Ben Silliker To Run Cole Tanner Racing Bandolero at Petty Raceway in May

Team Release/Photo by McCarthy Photographic

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA, CANADA (April 24, 2015) – 10 year-old Benjamin Silliker and Team Silco have teamed up with Jack and Cole Tanner to enter the young driver in an INEX Bandolero race.  Silliker will take the wheel of the #24 Eastern Drainage entry at Petty International Raceway on May 16th.

Silliker will make his series debut aboard an entry that Cole Tanner, 16, has driven to five championships in four seasons and attracted attention from across the racing world.  Tanner will serve as a mentor for Silliker as he navigates the quarter-mile paved oval located in Riverglade, New Brunswick, Canada.

Silliker, a Team Silco Development Driver, is in the midst of a busy April and May that includes competing in Open 500 races at Millbridge Speedway in Rougemont, NC in preparation for May 19-20 with the televised QRC Speed Sport Challenge.  Team Silco will enter three karts in the Open 500 race that will air on MAVTV.  Silliker, 2014 Speed Sport winner Mike Wheeler, and a special guest driver will make up the three car assault.

For Tanner, his 2015 outlook includes racing in the INEX Legends with his first race of the season set for May 23 in Nova Scotia at Scotia Speedworld with the Atlantic Tiltload Maritime League of Legends Series.  The Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia native will also race part-time in Sportsman cars throughout Canada this year.  His debut in Sportsman last season was a 100 lap contest at Cape Breton Miners Memorial Speedway where he finished fourth.

The success for Tanner has attracted national attention including a nomination by Speed51.com as one of the top 400 NASCAR prospects under 25 years old.  Team Silco is encouraging its supporters to visit: https://www.facebook.com/speed51/posts/10152709819195981 and vote for Tanner for the Speed51 draft by simply making a Facebook comment with the name Cole Tanner.

Up next for Team Silco is racing at Millbridge Speedway this Saturday night with both Ben and brother Alex Silliker in Outlaw Kart action.  Ben Silliker has an event on May 1-2 that is TBA followed by his venture into Bandoleros on May 16th.

Race fans can keep up with the action at the team’s official website www.TeamSilco.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Team Silco Racing is presented by Black Dog Drilling and Environmental Services, QRC Karts, PMP Chassis, Evolution Racing Products, Blakesley Sports Media, and RCM Design.

TCM Notes: Ben’s father, Jason Silliker, has roots in Miramichi, New Brunswick. The elder Silliker last ran Sportsman and Pro Stock in the early 2000s in the region, including a five race stint in 2004 on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour.