compete in the rain would be answered inside the event’s first 20 laps when rain began to fall around the 2.034-mile road course.
The yellow flag would waive over the field a short time later allowing teams to switch their Hoosier slicks for Hoosier wets and prepare to return to racing in damp conditions. Silas had never competed in any type of race in the rain before so the challenge was one that he wanted to conquer.
Silas handled the rain well. While the Fast Track Racing driver was unable to turn some of the laps of some of the more experienced road-course ringers who had previously competed in the rain – Silas was achieving his goals while grasping an opportunity that he had never had the chance to obtain before.
A heavy rainfall would begin to pour six laps from the finish immediately throwing out a caution with the field being told that the race would be rain-shortened to 70 laps instead of the event’s scheduled 75 circuits.
With limited vision, Silas would have to rely on coaching and guidance from several spotters around the course to guide him to the checkered flag. He landed in 16th, finishing exactly where he started.
“Overall, it was an eventful race but we made it,” sounded Silas. “I’m proud of the Fast Track Racing team. They worked hard all weekend and they kept me confident behind the wheel.”
When asked about racing in the rain, Silas said, “It was interesting. It wasn’t bad at some points but it was something that you have to get used to doing. There at the end of the race, I couldn’t see anything. They (ARCA) did the right thing by calling it when they did.”
The effort on Saturday moved Silas from ninth to seventh in the championship standings just 30 points from the fifth position and 85 credits from the lead held by race-winner Justin Marks.
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., American Custom Yachts, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway all sponsored Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 73rd career ARCA start.
Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is a stop at Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 on Sunday, April 11 for round three on the 2010 schedule.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
JUPITER, Florida (February 24, 2010) - - Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas has a lot to be looking forward to when the ARCA Racing Series invades Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway this week – but the veteran ARCA racer also has a clear goal for Saturday’s Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace. Finish the race.
With the ARCA Racing Series switching tactics and mounting a second race in February, Silas is looking forward to racing in his backyard especially after his super finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway two weeks ago.
“It’s going to be sweet to have a race near home,” said Silas. “As a team we’re looking forward to keeping our early season success going.”
While Silas admits he is not a road course wiz, he has over the past two years been able to come to terms with the concept thanks to plenty of experience at driving schools and two events at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
"I'm not a road course specialist by any means, but it will be nice to have some hometown support,” sounded Silas. “We always race out of town, so it feels good to finally get to do it in my own backyard not to mention getting to sleep in my own bed the night after the race."
And because Silas understands that he's not a road course guy by trade, he has invited some outside help.
"We've got a guy coming down from South Carolina to work with me - Matt Mullins. He's going to help spot for me on the backside of the course with Andy (Hillenburg, car owner) spotting on the other side."
In addition to the additional help from Mullins at Palm Beach, that's not all that has changed in the Fast Track Racing camp. Bryant Frazier, who it was announced would be Silas's crew chief for the 2010 season, left the team after Daytona in favor of an opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing. “I appreciated the time I had with Bryant,” Silas added. “He is a great guy and I wish him nothing but the best in his new endeavor.”
As one door closes, another one opens as Fast Track Racing welcomes aboard Dennis Conner who brings an impressive resume to Fast Track including a tenure at Hendrick Motorsports and three championship rings in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Jack Sprague. “I’ve been talking to Dennis a lot. He seems like a very knowledgeable guy. Andy (Hillenburg) is very comfortable with him, so I’m not worried at all,” said Silas.
Silas, after the ninth place finish at Daytona, is currently ninth in points headed to Palm Beach, However, only Patrick Sheltra (currently fifth in points), another Floridian, is the only ARCA regular ahead of Silas in points. With a good, solid top-10 run at Palm Beach, Silas has an opportunity to be leading the points when the checkered flag falls.
"The best case scenario at Palm Beach would obviously be a win," added Silas. "But, I'm not an experienced road racer. I go into every race now thinking I can win, but realistically, if we could come out with the car in one piece and a top-10 finish, I'd be ecstatic.
"Unlike New Jersey, this track's hard on brakes. You're reaching speeds of 150 miles per hour plus and then down to 35, 40 miles per hour for some of these corners. The person who still has his equipment under him at the end is going to win.
"If there's anything that I learned in the test, it's that this is a very challenging course. There's absolutely no runoff. If you spin off here, you're going to hit something. Attrition is definitely going to play a role."
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., American Custom Yachts, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 73rd career ARCA start.
The Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace (75 laps / 150 miles) is the second of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The first ARCA race held at Palm Beach is a two day show. Practice begins Friday, February 26 with a three hour practice session planned from 11:30a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day Friday, February 26 slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, February 27 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
New Daddy Silas Looks For Magical Weekend At Mansfield
“Fast Track Racing Driver Set For 81st Career Start”
MANSFIELD, Ohio (July 14, 2010) - - It’s already been a magical week for Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas and he hopes to cap off the best week of his life with a thrilling victory in Saturday’s Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park (MMP).
This week (Tuesday, July 13), Silas and wife Misty welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world. Landon Paul Silas weighed in at nine pounds, five ounces. Both mother and son are doing great but Silas is eager to give his newborn son an anecdote that will remain a priceless memory for generations to come.
"I'm so happy," said Silas. "This has been an unbelievable week with the birth of my son. Both Misty and Landon are doing great. Getting my first win this Saturday night would be a dream come true."
The anticipation of the arrival of Silas’s first born has tried to play havoc with his ARCA Racing Series career but Silas answered any questions whether or not his focus on racing would be sidetracked last weekend at Iowa Speedway. After missing both practices and qualifying to be at his wife’s side, the veteran driver flew to the Newton, Iowa speed plant late Saturday afternoon to partake in the Prairie Meadows 200 presented by SPEED on Mediacom. After starting at the rear of the field (33rd), Silas maneuvered his No. 11 Rockingham Speedway / Palm Beach Grading Ford Fusion into the top-10 before a late race slide forced the Fast Track Racing driver to cross the line 13th.
“I want to thank everyone on the Fast Track team for their efforts last weekend at Iowa,” added Silas. “In case I don’t tell them enough, I appreciate everything they’ve done for me not only this year but especially the last couple of weeks. I want to also thank Johnny Sauter for practicing the car last Saturday; he did a great job with the setup. Despite the adversity we faced, I think we were pleased with the results.”
With the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX and Menards returning to the tricky MMP for a night of short track thunder, Silas wants to make a statement that his team, despite the bad luck they’ve taken in this year, is still capable of running up front while hoping to make a substantial gain in the championship chase.
After starting 15th last year at Mansfield, Silas methodically used patience to guide his Concord, North Carolina team to one of their 10 top-10 finishes in 2009 with an eighth place outing. With the momentum carrying on the personal side, the likeable ARCA driver is determined to deliver a similar performance.
“A top-10 is great, but I’m looking for a lot more than that this weekend,” Silas sounded. “Mansfield is such a tricky place. It’s really like nothing we compete on during the year. One thing is for sure, you cannot afford to be a slouch. You have to be on your game from the moment the green flag drops to the moment you take the checkered flag. It’s an intense race but it makes a great treat for the fans.”
Entering the 10th race of the season, Silas, a four year ARCA veteran is 12th in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings with three top-10 finishes including a season-best eighth at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Just 70 points separate Silas from cracking into the top-10 in the standings. 275 credits separate the Fast Track Racing pilot from fifth in the overall championship chase.
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., MTW Services, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 81st career ARCA start.
The Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 (200 laps / 100 miles) is the 10th of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The second annual ARCA race at Mansfield Motorsports Park is a one-day show. Practice begins Saturday July 17 with an hour and half practice session planned from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 5:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the week will be available through the BAS Racing Network in conjunction with the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
TELL BRYAN SILAS AND HIS TEAM TO KEEP THE FAITH, BETTER DAYS WILL COME!
Pocono Raceway Perfect Medicine For Bryan Silas
LONG POND, Pennsylvania (June 2, 2010) - - Without question the last two ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX and Menards events have been tough on Bryan Silas and the Fast Track Racing team. However, if there’s a track that could cure the team’s recent illness, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway just might be the place.
After holding steady inside the top-10 in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings for the first five races of the season, an unexpected exit in the most recent race at Toledo (Oh.) Speedway slipped Silas to 11th in the championship rundown.
While it’s still early in the season, Silas is ready to put the bad luck in the past and rejuvenate his Cal Boprey led team in Saturday’s Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200.
“We have had very strong Fords in the last two races but unfortunately luck has not been on our side,” explained Silas, a native of Stuart, Florida. “As a team, we’re ready to pick up the pieces from the last couple of weeks and put our team back on the right path.”
The 22-year old Silas is set to make his seventh start at the 2.5-mile Pocono triangle and eyeing his first top-10 finish on one of the circuit’s trickiest race tracks. Oddly enough, Silas despite posting a career-best qualifying run of fourth at Pocono in his ARCA debut in 2007 and two other top-10 starting positions has been unable to close the deal with a top-10 run. This weekend though, Silas hopes that statistic will change.
