ARCA RE/MAX SERIES RACE REPORTS
SPEED & BUTLER III SCORE TOP-10 FINISHES AT IOWA
Pair sit 8th & 9th in point standings;
Bourque finishes race 16th;
Stuck throttle knocks Lofton out after 27 laps
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ESR DRIVERS IOWA RACE RESULTS
POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
LAPS |
TIME |
SPEED |
6 |
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Scott Speed |
250 |
23.781 |
132.459 |
7 |
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Ken Butler III |
250 |
23.975 |
131.387 |
16 |
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Pierre Bourque |
243 |
24.586 |
128.122 |
36 |
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Justin Lofton |
27 |
23.998 |
131.261 |
Next Stop: Speed, Butler III, Lofton and Bourque travel to Kansas City, KS this weekend to race Friday, April 25th in the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand. The race goes green at 5:00 p.m. and will air on SPEED, Saturday, April 26th at 8:30 p.m. All times are Eastern. You can also catch Scott Speed behind the wheel of a Bill Davis Racing truck in Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway. |
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RACE REPORT
ANOTHER TOP-10 FOR SCOTT SPEED
Leaves Iowa Top-10 in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Points
NEWTON, Iowa (April 20, 2008) -Scott Speed once again showed that consistency and patience does indeed pay off in the end. With practice and qualifying cancelled due to rain, the field lined up according to the 2007 Owner's Points for the Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway. Under dreary skies, the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota started on the outside pole for the Saturday afternoon event. Running a solid race and leading 28 laps, Scott Speed took the checkered flag in the 6th position and left Iowa ‘unofficially' in the top-10 in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points.
| "Our car's handling by itself was definitely good enough to get us into Top-5. By the end of the race, we were the one of the fastest cars out there." |
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"It was a good race all around," said Speed. "Our car's handling by itself was definitely good enough to get us into Top-5. By the end of the race, we were the one of the fastest cars out there."
Speed started the race at the front of the pack and remained there, never falling lower than the tenth position, for 250 laps. Typically found hovering in the top-5, Speed was often clocking the fastest lap times on the track.
On lap 73, the caution flag flew and the Red Bull Toyota came down pit road. The over-the-wall crew put on four tires, added fuel, and made adjustments to correct the car's tight condition. Working with precision and expertise, the crew ripped off an excellent stop and put Speed back on track on the first position. Speed retained the lead for 28 laps.
During the caution at lap 134, Speed reported to his team "For most of the run my car is really quite balanced. But when I get to the end of the run, the car is pretty tight, especially in traffic."
On lap 162, another caution was brought out. When pit road opened, the No. 2 came down for service. An issue with the gas can required the Red Bull Toyota to make a second trip down pit road to have the fuel topped off. When the field restarted on lap 167, Speed was in the tenth position but on the lead lap.
With 45 laps remaining, the caution came out again. Speed came down pit road one final time for four tires, fuel, and no adjustments. Speed completed the race in the sixth position.
"We struggled with brakes today," commented Speed. "When we got in traffic and we started racing around, we needed to get the car pinned down. It was a little tight at those times. We struggled with that a lot. That was the only car problem we had other than that, everything was good. The engine ran well. We were good to go. It was a really fast car."
Speed added, "my pit crew had some really great stops throughout the race that helped us gain significant track positions. Unfortunately, there was one pit stop where we had an issue with the fuel can and lost a few track positions. But, overall the guys did a great job and I'm really proud of them."
When asked what lesson he was taking away with him from Iowa Speedway, Speed replied "For us open-wheel guys, the concept of running on the outside or in a middle groove, instead of always on the bottom is a little weird. That's been one of the most difficult things for me to get comfortable with in these cars."
Crew Chief Patrick Donahue was also satisfied with the day. "We should have finished third, instead we finished sixth," Donahue commented. "But the car is in one piece, we led again, legitimately, for 28 laps, so I'm happy about that. We are the only car to lead all three races. We didn't get a top-5, but he [Speed] learned a lot. The result isn't what we wanted, we should have finished higher, but I think we climbed into the top-10 in points, so we're positioning ourselves where we want to be early here in the season."
Speed and his No. 2 Red Bull Toyota team leave Iowa having ‘unofficially' climbed four positions to eighth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings.
