Patrick Sheltra Leads First Day, Tim George Jr. Tops Opening Session of ARCA Racing Series Testing at Talladega

Last Year's Champion Hops In Car and Speeds at 'Dega

ARCA PR

Patrick Sheltra, the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion, finished atop today's open testing chart at Talladega Superspeedway with a best lap of 50.575 seconds (189.343 mph) in the No. 63 Sheltra Motorsports Toyota.

Sheltra, who drove 28 laps, was at the test to assist Milka Duno, who plans to make her first Talladega Superspeedway start on Friday, April 15 in the ARCA Racing Series 250. Sheltra owns the No. 63 Sheltra Motorsports entry and also secured the owner championship in the series last season.

Dakoda Armstrong, last season's winner at Talladega, finished the day second after a lap of 50.589 seconds (189.29 mph) in the No. 22 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge. Tim George Jr., who led the three-hour morning session, was third for the day in 50.732 seconds (188.757 mph). Kyle Fowler and Hal Martin, teammates at Venturini Motorsports, rounded out the top five.

Ty Dillon, Max Gresham, Pierre Bourque, Tom Hessert, and Maryeve Dufault comprised the remainder of the top 10 in a session which saw nine drivers top George's leading time of 51.936 seconds from the morning. The four-hour afternoon test session was the first to allow drafting practice on the 2.66-mile Alabama oval. In all, 18 drivers charted a lap on the first day. The full list of speeds from the afternoon session is below.

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards

Talladega Superspeedway, 3-29-11

Open Test Afternoon Session Results

POSCARDRIVER/HOMETOWNTEAM AND CARTIMESPEED

163aPatrick Sheltra/Indiantown FLSheltra Motorsports Toyota50.575189.343

222Dakoda Armstrong/New Castle INFerrellgas-Syngenta Dodge50.589189.290

331aTim George Jr./New York NYRCR Development Chevrolet50.732188.757

415Kyle Fowler/Smyrna GAVenturini Motorsports Chevrolet50.747188.701

555Hal Martin/Galliano LAVenturini Motorsports Toyota50.757188.664

641Ty Dillon/Lewisville NCUNOH Chevrolet50.758188.660

725Max Gresham/Griffin GAVenturini Motorsports Toyota50.850188.319

86Pierre Bourque/Ottawa OntarioESR Toyota51.460186.086

952Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJFederated Auto Parts Toyota51.617185.520

1012Maryeve Dufault/Sorel QuebecTMR Dodge52.115183.748

115aBobby Gerhart/Lebanon PALucas Oil Chevrolet52.959180.819

1231bTim George Jr./New York NYRCR Development Chevrolet53.011180.642

1317aChris Buescher/Prosper TXDavid Ragan Fan Club Ford53.124180.258

1463Milka Duno/Caracas VenezuelaCitgo Lubricants Toyota53.319179.598

1544Frank Kimmel/Clarksville INAnsell-Menards Ford53.774178.079

1682aSean Corr/Goshen NYEmpire Racing Ford53.924177.583

175bDamon Lusk/Kennewick WABobby Gerhart Racing Chevrolet53.991177.363

1882bSean Corr/Goshen NYEmpire Racing Ford54.108176.979

197Drew Charlson/New Bremen OHAluma Aluminum Trailers Chevrolet54.263176.474

2023Nick Igdalsky/Long Pond PAFox Realty Chevrolet54.556175.526

Last year's ARCA champ Patrick Sheltra was quickest in ARCA Talladega testing.