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ARCA Pioneer Andy Hillenburg Prepared To Come
Out
Of Retirement For Protégé Bryan Silas
“Silas’s First Child Due Approaching Iowa Speedway Race;
Hillenburg Prepared To Saddle Up In No. 11 Ford Fusion If Needed”
 |
| Bryan Silas, driver of the
No. 11 Rockingham Speedway / Palm Beach Grading Ford Fusion
in the ARCA Racing Series with car owner and 1995 ARCA
Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards champion Andy
Hillenburg. |
CONCORD, North Carolina (July 1, 2010) - - Andy
Hillenburg, owner of Fast Track Racing (FTR) and Rockingham (N.C.)
Speedway promoter, is preparing himself to possibly come out of
retirement and take the reins of the No. 11 Rockingham Speedway / Palm
Beach Grading Ford Fusion in next weekend’s Prairie Meadows 200 events
at Iowa Speedway.
Stuart, Florida native Bryan Silas, a four year ARCA veteran driver and
wife Misty Silas are expecting the birth of their first child any day
now and with the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards tour
set to resume action next weekend, the team is taking preliminary
precautions to ensure a smooth transition should Silas need to depart
the .875-mile paved oval and race back to the Sunshine State.
The move to possibly put the 1995 ARCA Racing Series champion behind the
wheel of the No. 11 blue oval has been well received among the Fast
Track Racing brigade.
“Obviously, I am hoping that everything will work out and that Bryan
will be able to compete in the race and witness the birth of his first
child,” sounded Hillenburg. “However, we need to be realistic and know
that Misty could deliver at any time. For Bryan and Billy (Silas, father
and owner of Palm Beach Grading) to come to me and tell me that they
want me to drive really means a lot. We’ll be prepared for whatever
circumstance may fall into our hands but next weekend is bound to have
some excitement nonetheless.”
Hillenburg, an Indianapolis, Indiana native has competed in all three of
NASCAR sanctioning bodies (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide
Series and Sprint Cup Series) which included a start in the 1998 Daytona
500. He completed his racing “bucket list” with a start in the IZOD
IndyCar Series in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in 2000. The
long-time racing icon has 60 ARCA Racing Series starts to his resume
including three wins with two occurring in the season-opening events at
Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in 1995 and 1997.
It wasn’t a hard decision for Silas, who currently ranks 12th in the
ARCA Racing Series championship standings entering the ninth race of the
season next Saturday night as he calls Hillenburg, his mentor, “the
perfect choice.”
“I really don’t think I would want to have anyone else behind the wheel
of my race car other than Andy (Hillenburg), said the 23-year old Silas.
“He has molded me into the driver I am today. I don’t want to turn over
the wheel but family comes first and my wife and child are the two most
important people in my life. If I have to leave Iowa, I know Andy will
do the team and our sponsors proud!”
The team will have private air transportation on standby for the
likeable ARCA driver next weekend. Should Silas be called away from the
weekend's activities, Hillenburg will step in and substitute with Silas
expected to return for the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 at Mansfield
Motorsports Park being held the following weekend.
The Prairie Meadows 200 (200 laps / 175 miles) is the ninth of 20 events
on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule.
The fifth ever ARCA race at Iowa Speedway is a one-day show. Practice
begins Saturday, July 10 with an hour and thirty five minute practice
session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. A final fifty minute
session has been etched in from 1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. Menards Pole by
Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 5:15 p.m. The event will take
the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. The event will air live on SPEED.
Additional race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout
the day will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online
at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Central).
For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com.
Visit Fast Track Racing on the web at, FastTrackRacing.com. |