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RACE REPORT
TOP-10 FINISH FOR KEN BUTLER III AT IOWA
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22 car in for adjustments
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NEWTON, Iowa (April 20, 2008) - Ken Butler, III and his Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine team were confident that they had a fast car this weekend at Iowa Speedway. With practice and qualifying cancelled due to rain, the No. 22 Toyota started in the ninth position. KBIII fought a tight condition all day, wrestling the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota Camry home in the seventh position, his season-best finish.
"We just fought a tight car all day," stated Butler. "Throughout the race I had to change my line because I was so tight in one and two and especially three and four. I arched it into the corners more, played with it a little throughout the race, just to get it to turn. I really want to thank Wayne and my guys. They didn't give up the entire race."
Despite the tight condition, the car was fast as Butler drove from ninth to fifth position in the first 15 laps. The first caution of the day came at lap 15 in the Prairie Meadows 250. Crew Chief Wayne Carroll immediately asked his driver to "tell me about the car, KB." Butler replied that "this this is so tight. I'm really fighting it." When pit road opened, the No. 22 came in for a track bar adjustment and fuel.
| Despite the tight condition, the car was fast as Butler drove from ninth to fifth position in the first 15 laps. |
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With the next caution coming at lap 27, Butler came to the pits for more adjustments, this time track bar and wedge adjustments and some additional tape on the grill, all in an effort to free-up the No. 22.
Even with an ill-handling car Butler kept the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine in the top-10 for each of the 250 laps. Carroll called lap times to his driver throughout the race as Butler searched for a line that was fast and allowed him to manage the car.
"At the beginning of the race, it just wasn't turning right," said Butler. "We'd come in and free it up. It would get a little better for a while, but it wasn't great. We'd come in again, and free it up some more. And every time we'd put on tires, it would take forever for the car to come in. We weren't fast off the get go, just later the car would come in. The second to last run we had, after the changes, we were finally decent. We were pretty good between [turns] one and two, but [turns] three and four, the thing would just not turn. It would not turn. I had to back up my corners SO much. The slow cars were even faster than me in three and four, which means we were that good in one and two and down the straightaways to hold our position like we did."
The pit crew put him back on track in the top-5 following the caution at lap 214. Butler radioed that he couldn't turn it at all and asked if the team had gone in the opposite direction with their adjustments on the last pit stop. Fighting hard for the final 34 laps, Butler slid from fourth position to seventh when the checkered flag waved. The crew quickly examined the car following the race to find that the left rear tire pressure had equalized.
Following the race, Butler added that "the front tire equalized, which means we had no stagger in the rear. And if that tire hadn't done what it did, equalized that last run, we would have been there. I don't think those last few cars would have gotten by us and we would have stayed up in the top-5 with no problem. When the cars would catch me, I couldn't even race them. It just wouldn't turn."
Butler smiled and said, "We'll move on to Kansas now. This is my first trip there. We were planning to test there, but the rain cancelled the ARCA open test. I like Kentucky a lot, so I think we'll do well. I want to thank all the Aaron's and all the associates for cheering us on each week. We'll get this Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota in Victory Lane soon!"
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RACE REPORT
MECHANICAL FAILURE ENDS DAY EARLY AT IOWA FOR JUSTIN LOFTON
NEWTON, Iowa (April 20, 2008) - Under dreary skies, the No. 93 Lofton Cattle Dodge took the green flag Saturday afternoon in the 27th position. Because ARCA RE/MAX Series Practice and Sim Factory Pole Qualifying were cancelled due to rain, the field lined up according to the 2007 Owner's Points for the Prairie Meadows 250. Mechanical failure caused the throttle to hang, planting the No. 93 squarely into the outside wall of turn 1. With the day over and completing only 27 laps, Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton packed up early and recorded a 27th-place finish at Iowa Speedway.
"The car was a rocket ship," said Lofton. "It was definitely a car that was going to be in contention to win the race. It's just unfortunate that we had a little carburetor trouble and the throttle hung open and we hit the wall at lap 27."
Prior to the green flag, the No. 93 Lofton Cattle Dodge dropped from the 27th position where it was placed due to points, to the end of the line as a result of a penalty enforced for being late in the tech inspection line. By lap 15, Lofton had already climbed to the 19th position.
| By lap 15, Lofton had already climbed from the end of the line to the 19th position, -and was still climbing when the caution was brought out at lap 27. |
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The Lofton Cattle Dodge was still climbing when the caution was brought out at lap 27. As Lofton attempted to back down for the yellow flag, he was unable to slow the car as the throttle was hung wide open. Trying to turn down into Turn 1, the No. 93 made hard, right-side contact with the outside wall.
Once the car came to a rest, Lofton climbed from the window and took the mandatory visit to the infield care center where he was evaluated and released. The No. 93 Lofton Cattle Dodge was done for the day, logging 27 laps and marked in the 36th position for the Prairie Meadows 250.
"It's really unfortunate for the Lofton Cattle Dodge and the guys that work so incredibly hard on it all week," commented Lofton when he returned. "I really appreciate the work they have been doing. It is frustrating for me when I cannot deliver them the finish that they deserve. But we'll keep our heads up, go to Kansas and do it all over again."
This coming weekend Lofton will visit Kansas Speedway for the first time for the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand. The Eddie Sharp Racing team attempted to test at the 1.5-mile speedway two weeks ago for the ARCA RE/MAX Series open test. Inclement weather caused the cancelation of the test session. Not only will this be Lofton's first time on the speedway, this will be his first experience on a 1.5-mile speedway in his career.
When asked what the rookie has been doing to prepare for the event, Lofton replied, "I've been putting a whole lot of laps on the ARCA SIM Factory Racing game. Between Saturday and now I've logged over 150 laps. I also trust my team and Crew Chief, Randy Nelson. I know when we unload the car it will be solid and spot on. I'm really confident going into Kansas. We won't have any trouble there." |
RACE REPORT
PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY EARN PIERRE BOURQUE 16TH PLACE AT PRAIRIE MEADOWS 250
NEWTON, Iowa (April 20, 2008) - Canadian-native Pierre Bourque returned to competition this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 02 impreMedia Dodge and driving for Eddie Sharp Racing. With ARCA RE/MAX Series qualifying cancelled due to rain, the No. 02 lined up under overcast and cold conditions in the 41st position for Saturday's race. By staying out of trouble and running a consistent race, Bourque finished the Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway in a solid 16th position.
"The car was as good as I had remembered it to be when we loaded it up after our test [at Iowa Speedway] two weeks ago," said Bourque. "It's a shame that we didn't get a day of practice in yesterday. More so even because had we, we could have qualified today. I think we would have qualified in the top-15 or top-20, and I would have made a better run today starting ahead of some of the slower traffic."
| "It took a bit to get around the slower cars. You just have to be patient and patience was the name of the game today." |
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By exercising patience as a veteran driver knows well to do when starting at the back of the field, Bourque moved his No. 02 impreMedia Dodge up to the 29th position by time the first caution came out at lap 15.
"I was comfortable as soon as they dropped the green flag," commented Bourque. "It took a bit to get around the slower cars. You just have to be patient and patience was the name of the game today."
The No. 02 impreMedia Dodge started a little on the tight side. The impreMedia crew led by Corrie Stott worked with each pit stop to correct the condition. By lap 150, the No. 02 climbed to the 18th position. A pleased Bourque reported to his team that their adjustments "took care of that problem. It's not skating towards the top and it's feeling pretty good now."
Team Owner Eddie Sharp coached his driver from the spotter's stand, encouraging him to "get up on the wheel, buddy!" Bourque turned lap after lap, passing cars cleanly, gaining momentum and confidence with each turn.
Following the race, Pierre Bourque stated that "Having Eddie Sharp as my spotter, I think I'm going to put in my contract from now on if Dave Leiner doesn't mind, we'll have Eddie in the spotter's stand from now on. I learned so much. I tend to be a little hesitant when I am unsure of things. My goal is always to gain as many laps as possible from a learning curve perspective. I am hesitant in circumstances where I should just be on the gas a little more. And he helped push me towards that."
Bourque completed the Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway in the 16th position. Bourque was very happy with the car and his team's hard work and efforts.
"The car handled really well," added Bourque. "I really appreciated the work that Corrie Stott and his team did. They put their experience, energy and enthusiasm into the entire weekend and I was the better for it. It was really a privilege to work with them, the entire Stott group, from Ramo on down. It was just a great experience for me."
Next Bourque travels to Kansas Speedway with Eddie Sharp Racing for the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand. The team attempted to test at the 1.5-mile speedway two weeks ago for the ARCA RE/MAX Series open test. Inclement weather caused the cancelation of the test session.
