For years the name Shelton has meant so many things in the
sport of Truck and Tractor pulling. And this weekend it will
only mean more as the next chapter of an already Best-Selling book will be
written. To further illustrate the family and their massive reach in
the sport, I wanted to share some descriptive words that truly capture their
impact.
We will start with Champion; the family pedigree
has led to multiple championships across several classes over the years. It
hasn’t been easy to win those titles in the competitive divisions they run,
while also facing hours upon hours of road miles to get from event to
event. Local pulls to these guys are eight hours away, and that has
not been a deterrent to their being able to pull it off and be there to fight
for a title.
Professionalism is another very easy descriptive
word to further illustrate the Shelton Family and team. They are
always presented well, attract sponsors to the sport, perform on the highest
stage, and when given the opportunity to speak in an interview, they are
polished and prepared to not only answer a question but also engage the
audience.
The next word is Intensity, which in truth might
actually capture them the best as when you find Grayson, Reese and Camille in
their element, they are geared to win. They will show raw emotion on the track
in victory or defeat, and for our sport that is often needed. A fist
flying through the air after passing a leader gone, and a bow from the driver’s
seat, or a head shake with a tap of the wheel are often indicators of how
things went on the track.
Welcoming, is a twofold description as it not only
describes the family and their willingness to greet the fans of the sport and
show them an up-close experience but also is fitting of their desire to welcome
new challenges that come in form of changing classes and fighting to stay in
the front, or even more switching Motorsports.
While the words above are all true and clearly describe the Team
Shelton Motorsports, it may be a word in the final paragraph that ultimately
encapsulates who these hard-working men and women are.
Challenge is defined by Websters as, “a
stimulating task or problem.”
For their most recent challenge, the family from New London,
North Carolina, called upon Chaos Fabrication in Washington, Pennsylvania.
Champion puller Colin Ross and Chaos Fabrication owner Kevin Campbell were
tasked to help the Shelton’s align their goals and vision, by stepping into the
Pro Stock class. In adding not one but
two Pro Stocks, the beautiful 1206 International formerly known as the “Red
Edge Pro” of Cody Shay, and Tony Wortmann’s “Tapped Out” International 1066, to
their stable, the team is stepping into an all-new class, power plant, and
fuel.
The classy look and vision Team Shelton Motorsports had in
mind for the newest tractor reveal, certainly fit the style of tractors that
have been produced by the amazing team at Chaos Fabrication. It
truly seems like a perfect pairing as Shelton’s attention to detail and
meticulous focus on the presentation and performance couldn’t really describe
Chaos Fabrication any better.
After getting the tractor, the Shelton’s stripped it down to
the bare frame. Chaos Fabrication went to
work on the sheet metal and frame, with the frame rails being cut off at the roll
cage and built new. The Shelton’s got the chassis powdered coated and did all
the body work, and paint in their shop.
The intricacies of hiding the intercooler and focus on the sleek lines
are touches that very few have presented in the class. (If you are in Louisville, you will want to
stop by Broadbent and feast your eyes on this beauty.)
Having become known for tuning Hemi’s for the Pro Modified
division, and in the Modified/Mini classes, Reese Shelton has proven he has the
knowledge and understanding to take the horsepower they are building and apply
it to the track/conditions.
In stepping
out of the Hemi’s there is a new science to learn, but as the team has only
proven over the years, it will be a quick study and competitive from the hit of
the throttle.
For the fans who might be asking the same questions I did,
Reese was quick to share the answers with me.
The first was why Pro Stock, and the second, why International?
Question (1)
“The Pro Stock class is something we have always enjoyed as
a family.
We always knew if we had
anything other than a vehicle with a Hemi, it would be a Pro.
After years of campaigning two Mods, and
three Minis, it was time for a new challenge.
We knew absolutely nothing about a Pro Stock but aligned ourselves with
some top-notch guys at Chaos to help us in our journey.
The learning curve is something we will
tackle as a family, and hopefully be contenders in the future.”
Question (2)
“We get asked “Why Red?” quite often. Ironically, we farm and own John Deere
equipment, besides one old Super A Farmall of my late grandfathers. In pulling we typically try to be different
than everyone else and there are way more green Pro Stocks, than red, orange,
blue, etc. So, we decided to build some
classic sheet metal Internationals, not to mention Chaos at the time only had
the DT466 Engines combination available. It worked out all the way around and
we couldn’t be happier with our decisions.”
In closing, to the outside eye, Chaos ultimately may
be a descriptive word for how things would be if it was any other family but
the Shelton’s. The question is raised of how do you manage four NHRA
Pro Modified Drag Cars, two Modified Tractors, three Modified Minis, and now
two Pro Stocks? How do you handle the logistics of multiple haulers heading in opposite directions for competition on the dirt or asphalt. As the past has shown us, the Shelton’s and
their loyal team from the Tarheel state will certainly figure it all out and
quickly if history repeats itself.
Follow and like, the team for updates from the road and the shop!
Facebook Team Shelton Motorsports
Instagram TeamSheltonMotorsports
