[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Tammyrae Benscoter” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]Justin Lofton, driver of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) No.6 Chevrolet currently sits fourth in the series standings with one win, four top-5 and nine top-10 finishes, gave me the opportunity to talk to him and ask a couple of questions.
1. How did you get into NASCAR?
“Honestly, how it all started was in Baja California, I met the gentlemen of Dave Smith of Colorado Springs and he encouraged me to drive race cars a career. He had some connections in the east coast. He was good friends with Jack Roush so he just guided me thru going all the steps from going from the dessert to the pavement, racing late models in Irwindale, next into the Nascar Grand Am West Series which is the K&N Pro Series West and then just introduced me to influencing people along the way to help me in my career.”
2. So then you went into the ARCA Series? How was the Challenge of that series?
“It was really fun. We won about the 4th time we ran. When I was running in the dessert, we were running in a high horsepower car that we could use at the time. When we went into the K&N Pro series we were limited on the amount of horsepower so to get back in the car that had a lot of horse power and I could go full throttle into the corner, it was a really big relief. We had a lot of success off the bat. Then in 09 we had a lot of success in that season and my team was behind me and I had a great owner.”
3. You went on to win the championship that year. What did that feel like?
“You know that was really cool. The sacrifice you take on life and the family takes on helping you that is the big thing. I don’t think that is projected enough in this sport is the family sacrifice and the family support that every driver and every team has behind them. There was a deal to accomplish at the end of 2008 that me, my dad and my owner, Eddie Sharp, sat down and said our goal this year is to win the championship and we basically handpicked the guys that were recently released from Ganassi racing, brought them over and there mindset was the exact same thing. They want to win a championship, so to be able to set a goal and accomplish it with all my family around is one of the most amazing feelings in the world.”
4. So after the ARCA series, you moved up to the Truck Series, what was that like?
“Towards the end of the 09 season, I moved from ESR to Red horse racing to debut in the trucks and I spent 2010 with them.”
5. So you spent 2010 with them and you had a good season but not the best, how did you keep up the momentum and what was the mind set for the following year?
“Throughout the 2010 season, we were making progress thru the year which was a good thing but we started out Daytona very rough and barely made turn 3 before wrecking. Some crashes were not my fault, you just got caught up in it. It was just rough thru the first half of the season and there was a doubt in my mind that was not where we wanted to be or I wanted to be. So then I jumped into a Nationwide Car, a couple of times throughout the 2010 year, and I was really fast but didn’t have the finishes, that we should of gotten but for different circumstances but we didn’t. I showed that I could do it and it kept me alive in the truck series. We brought on Terry Cook to be my spotter and we just progressed really well. We knew that winning a race would be nice but that just was not realistic for us. So we were just showing progress and at the end of the season, a few teams were interested in me and that when I joined Germain racing for the 2011 season. It was unfortunate because we just didn’t have the sponsorship and the money and that was when we rejoined Eddie Sharp Racing last year in Kentucky.”
6. And Wow! What a statement you made with them this year! You got your first win this year in Charlotte!
“That was really cool! It was great to have the success we were having and it felt like we were just rejoining from the ARCA series. We had some decent equipment but we decided to buy some Kevin Harvick Incorporated and we switched to Chevy and that was when we starting getting really good. We were just so fast off the truck at Daytona and finished 3rd and we actually had a chance to race for the win was awesome. You know it has been a difficult road. We have been living the high life last couple months for sure and want to continue to do that.”
7. You are 18 points out of the lead from Timothy Peters in the Camping World Truck Series, What do you need to do to get back up there?
“We need to be consistent. We need to have good finishes and when we are having a tough time, we just need to try and get the best we can do. Our Morale is very high on this team so we just need to keep it up. We have the confidence and the tools and just need to use them correctly. We just need to keep doing what we did at the beginning of the season which is having fun and going out and trying to win races.”
8. There have been rumors that the truck series may add one or two races, which races tracks would you like to see?
“We have to have a road course for the Trucks! I would like the Glen, Road America is fun, Montreal would be fun but if I had to choose to go BACK to one, it would be Darlington but that is if we have to go back. I would want them to add some Road Courses though.”
Thank you Justin for letting me interview you!