"I have never been to Kansas except for the restaurant across from the speedway," commented Bourque. "I am told it's a lot like Kentucky and Chicagoland. I have some experience at Chicagoland and I am hoping that will be helpful since our test session there two weeks ago was rained out. I'm going in there a really green rookie next week."
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ARCA RE/MAX SERIES PRAIRIE MEADOWS 250
LOFTON, SPEED 3RD & 4TH IN FINAL PRACTICE
Qualifying Cancelled Due to Rain; Field Set by '07 Car Owner Points; Speed to Start 2nd |
ESR DRIVERS IOWA FINAL PRACTICE
POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
3 |
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Justin Lofton |
24.037 |
131.048 |
4 |
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Scott Speed |
24.078 |
130.825 |
9 |
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Ken Butler III |
24.703 |
127.515 |
40 |
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Pierre Bourque |
48.477 |
64.979 |
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UPDATE: NEWTON Iowa (April 19, 2008) - After being under water all day yesterday, we are back at the track this morning. Practice is planned from 8:30 am - 10 am. The cars are running around under caution, working to dry the track. The race is still scheduled to go green at 12:30 pm local time (broadcast LIVE on SPEED).
With qualifying cancelled, starting positions will be set by 2007 car owner points. Since ESR's Michael McDowell (now running NASCAR Sprint Cup with Michael Waltrip Racing) finished the 2007 season second in points, Scott Speed will start 2nd on the grid. If the teams do not get any practice time in, there will be a competition caution early in the race. All times listed are local. Stay tuned! |
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ARCA RE/MAX SERIES PRAIRIE MEADOWS 250
RAIN CANCELS FRIDAY ON-TRACK ACTIVITY AT IOWA |
Field Set by 07 Car Owner Points
NEWTON Iowa (April 18, 2008) - Persistent rain showers at Iowa Speedway resulted in the canceling of all ARCA RE/MAX Series on-track activities Friday afternoon, April 18th.
As a result, ARCA RE/MAX Series officials have elected to forego SIM Factory Pole Qualifying originally scheduled for Saturday morning, April 19th. |
The starting field has been set by 2007 car owner points. In lieu of qualifying, officials have scheduled a 90-minute practice session from 8:30 am to 10:00 am Saturday preceding the Prairie Meadows 250, LIVE on SPEED at 12:30 pm local.
ESR DRIVERS IOWA STARTING GRID
POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
2 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
9 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
27 |
93 |
Justin Lofton |
41 |
02 |
Pierre Bourque |
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ARCA RE/MAX SERIES PRAIRIE MEADOWS 250 PREVIEWS
BOURQUE IS BACK!
Canadian Heads to Iowa with Eddie Sharp Racing
NEWTON, Iowa (April 17, 2008) - Canadian native Pierre Bourque returns to the ARCA RE/MAX Series this weekend with Eddie Sharp Racing. Bourque will be behind the wheel of the No. 02 impreMedia Dodge in the Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway, the first of a multi-race run with ESR.
"I am thrilled to be back with Eddie Sharp Racing here at Iowa Speedway," stated Bourque. "I'm looking forward to the next several races with the ESR team. This is a great program and I very much enjoy being a part of it. "
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In preparation for the upcoming races, Bourque and his Eddie Sharp Racing team have spent time on track at Rockingham and Iowa Speedways at the ARCA RE/MAX Series open test sessions. Inclement weather rained out the team's efforts to test ARS open tests at Kansas Speedway and, just this week, at Kentucky Speedway.
"The weather has definitely been frustrating," commented Bourque. "We lost valuable track time that would have been very beneficial to us. But, I know my team will bring a great car to the races and we'll just have to work to get it dialed-in during practice sessions."
Bourque has previously competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Camping World Series (formerly the NASCAR Busch East Series), the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
The veteran driver was last seen with Eddie Sharp Racing at the ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Starting in the 14th position, Bourque was running in the top-5 when another car blew a tire and collected the No. 93 impreMedia Dodge Charger. Suffering suspension damage from the impact, Bourque retired the car to the garage after 58 laps, finishing 24th. |
SPEED LOOKS TO CARRY MOMENTUM TO IOWA
Moves to 12th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Points
DENVER, N.C. (April 17, 2008) - Scott Speed has led laps in each of the two ARCA RE/MAX Series races this season. This weekend, Speed and his Red Bull Toyota team look to lead the most important lap of the Prairie Meadows 250 - the final one. Fresh off a career-high finish of fifth at Salem Speedway, Speed is confident that he and his Eddie Sharp Racing teammates will continue their success in Iowa.
| "Fifth place was good," commented Scott. "We just need to keep bringing in top-5's and some wins. That can get you a championship at the end of the year." |
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"The guys on my team give me good, fast cars," said Speed. "We tested here [Iowa Speedway] a few weeks ago so I know we will unload fast this weekend."
