 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012
Justin Lofton Bristol RACE REPORT
LOFTON RACES THROUGH THE FIELD FIGHTING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE WORLD'S FASTEST HALF-MILE
No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado
> Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet raced through the field in a fight for the championship on Wednesday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway ("World's Fastest Half-Mile). After damaging his No. 6 Chevrolet during his qualifying attempt, Lofton had to start near the back of the pack and raced through the field from the 32nd position on the World's Fastest Half-Mile. The championship contender closed in on the competition to race all the way up to the 10th position before the checkered flag waved.
Starting near the back of the field, Lofton paced himself to move up the leaderboard during a long green-flag run at the beginning of the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 26-year-old picked up 20 positions before coming down pit road during the lap 82 caution period. With the truck just a little loose, the Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services team went to work changing four tires, adding fuel and making a wedge adjustment to Lofton's truck before sending him back on the track.
Lofton continued to stalk the competition, slowly picking up position after position to move into the top 10 by lap 180. As cautions bred cautions during the closing laps of the 200-lap event, the field bunched up, resulting in some damage to the No. 6 truck. On lap 193, one of the frontrunners engine sputtered causing the rest of the field to step on the brakes. Lofton's teammate Cale Gale was turned off the nose of another competitor and spun into the inside wall as everyone else tried to avoid making contact. Lofton couldn't get slowed in time, and ran into the back of the truck in front of him causing damage to the nose of his truck. With the hood bent up, Lofton continued to run as best he could for the final green-white-checkered restart. Coming to the checkered flag, Lofton was racing side-by-side and got pushed up out of the groove while two other competitors dove to the inside to take positions. As a result, the championship contender crossed the finish line in the 10th position.
"We really fought hard to work our way up through the field," commented Lofton. "We got a couple of breaks along the way, but lost an opportunity at the end when the No. 9 truck got in to us in turn three coming to the checkered. It cost us a couple of spots, but we finished top 10. For starting in the 32nd position, I would say it was a pretty good race at Bristol."
Leaving the World's Fastest Half-Mile, Lofton is still sitting in fourth place in the championship point standings, just 31 points out of first place. Nine races remain in the 2012 season.
The NCWTS will take on Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, August 31st. Live coverage of the Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 200 will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. Final practice (1:00 p.m. ET) and qualifying (4:30 p.m. ET) from the 1.54-mile track will also be broadcast on Friday afternoon. 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 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado team.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012
Justin Lofton Bristol QUALIFYING Notes
Brush with the wall sends Justin to the back of the grid
No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado
> NOTES:
Justin Lofton got loose coming off turn four during his qualifying lap, which resulted in the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet making contact with the outside wall. With slight damage to the right side of his Silverado, the No. 6 ESR team was able to make repairs to Lofton's machine without having to roll out their backup. However, since the trucks were in impound, the repairs will result in Lofton having to start from the rear of the field.
> TV COVERAGE:
Live coverage of the UNOH 200 from Bristol Motor Speedway will be aired on SPEED, MRN ans SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 22.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012
Justin Lofton Bristol FINAL PRACTICE
Lofton Picks Up the Pace: Fastest in Final Practice
No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado
> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 or No. 33 entry during the opening practice session.
Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services team spent the final practice session working through a list of changes to their Chevrolet, and got a little better with each run. With about 45 minutes left in the session, the Millennium Private Jet Services team sent Lofton out to make a mock qualifying run. Lofton jumped to the top of the board where he stayed through the remainder of the 90-minute practice session.
> QUOTES:
Justin Lofton, No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet: "We made a lot of changes to make the No. 6 Millennium Private Jet Services Chevrolet good. The boys kept at it all day during practice. Now we just need to qualify! I'm having a lot of fun today with this truck."
> TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED tonight at 5:00 p.m. for a broadcast of qualifying from Bristol Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the UNOH 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN ans SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 22.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012
Justin Lofton Bristol FIRST PRACTICE
No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado
> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 or No. 33 entry during the opening practice session.
Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services team spent the opening practice session working through a variety of setup changes to help dial-in the handling of their Chevrolet. The team made a total of six runs working through different shock and spring options to determine which would work best around the fast half-mile. By the end of practice, Lofton's 15.912-second lap held up to be the 10th-quickest lap of the session. The Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services team will make changes to their Chevrolet to prepare for this afternoon's final practice session.
> QUOTES:
Justin Lofton, No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet: "We have some work to do on the Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet. The guys are working hard to get the truck to turn better. I'm not too worried, my guys will get it done."
> TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED tonight at 5:00 p.m. for a broadcast of qualifying from Bristol Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the UNOH 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN ans SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 22.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012
Justin Lofton Bristol Motor Speedway Event Preview
Lofton's Going Rounds at Bristol
No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado
> Back to Bristol... Justin Lofton will take on Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway ("World Fastest Half-Mile") for the third time in his career this Wednesday night as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races on the legendary half-mile track. In two previous NCWTS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet has completed 100% of laps he has attempted, and has never finished worse than the seventh position.
> Closing in on the competition... Lofton is one of the best when it comes to closing in on the competition at Bristol Motor Speedway. According to NASCAR's loop data which averages the data for the past seven years at each particular track, Lofton ranks second among all NCWTS drivers when it comes to closing in on the competition at the end of the race at the Tennessee short track. In the final 10 percent of the laps at Bristol Motor Speedway, Lofton typically gains an average of 5.5 spots.
