NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225
July 21, 2012

Justin Lofton Chicagoland Race Report:
LOFTON STARTS FROM THE POLE THROWING A BIG ROCK AT THE COMPETITION IN CHICAGO

No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado

> NOTES:
Justin Lofton continued his battle for the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Championship this weekend at Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway in the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado. In a career-best season, Lofton won his first Keystone Light Pole Award this weekend to bring the field to the green in the American Ethanol 225. Lofton went on to lead the field for a total of 24 laps before losing the handling of his truck late in the race and making contact with the outside wall relegating him to a 21st-place finish.

Opening up a sizable lead early in the race, Lofton led the field for the first 12 laps of the 150-lap race at Chicagoland Speedway. As the event progressed, Lofton's truck started to change its handling as the sun set and the track cooled. The Lofton Cattle team worked to fine-tune their handling during pit stops while also managing their tires to ensure that they would have enough fresh Goodyear Wranglers to go the distance.

Crew chief Dan Bormann made the call for four fresh tires during Lofton's green flag pit stop just before lap 50, but elected for a fuel-only stop while making a chassis adjustment during the lap 72 caution to maintain track position. Lofton continued to put the heat on the front runners as he raced side-by-side and gained the top position by lap 106 to lead the field for the next 10 circuits.

As the race progressed, Lofton began losing grip in the Lofton Cattle Chevrolet and was shuffled back through the top 10. On lap 145, while racing sixth with just five laps remaining, Lofton got loose in the marbles in turn four and made contact with the outside wall. With heavy damage to the right side of his Silverado, Lofton brought the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet down pit road for repairs. The crew worked quickly applying BearBond and got Lofton back on the track just in time for a green-white-checkered finish. Focusing on the championship with a "big picture" mindset, Lofton worked to finish the race with the injured Lofton Cattle Chevrolet. As some trucks spun across the finish line, Lofton crossed the line clean in the 21st position.

"I'm so proud of the guys at the shop," commented Lofton. "We got our first pole and had a really great chance at the win. We were strong all night. I knew that things were going to get racy at the end, and my truck simply started to lose grip on those tires. I was battling for position when I got loose in the high groove and hit the wall. It just wasn't our day. We'll put our heads down and go back to work to get ready for Pocono and keep pushing to win the championship."

After a short break with one weekend off, the NCWTS will be back in action at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, August 4th. Live coverage of the Pocono Mountains 125 will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. As always, fans can visit www.teamesr.com, www.twitter.com/teamesr, or www.facebook.com/TeamESR for the latest news and updates about Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado team.

Justin Lofton

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225
July 21, 2012

Justin Lofton Chicagoland Qualifying: Lofton Takes Pole!

No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado

> NOTES:
On a hot afternoon near Chicago, Ill. Justin Lofton led the field in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) qualifying by winning the Keystone Light Pole Award for the first time in his career with the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet. Lofton posted a 31.007-second lap on his first attempt, beating the 37 other trucks who took time. Lofton started first earlier this season at Texas Motor Speedway when qualifying was cancelled due to rain.

> TV COVERAGE:
Live coverage of the American Ethanol 225 from Chicagoland Speedway will be broadcast on SPEED, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 21.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225
July 21, 2012

Justin Lofton Chicagoland FINAL Practice: Lofton Third Fastest

No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado

> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 or 33 entries during the final practice session.

Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Lofton Cattle team battled a loose Chevrolet throughout the final practice session and made several changes trying to tune the handling of their truck. Lofton completed five practice runs, and recorded the third-quickest lap during the session.

> QUOTES:
Justin Lofton, No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet: "We spent a lot of time working on improving our Lofton Cattle Chevrolet tonight. We wanted to get a bit more rear grip and lower the nose a little bit so I could get back on the gas on exit. The boys did a good job of making changes to our Lofton Cattle Chevrolet. I'm sure we will be good for qualifying tomorrow."

> TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon for qualifying from Chicagoland Speedway. Live coverage of the American Ethanol 225 from The Windy City will be broadcast on SPEED, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 21.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225
July 21, 2012

Justin Lofton Chicagoland FIRST Practice

No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado

> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 or 33 entries during the opening practice session.

Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Lofton Cattle team were fast off the hauler. They immediately taped up and attempted a qualifying run at the beginning of the practice session. When another competitor spun bringing out the caution flag during their first attempt, Lofton had to bring the Lofton Cattle Chevrolet back in the garage to cool off for another qualifying run. Lofton laid down a 31.011-second lap placing him first on the board--a position that he held for the remainder of the session. The No. 6 team completed four separate runs. With their truck originally a bit loose off, the team continued to work on adjusting their Chevrolet and finally had it good and snug by the end of the session.

QUOTES:
Justin Lofton, No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet: "The truck was really good from the get-go. We made a few minor changes, but for the most part the truck handled the way that I like it. We will wait until tonight when we practice before deciding if I like the way it handles once it cools down."

TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon for qualifying from Chicagoland Speedway. Live coverage of the American Ethanol 225 from The Windy City will be broadcast on SPEED, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 21.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 225
July 21, 2012

Justin Lofton Chicagoland Speedway Event Preview

No. 6 Lofton Cattle Chevrolet Silverado

Justin Lofton

> Racing in Chi-Town... Justin Lofton will make his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway this weekend in the American Ethanol 225. Lofton has accumulated an impressive resume at the mile-and-a-half track with two NCWTS starts, one NASCAR Nationwide Series start and two Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) starts. Lofton went to victory lane in his first career start in the Windy City when he recorded an ARCA Racing Series win in 2009. In the NCWTS at Chicagoland, Lofton has one top-five finish (fifth, 2010) and a top-10 starting position (10th, 2010).

> Running With Lofton Cattle... For the second week in a row, the No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado will feature another new look this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. After racing with a blue paint scheme last weekend, Lofton's Chevrolet turns orange for Saturday night's American Ethanol 225. The No. 6 Chevrolet will feature the logos of Lofton Cattle and SPEED Energy Drink on the bed top in Joliet, Ill.

> Top-Five Finish in Iowa... Lofton continued to pursue his championship hopes with a fifth-place finish in the American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. The No. 6 J.D. Heiskell & Co. / Lofton Cattle Chevrolet came off of the hauler fast holding onto the first and second position throughout both practice sessions. After a third-place qualifying run, Lofton started the race with determination to get to the front. As the race progressed, the No. 6 J.D. Heiskell & Co. / Lofton Cattle Chevrolet sat comfortably near the front. However, on the second to last restart, Lofton was shuffled back a spot when he got in a three-wide battle for the second position. Lofton settled in fifth place, where he finished the race. Lofton, still in the heat of battle for the NCWTS championship, is 12 points behind point leader Timothy Peters.

> 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 the new 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 moves to Saturday night this week for a primetime feature at Chicagoland Speedway. Practice from the Midwest track will air on SPEED at 8 p.m. ET on Friday night with qualifying broadcast at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon. Live coverage of the American Ethanol 225 from Chicagoland Speedway will be broadcast on SPEED, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 21.