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On His Own: Despite no Sponsors, Ard Able to Chase After Elusive Sportsman Track Title

By Chuck Corder

The car might be faceless, but the man who drives it is far from anonymous.

On Friday nights when racing envelopes the half-mile oval at Five Flags Speedway, Shanna Ard shows up in his silver Sportsman trimmed in dayglo green.

A quick inspection around his No. 29 is an empty endeavor if you’re trying to tally sponsor stickers.

Ard goes it alone. Not by choice, mind you. The Milton native hustles, attempting to drum up sponsorships, but struggles to get any outside support, save for family and friends.

“The only real sponsor I have is Pensacola Racing Fabricators with Greg (Janes),� Ard said of the Detroit Ave. shop that helps set up his and a handful of other rival cars.

“Nobody has helped me. I’ve asked places for $50 a race, $10 a race, but nobody follows through. Maybe, I’m not a good salesman.�

But a funny thing has happened to Ard as doors have repeatedly slammed in his face.

Despite steering a ride void of stickers, the 33 year old has matured into one of the most consistent drivers in the Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsman class.

Ard owns a pair of wins in 2014, including driving to Victory Lane at the July 25 show last time out. He currently sits second in the standings, trailing division leader Brannon Fowler by a mere 5 points going into Friday night.

“My focus this year is to win a championship,� he said. “We haven’t won one yet. We’ve been close many times, but we haven’t sealed the deal. We’re trying to be consistent every week, in the top-three every Friday night.�

The Sportsman series will run 25 laps on Friday, as will the Home Depot Modifieds. In addition to the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers battling in a 20-lap feature, Five Flags will also host its annual Faster Pastor feature (6 laps) and Demolition Derby, which will close the evening’s festivities.

C.J. McBride (Abiding Love in Foley, Ala.), Tim Payne (Momentum Church), Matt Mills (Liberty Church) and Wes Alverez (My Father’s Vineyard) make up the Faster Pastor field.

Admission is only $5 for fans ages 6 and up when the gates open at 4 p.m. Friday. Kids 5 and under get in for free!

It’s a ticket price Ard is happy to slap down in order for his growing family to come see him race.

Married to his wife Shelly for more than five years, the couple has two daughters Triniti (10 years old) and Destini (9) and a 3-year-old son named River.

Because Ard races out of his own pocket, Triniti and Destini only get to see him race about half the time. He admits that chasing his passion can be a strain in making ends meet for his family.

“I gamble with the power bill just to finish the race,� Ard said. “Knowing I’m in the top three every race, I guess I can take that risk. That’s how much I love racing. I guess it’s in me.�

What’s truly in him is an unparalleled work ethic that has him chasing jobs, sometimes in the middle of the night.

Ard is a part owner of West Florida Coatings, the family business he shares with brother and Modifieds driver Chris Cotto.

West Florida Coatings pursues painting contracts for both commercial and governmental work. Ard currently has jobs at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, in Jacksonville and Meridian, Miss.

And his shifts fluctuate wildly among morning, noon or night.

“Some days, we’ll go from 5 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon,� Ard explained. “You go home, eat dinner, go back and work a few more hours. Then, it’s 10 more the next night.

“On Thursday, for the job in Meridian, I have to get up at 2 to get there by 6. People say they don’t know how I do it. But I was raised that you have to work to make money.�

He spends one or two days every two weeks to make adjustments on the car. That’s a paltry amount of time compared to his rivals.

Yet, there Ard is every week, swappin’ paint and beatin’ and bangin’ with the likes of Fowler and four-time Sportsman Snowball Derby champion Steve Buttrick.

“We had been struggling a little bit before last race,� Ard said. “We replaced everything underneath the car and brought it back to life. It was normal stuff we were taking for granted. Things are starting to fall into place.�

Ard hopes other Sportsman drivers can echo his words in the coming months. With Janes assisting, the pair is performing maintenance and repair work on cars for Chris Pierce, Kenny Williams, Dayton Sidner, Paul Mathis, Jesse Smith and Ray Ray Walsh.

“Our goal is to help as many people as we can,� Ard said. “I love racing against cars. It’s boring racing in a straight line. It’s more fun being side by side and swapping leads in one corner after another. That’s where I get my rush.�

Ard, whose talent in undeniable, is proof that success is attainable for those who pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport.

Even when you’re driving a car that still slides, at least for now, in relative obscurity.

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