Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Lofton Cattle team’s night came to an early end in the American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway when the No. 6 Chevrolet suffered terminal damage in a lap 95 accident. After leading laps and racing inside the top 10 throughout most of the night, Lofton’s championship battle took a hit as a result of a 31st-place finish.
With two practice sessions over two days, Lofton worked closely with the Lofton Cattle team to fine-tune the handling of their Chevrolet. Extremely pleased with their machine in race trim, the No. 6 Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) team knew that their Lofton Cattle Chevrolet would be one to contend with during Saturday night’s race.
Lofton rolled off 13th in the American Ethanol 200 after recording a 23.267-second lap during qualifying. With his truck initially a bit tight, the Lofton Cattle team utilized the lap 24 caution period to make a chassis adjustment to increase the forward bite in their Chevrolet. The team also serviced the No. 6 machine with four tires and fuel, enabling him to remain on track when most of his competitors came down pit road during the lap 36 caution period.
By lap 56, Lofton inherited the lead under caution and led the field to the green for the lap 59 restart. As a result, the championship contender gained a pivotal bonus point that is sure to be important in the 2012 championship hunt. With many close competitors on fresher tires, Lofton held the lead for just five laps before falling back a few positions.
Still running in the seventh position on lap 95, Lofton was racing through lap traffic when the No. 07 spun off turn two in front of the Lofton Cattle Chevrolet. The other truck cut a right front tire and rode along the outside wall and Lofton went low on the track hoping to avoid the incident. However, when the No. 07 turned across the track he caught the right side of Lofton’s machine and turned him into the outside retaining wall. The incident resulted in terminal damage to Lofton’s No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet and a 31st place finish.
“Obviously we’re disappointed about our finish,” commented Lofton. “We had a great truck and were able to lead some laps in the Lofton Cattle Chevrolet. It’s just frustrating when you’re running for a championship and the guys are all working so hard to be taken out in the middle of the race.”
The NCWTS will take on Kentucky Speedway on Friday, September 21st. Live coverage of the Kentucky 201 will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. Fans can visit www.teamesr.com, www.twitter.com/teamesr, or www.facebook.com/TeamESR for the latest news and updates about Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado team.
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About J6INK: J6INK is a graphic design and vinyl installation company based in Denver, N.C. Owned by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Justin Lofton, J6INK specializes in custom design, printing and installation of vinyl wrapping for all types of vehicles-both racing and non-racing, as well as helmets, service equipment, vending machines, and windows.
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About Eddie Sharp Racing: Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) (TeamESR.com) is a championship winning racing team housed in a 45,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After getting its start in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series, ESR has accumulated upwards of 20 race wins, the 2009 ARCA Racing Series Championship, and countless top five and top-10 finishes in just five years of competition. By 2010, ESR began to make the transition into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with a partial schedule before racing in the series full-time in 2011. By 2012, the team expanded to be a multi-truck team and secured its first victory in just the team’s 35th NCWTS race. Additionally, ESR continues to build its driver development program fielding various drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series and other late model events across the southeast.
Visit us online at LoftonRacing.com & TeamESR.com
