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[/media-credit]SALEM, I.N. (April 30, 2012) – While the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards headed into the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers200 for the 91st time at Salem Speedway, Sunday’s race marked the first trip for Matt Lofton and his No. 16 Strutmasters.com Chevrolet.
Kicking off the weekend’s festivities with two practice sessions on Saturday, Lofton a Roxboro, N.C. native, set out to tame the high-banks of Salem. Using the practice sessions to learn the ever-changing groove and bumps while dialing in the Coulter Motorsports Impala SS, Lofton ended the sessions confident in his hotrod.
Starting the afternoon’s race 17th after laying down a 17.629 second lap in Menards Pole Qualifying, Lofton set in for the ride to the front. Working his way to 13th Lofton radioed crew chief Jon Wolfe that the car had picked up a tight in and loose off condition.
Unfortunately Lofton’s progress forward was halted on lap 40 when he was forced into a multi-car wreckhappening in front of him. Lofton limped his battered No. 16 Strutmasters.com Chevy to pit road for some much needed attention by his Coulter Motorsports crew. The team managed to get Lofton back on track, but as misfortunate would have it, a flat right front tire would force him back to pit road 20-Laps later. Forced with the green-flag pit stop at the fast paced Salem, Lofton was trapped five-laps down but showing the poise and determination of a veteran, would not give up.
With the checkered flag waving over the field on lap 200, Lofton crossed the line in 14th in the No. 16 Strutmasters.com Chevrolet, earning a hard fought top-15 place finish.
Next up for Lofton and the No. 16 Strutmasters.com Coulter Motorsports team in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday, May4.
LOFTON ON SALEM
“Salem Speedway is an extremely fast paced, rough and demanding race track that is really a lot of fun to drive. Our qualifying results weren’t exactly what we had planned on but our race pace was right on. I believe if we had not had the unfortunate circumstances of the wreck and then flat tire we would have been up front at the end of the day. I am really proud of how hard my Coulter Motorsports guys worked and I want to thankStrutmasters.com for all of their support.”