> The action heats up as the summer winds down... With six races scheduled over the next seven weeks, the battle is definitely on for the NCWTS championship. Lofton enters the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway in the fourth position, just 17 points out of the championship point lead, and 11 points behind third place. The 26-year-old led the standings through three events earlier this season, and notched both his first career win and first career pole during a career-best year. Ten races remain in the NCWTS season before a champion is crowned at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
> Follow Justin... Follow Justin Lofton, driver of the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Silverado, on twitter (@jlracing) and facebook(facebook.com/jlracing), and check out 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 action will heat up as the stars of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series beat and bang under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday, August 22. Qualifying from the World's Fastest Half-Mile will be broadcast on SPEED at 5:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the UNOH 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
| QUOTES: |
From the Driver's Seat: Justin Lofton Quotes...
On looking forward to racing at Bristol Speedway: "I can't wait to run at Bristol Motor Speedway. It's one of my favorite tracks on the NASCAR circuit. There's something about getting out there on the high banks and racing hard with 35 other trucks. It's always a really exciting race, and I'm sure things will be even more interesting with the new track configuration."
On what to expect from the new track surface: "It will be interesting to see how the new surface changes the racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. They took out the top groove, so we won't be able to run side-by-side like we have in the past few races. I expect that there will be a lot more beating on each other as we fight for position. There should be a lot of action on the track, and I expect that it will be a very exciting race for the fans. I'm looking forward to it."
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On staying out of trouble at Bristol Motor Speedway: "Bristol has always been known for wild finishes and a lot of wrecks, but we need to be sure to keep our nose clean and stay out of trouble with the Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet. We need to remember to stay focused on the big picture-we're racing for the championship. We're only 17 points out the lead right now; we need to come to the track with our best equipment every week and stay on top of our game all season. We don't need to lead the points every week, but we need to keep ourselves within striking distance to have a chance at it when we get to Homestead. This is one of those wildcard races where anything can happen; we just need to be sure that it doesn't happen to us."
From the Pit Box:
Crew Chief
Dan Bormann Quotes...
On looking forward to Bristol Motor Speedway with the No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet team: "We have a lot of confidence in Justin at Bristol. He's always run really well at this track and has been able to pick up a lot of positions throughout the race. The Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet team has been putting in long hours to be sure that we put the best equipment under Justin going into the race at Bristol. We hope to walk out of this weekend gaining ground in the points battle-we only have 10 races left until they crown a champion in Miami." |
Justin Lofton By the Numbers |
| Justin Lofton's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway |
Date |
Race |
Start |
Finish |
Laps |
Status |
8/24/2011
|
O'Reilly 200
|
15
|
5
|
206/206 |
running |
| 8/18/2010 |
O'Reilly 200 |
29 |
7 |
200/200 |
running |
Total / Average
|
2 Races |
22.0 |
6.0 |
406/406 (100.0%) |
| Justin Lofton's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Career Stats |
Races |
Wins |
Top-Fives |
Top-10s |
Poles |
Money Won |
62
|
1
|
8
|
20
|
1
|
$868,427 |
| Justin Lofton's 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Stats |
Races |
Wins |
Top-Fives |
Top-10s |
Poles |
Money Won |
| 12 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
$210,605 |
|
|
| ESR NASCAR RACING UPDATES |
NCWTS: UNOH 200
Bristol Motor Speedway, August 18, 2012 |
| FINAL RESULTS |
| Car |
St |
Fin |
Driver |
Laps |
Status |
| 6 |
32 |
10 |
Lofton |
204 |
Running |
| 33 |
POLE! |
28 |
Gale |
193 |
Accident |
| QUALIFYING |
| Car |
Pos |
Driver |
Speed |
Time |
| 33 |
POLE! |
Gale |
122.560 mph |
15.656 sec |
| 6 |
32 |
Lofton |
118.936 mph |
16.133 sec |
| FINAL PRACTICE |
| Car |
Pos |
Driver |
Speed |
Time |
| 6 |
1 |
Lofton |
121.605 mph |
15.779 sec |
| 33 |
9 |
Gale |
120.846 mph |
15.878 sec |
| FIRST PRACTICE |
| Car |
Pos |
Driver |
Speed |
Time |
| 33 |
3 |
Gale |
121.474 mph |
15.796 sec |
| 6 |
10 |
Lofton |
120.588 mph |
15.912 sec |
No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services Chevrolet Truck Information
The No. 6 Millennium VIP Group Private Jet Services team will compete with chassis No. 050 as their primary truck at Bristol Motor Speedway. The team last raced this chassis earlier this season at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. In that event, Lofton rolled off sixth, ran inside the top 10 for most of the day and raced to a fourth-place finish.
No. 6 College Complete Chevrolet / Eddie Sharp Racing Team
| Driver: |
Justin Lofton |
| Crew Chief: |
Dan Bormann |
| Owner: |
Eddie Sharp |
| Truck Chief: |
Steve Dietrich |
| Mechanic/Suspension |
Jesse Brooks |
| Mechanc/Tire Specialist |
Anthony Jilson |
| Mechanic / Gasman |
Kevin Kerr |
| Hauler Driver |
Jason Taggart |
| Shock specialist |
Jeff Keller |
| Engine Tuner |
Matt Beaver |
| Front Tire Changer |
Pedro Martinez |
| Front Tire Carrier |
Anwar Parrish |
| Jackman |
Nick Sutton |
| Rear Tire Changer |
Jeremy Fuller |
| Rear Tire Carrier |
Jake Brzozowski |
| Spotter |
Eddie Sharp |
| PR Rep/Business Manager |
Brent Brush |
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