“I’ve always enjoyed running Pocono,” Silas said. “Qualifying has really never been a problem for me there but during the race for one reason or another we have been unable to seal the deal. We’ve always had fast cars but something out of our control or out of the ordinary has kept us from capitalizing on our strong starting spots. This is the weekend where we plan to connect all the dots.”
He added, “From a driver’s standpoint, it’s incredibly interesting to describe Pocono. It’s like a speedway and a road course in one. The track has three turns with a short-chute that is extremely treacherous. It’s a place you have to hit your marks every lap and if you don’t, it opens the door for the other drivers to take advantage of you. Concentration and trust are the two passing courses to succeed their.”
Entering the seventh race of the season, Silas, a four year ARCA veteran is 11th in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings with two top-10 finishes including a season-best eighth at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Just 30 points separate Silas from ninth in the standings. 140 credits separate the Fast Track Racing pilot from fifth in the overall championship chase.
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., MTW Services, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 77th career ARCA start.
The Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 (80 laps / 200 miles) is the seventh of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series schedule. The 50th ARCA race at Pocono Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 4 with an hour and forty minute practice session planned from 10:15 a.m. - 11:55 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 1:45 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, June 5 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will be tape-delayed on SPEED and will air at 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The race however will be broadcasted live through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 Pocono Raceway 1:00 PM Start of the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 (80 laps / 200 miles)
Talladega ARCA 250 - RACE
Starts April 23rd at 5:00 PM
It was a reeally good race last night
Bryan Silas Fifth In Points Heading To Lone Star State For 75th ARCA Start
JUSTIN, Texas (April 13, 2010) - - A solid 11th place outing at Salem (Ind.) Speedway this past Sunday afternoon propelled Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas to fifth in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings heading into Friday night’s Rattlesnake 150 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The Fast Track Racing (FTR) driver is off to his best start in his four seasons of ARCA competition and while short track racing is gone for six weeks, Silas is itching to get back to an intermediate track where he and newly returned crew chief Cal Boprey flexed their muscles in 2009.
The ARCA Racing Series returns to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time in 12 years but the 22-year old driver won’t be completely blindsided this week. Silas gained experience at the extremely fast 1.5-mile speedway in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event last fall. The Fast Track Racing team also participated in an ARCA sanctioned test there last month.
“You haul at Texas,” said Silas. “I feel that our package on the mile and a half tracks were just as competitive with some of the other teams last year including the ones running Toyotas. Cal (Boprey) and I came to an understanding on what we needed to do to go fast at a place like Texas, so I’m anxious to get there this week and see if we can pick up right where we left off last year.”
Overall, Silas, a well-liked driver in the garage is extremely pleased with the way his season has progressed thus far. “It’s been a good year so far,” Silas remarked. “We’ve kept our noses clean and have had some solid finishes because of that. We’re looking for our first top-five of the year and there isn’t a question that we have the opportunity to make it happen on Friday night.”
When asked of the difference between Texas Motor Speedway compared to some of the other intermediate tracks he has competed on Silas commented, “Texas is a new beast. That’s the best way to put it. It’s extremely fast. You not only have to have a good motor but your setup has to be ideal for the racing conditions. I think the race will be interesting on Friday but hopefully we’ll be leaving with a smile on our faces.”
Whatever the outcome on Friday night, Silas won’t have a whole lot of time to reflect as he’ll quickly head east to compete in the USARacing Series event at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway on Saturday, April 17. Silas will be back behind the wheel of the No. 59 Palm Beach Grading-Rockingham Speedway Chevrolet for Mark Gibson Racing.
“It will be a busy weekend for sure,” added Silas, who had an impressive showing in his 2010 USARacing Series debut at Gresham Motorsports Park before being sidelined because of an incident. “Mark is giving me some great equipment to drive and I’m learning more and I’m having fun. Hopefully we can go to New Smyrna and give them a run for their money.”
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., MTW Services, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 75th career ARCA start.
The Rattlenake 150 (100 laps / 150 miles) is the fourth of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The second ever ARCA race held at Texas Motor Speedway is a two day show. Practice begins Thursday, April 15 with a two hour practice session planned from 12:30p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Friday, April 16 shortly after 6:30 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.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
Bryan Silas Prepares For USAR Return With Mark Gibson Racing
STUART, Florida (March 22, 2010) - - On a normal weekend, Bryan Silas is racing against Mark Gibson of Mark Gibson Racing (MGR) on the track in the ARCA Racing Series. This weekend, Silas, a native of Stuart, Florida will drive for Mark Gibson Racing (MGR) in the No. 59 Palm Beach Grading-Rockingham Speedway Chevrolet in the 2010 USARacing Pro Cup Series season opener at Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park.
