Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra
Track: Phoenix International Raceway
Event: Lucas Oil 150
When: Friday, February 25th 8:00 PM (Eastern)
Broadcast information: 7:30 PM (Eastern), SPEED
Last Time Out: Justin Lofton had an eventful run at Daytona last week. First, he had to qualify on time in order to make the 250-mile Friday night event. On Thursday, Lofton did just that and nabbed the 17th starting position. The race however, was a bit of a challenge, with Lofton and the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra team falling victim to the tight racing on the 2.-5 mile superspeedway, suffering damage to their Tundra due to a lap 76 multi-truck wreck. Despite a few lingering issues, the team banded together and drove home to an 18th place finish.
Lofton at Phoenix:Born and raised in southern California, Lofton climbed the racing ladder throughout the Southwest. From late models to lower-tiered NASCAR touring series, including the K&N Pro Series West, Lofton has visited PIR many times. To date, he has logged nearly 600 miles on the 1-mile track.
In 2010 in Camping World Truck Series competition, Lofton had a stellar run in front of many family members and friends that made the trip from California. He started the event last November from the seventh position and finished an impressive ninth.
Off Week Plans:The Camping World Truck Series schedule sees a break in competition next weekend, allowing Lofton time to shift his focus to the production company, Weekend Warriors TV, that he co-owns. The three-person organization will head to Lofton’s home town in Brawley, California and shoot a music video for the Los Angeles-based rock band Paperback Hero.
Truck Information:Lofton will race chassis GR010 this week in Phoenix. Lofton and the No. 77 team recently tested the truck at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida. Last year, teammate, champion Todd Bodine raced the machine numerous times, notching several top-fives and a visit to victory lane.
Lofton on Phoenix:”I am excited about Phoenix this week. I love racing there. I consider it my home track. It is always a lot of fun to go there because family and friends from back home can make the trip. For some of them, it is the only trip they make all year. I had a good finish for them last year and I’m really excited about our chances this week. We tested this truck during the off season and it was really fast.”
Crew Chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle on Phoenix:”Justin has a lot of experience at Phoenix and he keeps saying that it is one of his favorite race tracks. He’s logged a lot of laps there and that will be important since we only have one practice session. We tested this truck in Orlando and it ran well. It’s a proven truck. We’re all looking forward to this weekend.”
