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Bryan Silas Surprises Many With Successful Atlanta NASCAR Test

 

CHARLOTE, North Carolina (January 29, 2008) - - With the full 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule the primary focus for Stuart, Florida’s Bryan Silas, the upcoming driver still plans to fit a limited NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule into the mix. With that being said, Silas joined the rest of the crowd for a NASCAR sanctioned open test at Atlanta Motor Speedway last week. Silas departed the track with smashing results.

 

Since adding Jeff McClure to the Fast Track Racing organization during the off-season, Silas has been spending time with the devoted and talented crew chief to improve both of the team’s programs for the year. By the end of the test Wednesday afternoon, the Fast Track team had something to cheer about.

 

After turning the 31st fastest lap Tuesday after mounting a time of 33.329 seconds at 162.021 MPH, Silas and the group went to the drawing board and made some aggressive changes to find a smooth and fast setup on the team’s No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado for round two on Wednesday.

 

During the morning session, Silas played it easy before throttling down and hammering down a lap of 31.790 seconds or 169.865 mph. The time soared Silas into the top-five on the board for most of the day, but a late charge by another competitor slid Silas down the board to finish sixth fastest overall ahead of some of the finest NCTS drivers in the business

The lap also marked the first time that Silas has mounted a practice position in the top-10.

 

“I’m super happy,” said Silas, who also drives the No. 11 Ford Fusion in ARCA competition. “Coming out of testing on Tuesday, we can’t say we were exactly thrilled with our results. So, we went back to the hotel, talked it over and came up with a game plan and it worked. Having Jeff (McClure) onboard this year is really going to turn our program around. I communicate very well with him and he believes in my abilities as a driver. I feel we are communicating on the same page and that is the key element going into the 2008 season.”

 

When March rolls around, Silas expects to compete in the American Commercial Lines 200, officially making his inaugural debut at the ever-fast Atlanta Motor Speedway.

 

“Wicked fast. That’s probably the most simplest way to describe Atlanta Motor Speedway,” noted Silas. “It’s a place where if your truck is handling correctly, you can nail the throttle and she’ll stick all the way around the track. If she isn’t handling right, you can lose a ton of ground. We learned that between the two days of testing. It showed on the rundown.”

With Silas’s 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule not entirely etched in stone, the sophomore-bound ARCA driver did hint that the series can expect to see him around this year. “We haven’t actually determined how many races we will run. There is a chance we can kick things off at Daytona or even California, but right now I can confirm that we’ll be at Atlanta and we’re looking forward to it. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series really taught me a lot last year and I’ve been able to take the experience and guidance that I’ve received back to ARCA and it will help that program. Our championship goals remain in ARCA, but the learning experience and seat time will continue in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.”

 

Silas who will run a mixture of NASCAR, ARCA and United Speed Alliance Racing (Hooter’s Pro Cup) Series this year has five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to his record. A 25th place finish at Kentucky Speedway is his best finish to date.