The alignment ensures a healthy team and a talented driver for the North Georgia 250. Over the past three years, Silas, a full-time competitor for Fast Track Racing (No. 11) in ARCA has dabbled in the short track sanctioning series while Gibson, after monstrous success in ARCA last year, is leaning towards making a new successful part time home for his Statham, Georgia based operation.
“I am very excited about this new partnership,” said Silas, who plans to make his 15th career USAR start at the newly designed and renamed short track this weekend. “Mark has a great reputation in the racing industry and is very knowledgeable when it comes to racecars, so I am looking forward to being on the same team. I know it is not unrealistic to start out the season with a top-five run if not a win.”
Gibson offered similar sentiments about having Silas as his pilot. “Everyone at MGR is looking forward to getting started on our Pro Cup season with Bryan,” Gibson remarked. “I have watched him as he develops as a driver and I am impressed with the change in the last two seasons. Bryan will win a race this year, there is no doubt. Our goal is to give Bryan the opportunity to gain valuable seat time in a very competitive series and also win some races.”
Since debuting in the series in 2006, Silas has competed in 14 events, finished a career-best eighth last October at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway and has posted a career-best qualifying run of 17th at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2008.
With Gibson, a four-time winner on the ARCA tour calling the shots as crew chief, Silas is hoping to start this new opportunity on the right foot.
“I’ve heard that Gresham is a really nice place,” said Silas. “Everyone seems to be a fan of the track and from what I understand it puts on a great show for the fans despite its tight racing conditions. We have expectations for the weekend; but the main priority is getting the communication rolling with Mark and having a good finish.”
Gibson added, Gresham Motorsports Park is our (MGR) home track. It is only twenty minutes from the shop. The Gresham’s have done a great job with the renovations. It should be a great race. Our goal as a team is to run in the top-10 all day. If we can do that I feel a win is not out of the question.”
In addition to Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park (twice), Silas and the MGR trio will also compete at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, Langley (Va.) Speedway (twice), Lake Erie (Pa.) Speedway, Concord (N.C.) Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and South Boston (S.C.) Speedway this season.
The 2010 season-opener for the USARacing Pro Cup Series is set for Saturday, March 27 from Gresham Motorsports Park. The action begins with two practice sessions set for Friday, March 26 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. and again from 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Two additional rounds of practice have been etched in on race day beginning at 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and a final session set for 1:10 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Qualifying is slated for 4:00 p.m. with the North Georgia 250 set to take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. All times are local.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit USARacing Pro Cup Series on the web at, USARProCup.com.
Further input on Mark Gibson Racing is available by clicking MarkGibsonRacing.com.
Bryan Silas Leaves Palm Beach Seventh In Points
JUPITER, Florida (March 1, 2010) - - Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas made his Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway debut Saturday and while the 22 year old wasn’t able to notch a second consecutive top-10 finish this season, the ARCA Racing Series driver left the Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace seventh in the championship standings.
Working with new crew chief Dennis Conner, the duo set their sights on practice hoping to dial in their No. 11 Rockingham Speedway-Palm Beach Grading Ford Fusion. During the lengthy practice, the team was able to mount the 17th fastest lap.
With qualified assigned by groups in 10 minute increments, Silas was the 15th car to make a qualifying attempt around the PBIR race course. During his run, he muscled his Andy Hillenburg-owned machine around the track in 81.749 seconds at 89.087 miles per hour good enough to line up 16th. “We’re heading in the right direction and the car is real stable,” offered Silas.
When the green flag dropped Saturday afternoon, Silas quickly moved up into the top-15 where he stayed during much of the race’s first quarter. The goal leaning into the event was to stay on track, gather more experience and leave in one-piece.
Early on, the goals were being exceeded with Silas hovering between the 13th and 16th positions. Soon though, the question of whether the ARCA competitors could compete in the rain would be answered inside the event’s first 20 laps when rain began to fall around the 2.034-mile road course.
The yellow flag would waive over the field a short time later allowing teams to switch their Hoosier slicks for Hoosier wets and prepare to return to racing in damp conditions. Silas had never competed in any type of race in the rain before so the challenge was one that he wanted to conquer.
Silas handled the rain well. While the Fast Track Racing driver was unable to turn some of the laps of some of the more experienced road-course ringers who had previously competed in the rain – Silas was achieving his goals while grasping an opportunity that he had never had the chance to obtain before.
