Fast Times in the Motor City for Lofton

No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet News and Notes
Racing at Michigan International Speedway… Justin Lofton will race at Michigan International Speedway for the third time in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) career this weekend in the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado. In addition to his NCWTS experience on the 2.0-mile oval, Lofton has one NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start and two starts in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series.  Lofton has one pole (2009) and one race win (2008) at Michigan International Speedway in ARCA competition. In his NNS debut at the speedway, Lofton started 19th and raced to a 16th-place finish.   

Top-Ten Finish at Pocono Raceway… Lofton continued to pursue his championship hopes with a ninth-place finish at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. As a result of posting lap times inside the top five throughout the three-hour practice session, Lofton was one of the final drivers to make his qualifying attempt. On his first lap, the track snapped loose in the tunnel turn backing in to the outside wall.  Without time to spare, the No. 6 Millennium Private Jet Services crew worked tirelessly to prepare the back-up Chevrolet before the start of the race. With only minutes left, the ESR team was able to get the No. 6 Millennium Private Jet Services Chevrolet through technical inspection and ready for the race. After starting in 35th position at the back of the field, Lofton managed to maneuver his truck to an impressive ninth-place finish in the brief 50 lap race. Lofton left Pocono Raceway fourth in the championship points race, just 18 points out of first place.

Meet Justin Lofton… The NCWTS will feature an open garage at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, August 17th.  At 4:00 p.m., NASCAR fans will be invited into the garage to get a first-hand look at what goes on during a NASCAR race weekend.  At the same time, the series’ will host an autograph session in the garage near gate 55c.  Wristbands are required to receive an autograph.  Following the autograph session, Lofton will join teammate Cale Gale for a question and answer session at the Chevy Stage.  Come out to meet ESR’s driver lineup at 5:15 p.m. in the fan zone.

Battling it Out for Points… With the 2012 NCWTS season just past the halfway point, Lofton continues to battle his competition for the championship.  With 11 races complete and 11 races to go, Lofton currently ranks fourth in the NCWTS point standings, just three points behind third and 18 points out of the lead.  

Follow Justin… Follow Justin Lofton, driver of the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado, on twitter (@jlracing) and facebook (facebook.com/jlracing), and check out loftonracing.com for the latest news and updates.
Get the Inside Scoop…  Follow Eddie Sharp Racing on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook to get real-time updates and behind-the-scenes information:  @TeamESR or facebook.com/teamesr.

Watch and Listen… The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make its annual stop at Michigan International Speedway this Saturday, August 18.  SPEED will have broadcast final practice (2:00 p.m. ET, Friday) and qualifying (9:30 a.m. ET, Saturday) from Brooklyn, Mich.  Live coverage of the VFW 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET.  

From the Driver’s Seat

Justin Lofton Quotes… On the speed of Michigan International Speedway:  “Michigan [International Speedway] is fast. We were a part of the tire test here a few weeks ago and it seems like the track is a lot faster with the smooth new surface.  I’ve always enjoyed racing here; I got my first ARCA win with Eddie [Sharp, team owner] at Michigan International Speedway.  We hope to have another great race this weekend in the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet to tighten up the championship points battle.”

From the Pit Box

Dan Bormann Quotes… On looking forward to Michigan International Speedway with the No. 6 Lofton Cattle / Eddie Sharp Racing team:  “The whole Lofton Cattle / Eddie Sharp Racing team is really looking forward to this weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway. It’s crunch-time in the [championship] points race, so we all have been working hard to give Justin everything that he needs to go out there and contend for race wins and ultimately the championship. Michigan is a fast track, and we believe whole-heartedly in Justin’s ability to put the Lofton Cattle Chevrolet where it needs to be.”

JLPR