After qualifying fifth for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200, Speed and his No. 2 Red Bull Toyota ran up front all day. Leading eight of the 200 laps, Speed hit his marks on the high-banked half mile track looking more like a veteran than a rookie at the legendary short track. Following the race at Salem, Speed and his team moved to twelfth in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points.
"Fifth place was good," commented Scott. "We just need to keep bringing in top-5's and some wins. That can get you a championship at the end of the year."
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BUTLER III HEADS TO IOWA DETERMINED AND CONFIDENT
DENVER, N.C. (April 17, 2008) - Ken Butler, III arrives in Newton, Iowa this weekend comfortable with his surroundings at the familiar track. Butler piloted the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine at the speedway last year and in recent weeks while testing with his Eddie Sharp Racing team. Butler and his Lucky Dog Dream Machine Team enter this weekend eleventh in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points and strong with confidence.
"We had a really good test here a few weeks ago," said Butler. "The car was really fast and solid. I'm really looking forward to racing at Iowa Speedway again. I know I have a great car and a great team!"
Butler was behind the wheel of the No. 22 for Eddie Sharp Racing last June at Iowa Speedway. Qualifying 13th, Butler took the checkered flag in the 22nd position. This season, KBIII returns as the sole driver of the No. 22 Toyota, a seat he shared last year with Michael Waltrip Racing's Josh Wise. The Prairie Meadows 250 marks the third event in Butler's first full season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Last weekend, Butler finished 20th in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway.
"Last weekend was frustrating for everyone," commented Butler. "Our car was so much better that the finish we had. I'm just really looking forward to putting that behind us and focusing on qualifying better and finishing up front. We've raised the bar this year. Top-20 is not good enough. Top-10, top-5, that is where we should be."
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LOFTON A GOOD BET AT PRAIRIE MEADOWS 250
DENVER, N.C. (April 17, 2008) - Justin Lofton returns to Iowa Speedway this weekend for the Prairie Meadows 250. With a great test only a few weeks ago, Lofton and his Eddie Sharp Racing team are anxious to get their No. 93 Lofton Cattle Dodge back on the 0.875-mile oval. No stranger to the west coast short tracks, Lofton is ready to rock and rub fenders for 250 laps with his fellow ARCA RE/MAX Series competitors.
"I am really looking forward to heading back to Iowa," said Lofton. "We were here a few weeks ago and it was a real turning point for the team. We really came together and clicked. The car we're bringing is fast and I know we will run well here this weekend."
Lofton, a veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Series West, is a true rookie at every track on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. Don't be fooled, however. This Westmorland, California-native has a keen ability to quickly adjust to new surroundings.
"I'm really excited to be expanding my horizons this year with my full season at Eddie Sharp Racing," commented Lofton. "With the team chemistry, we've been able to unload and dial the car in pretty quickly at our test sessions and last weekend during practice in Salem. Once I got the line down, the car was a rocket and we qualified it solidly in the 8th. Our finish was disappointing because we knew we had a great car. We'll head to Iowa and improve finish. We're much better than we were today [in Salem]."
Lofton made his ARCA RE/MAX Series debut last week in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem Speedway. The Rookie of the Year candidate qualified his No. 93 Lofton Cattle Dodge in the 8th position but brought it home a disappointing 19th following on-track damage that required repairs under green-flag racing.
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IOWA SCHEDULE: ARCA RE/MAX Series practice runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 18, 2008, with final practice from 4 to 5:30 p.m. SIM Factory Pole Qualifying takes place on Saturday, April 19th beginning at 10:00 a.m. All cars line up on the starting grid in short-track fashion with Driver Introductions beginning at 1:00 p.m. The green flag for the Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway drops Saturday, April 19th, at 1:30 p.m. and will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED. All times listed are EASTERN. |
AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS: Joining fellow ARCA RE/MAX Series Drivers, Ken Butler, III and Justin Lofton will be signing autographs at Prairie Meadows Racetrack/Casino on Friday, April 18, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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