A heavy rainfall would begin to pour six laps from the finish immediately throwing out a caution with the field being told that the race would be rain-shortened to 70 laps instead of the event’s scheduled 75 circuits.
With limited vision, Silas would have to rely on coaching and guidance from several spotters around the course to guide him to the checkered flag. He landed in 16th, finishing exactly where he started.
“Overall, it was an eventful race but we made it,” sounded Silas. “I’m proud of the Fast Track Racing team. They worked hard all weekend and they kept me confident behind the wheel.”
When asked about racing in the rain, Silas said, “It was interesting. It wasn’t bad at some points but it was something that you have to get used to doing. There at the end of the race, I couldn’t see anything. They (ARCA) did the right thing by calling it when they did.”
The effort on Saturday moved Silas from ninth to seventh in the championship standings just 30 points from the fifth position and 85 credits from the lead held by race-winner Justin Marks.
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., American Custom Yachts, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway all sponsored Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 73rd career ARCA start.
Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is a stop at Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 on Sunday, April 11 for round three on the 2010 schedule.
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com.
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Palm Beach Brings Clear Goal For Bryan Silas
JUPITER, Florida (February 24, 2010) - - Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas has a lot to be looking forward to when the ARCA Racing Series invades Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway this week – but the veteran ARCA racer also has a clear goal for Saturday’s Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace. Finish the race.
With the ARCA Racing Series switching tactics and mounting a second race in February, Silas is looking forward to racing in his backyard especially after his super finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway two weeks ago.
“It’s going to be sweet to have a race near home,” said Silas. “As a team we’re looking forward to keeping our early season success going.”
While Silas admits he is not a road course wiz, he has over the past two years been able to come to terms with the concept thanks to plenty of experience at driving schools and two events at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
"I'm not a road course specialist by any means, but it will be nice to have some hometown support,” sounded Silas. “We always race out of town, so it feels good to finally get to do it in my own backyard not to mention getting to sleep in my own bed the night after the race."
And because Silas understands that he's not a road course guy by trade, he has invited some outside help.
"We've got a guy coming down from South Carolina to work with me - Matt Mullins. He's going to help spot for me on the backside of the course with Andy (Hillenburg, car owner) spotting on the other side."
In addition to the additional help from Mullins at Palm Beach, that's not all that has changed in the Fast Track Racing camp. Bryant Frazier, who it was announced would be Silas's crew chief for the 2010 season, left the team after Daytona in favor of an opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing. “I appreciated the time I had with Bryant,” Silas added. “He is a great guy and I wish him nothing but the best in his new endeavor.”
As one door closes, another one opens as Fast Track Racing welcomes aboard Dennis Conner who brings an impressive resume to Fast Track including a tenure at Hendrick Motorsports and three championship rings in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Jack Sprague. “I’ve been talking to Dennis a lot. He seems like a very knowledgeable guy. Andy (Hillenburg) is very comfortable with him, so I’m not worried at all,” said Silas.
Silas, after the ninth place finish at Daytona, is currently ninth in points headed to Palm Beach, However, only Patrick Sheltra (currently fifth in points), another Floridian, is the only ARCA regular ahead of Silas in points. With a good, solid top-10 run at Palm Beach, Silas has an opportunity to be leading the points when the checkered flag falls.
"The best case scenario at Palm Beach would obviously be a win," added Silas. "But, I'm not an experienced road racer. I go into every race now thinking I can win, but realistically, if we could come out with the car in one piece and a top-10 finish, I'd be ecstatic.
"Unlike New Jersey, this track's hard on brakes. You're reaching speeds of 150 miles per hour plus and then down to 35, 40 miles per hour for some of these corners. The person who still has his equipment under him at the end is going to win.
"If there's anything that I learned in the test, it's that this is a very challenging course. There's absolutely no runoff. If you spin off here, you're going to hit something. Attrition is definitely going to play a role."
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce P.A., American Custom Yachts, Inc., Palm Beach Grading (PBG) and Rockingham Speedway will all sponsor Silas’s Ford Fusion for his 73rd career ARCA start.
The Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace (75 laps / 150 miles) is the second of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The first ARCA race held at Palm Beach is a two day show. Practice begins Friday, February 26 with a three hour practice session planned from 11:30a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day Friday, February 26 slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, February 27 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
How did the race feel for you? did you enjoy it?
Qualified 5th!!! Way to go Bryan Silas!!
sweet car
Thanks for the add, see you at the races!!