Scott Speed

TOLEDO, Ohio (May 18, 2008) – Scott Speed and the Red Bull team travelled to the Buckeye State this weekend for the Hantz Group 200 at Toledo Speedway where they endured wind, rain, and hail before taking the checkered flag in the sixth position. In typical short-track fashion, there was a lot of beating, banging and flared tempers. Speed walked away smiling and the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota was loaded back onto the transporter with minor damage and a solid top-10 finish.
 
"We had a good race today," said Speed. "I was putting the car in places where it shouldn't have gone. Slugger [Labbe] did a great job spotting and Patrick [Donahue] did a great job making adjustments on the car to free it up during the race. We had a chance to win the race until some late-race contact dramatically changed the car's handling. After that we just held on to finish as best as we could."
 
Speed qualified the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota in the fourth position with a 16.165 second lap on Saturday afternoon. Temperatures dropped dramatically on Sunday. The first of the day's showers sprinkled the crowd and crews during the driver autograph session. The race went green on schedule at 2:00 p.m.
 
Speed quickly moved through the field, taking the lead on lap eight.
 
The first caution of the day came at lap 11. Speed reported that his No. 2 Red Bull Toyota was "very very tight. Really tight." Speed remained on track and continued to lead the race.
 
As the tires wore down and the third caution waved on lap 36, Speed radioed to the team that the handling of the Camry changed to "loose entering and in the middle of the turns." At this time the conversation between Donahue and Labbe turned to the rear bumper bar that was hanging from Speed's Toyota. Labbe reported that ARCA was not black-flagging the No. 2 car yet, but that "they told us to have a plan in place to take care of it [the bumper bar]."
 
Not wanting to be told to come down under the green flag, Donahue radioed Speed to come to the pit on lap 41. The Red Bull crew hopped over the wall and pulled the hanging bumper bar from the No. 2 Toyota. They also removed two strips of tape from the grill and made a track bar adjustment. Speed returned to the track in the 26th position.
 
Executing confident and veteran-like passes, the SunTrust Rookie of the Year candidate moved into the 15th position by lap 60.   Under the lap 65 caution, Speed came down pit road for fresh tires and fuel. Under the next caution at lap 76, Speed, Donahue, and Labbe chatted comically about the race to that point. In typical short-track fashion, Labbe was on the radio non-stop talking his driver through traffic in some very exciting racing.

"That's going to make for some very exciting TV," Crew Chief Patrick Donahue commented on the team radio. "I have a dry mouth down here. How about you, Slugger?"
 
Labbe replied, "I've already gone through two bottles of water up here [in the spotter's stand]."
 
Speed added that "the most exciting thing I've done so far was passing Frank [Kimmel] legitimately because he is my hero!  I was thinking, YEAH as I went by him!"
 
The teams returned to green flag racing for 25 more laps when the rain started to fall. At lap 105, the yellow flag was brought out for rain. Shortly following, the red flag was displayed and the cars brought to a halt on the field between turns three and four. Speed was in the fifth position.
 
Crew members scrambled to the cars to cover them and retrieve their drivers. Once the rain stopped, drivers returned to their cars and drove them to pit road, where the vehicles were parked for the nearly two hours. Between showers, the ARCA RE/MAX Series crews worked to dry the track.
 
At 4:45 p.m. drivers were requested to restart their engines and the cars returned to the track to run under the caution flag. The race restarted following 25 laps under the yellow flag and with 69 laps remaining in the 200-lap event.
 
Speed moved to the third position and held it until lap 190. Following the pass by the No. 60 of Patrick Sheltra, Speed radioed that he felt a "tire going down. The right front I think."
 
Labbe confirmed that the tire did not appear to be rubbing. Donahue radioed to his driver to hang in as pitting wasn't an option due to the end of the race nearing. Speed replied with a chuckle, "I wasn't suggesting we pit. I was just telling you what the car was doing. And to show you I wasn't sleeping out here."
 
Speed slid back to the sixth position. The final caution of the day came at lap 199, and the race concluded following a green, white, checkered finish.
 
"We had a solid race all day," said Speed. "Those last laps we had the front end grip go away dramatically after a little rubbing while we were being passed by the 60 and the 39. Patrick and Slugger did a great job today and my guys brought me here with a strong car. It'll be fun to come back here in October."
 
Speed retained his sixth-place position in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship point standings, 115 points behind leader Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

Ken Butler III

TOLEDO, Ohio (May 18, 2008) – Ken Butler, III and the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota were solid all day at the Toledo Speedway. KBIII ran in the top-10 nearly the entire race until contact and a cut tire cost the No. 22 team two laps and a good finish. Despite the struggles, Butler, III remained tenth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points following the Hantz Group 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

"This was another one of those frustrating days at the track," said Butler, III. "It's the downside of short track racing, but the lapped traffic definitely tries the patience, and in our case, costs us a good finish. We had a great car here today. We knew it was fast. We were set up for a solid finish when we had contact trying to get through the lapped traffic. We cut a tire and that was it. There wasn't enough time to recover and get our laps back."
 
Butler, III qualified the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota in the seventh position with a 16.231 second lap on Saturday afternoon.  With falling temperatures on Sunday, the drivers stood on the starting grid signing autographs for fans. Hanging with KBIII was the Lucky Dog himself! Despite scattered showers, fans remained and were excited to meet Eddie Sharp Racing's Ken Butler, III. The race started on schedule at 2:00 p.m. ET.

KBIII started the race strong and in the top-10. During the second caution of the day on lap 25, Butler, III radioed his team that the car was feeling a "little snug in the center." He then asked if it looked like the high side of the track was starting to work for anyone. His spotter, Tim, replied "not yet, but it's still early and a lot of this race still has to shake out."
 
Tim added to "keep driving smart like you've been doing. The 20 team has thanked you several times for being careful behind them. They know you're faster."
 
Running in the top-5, Butler brought the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota down pit road for four tires and a track bar adjustment. Crew Chief Wayne Carroll radioed his driver to "hold on, hold on. The wheel's hung up. Sorry about that KB." Butler, III replied "It's alright guys, we'll get it back."
 
Eight laps later, the next caution came out. KBIII reported that "it's crazy out here with all these lapped cars." Then he added "the rain's coming, I can see it!"
 
In the distance the clouds were dark and threatening and while the cars were running around under caution on lap 100, the rain began to fall. The race resumed but was quickly yellow flagged for the inclement weather on lap 105. Two laps later the red flag was displayed and the cars brought to a stop on the track. Teams scrambled to cover the cars and find shelter from the downpour.
 
When the rain stopped, drivers returned to their cars and brought them down pit road to park while track officials worked to dry the track. After nearly two hours and another round of showers, crews removed the car covers and the drivers restarted their engines yet again. The cars drove around for 25 additional laps until the green flag flew at lap 132 to resume the Hantz Group 200.

No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota

Butler, III ran a solid race and remained in the top-10 until contact was made while passing on lap 176. The spotter confirmed there was right front damage on Butler's Aaron's Lucky Dog. He had KBIII rotate the tires back and forth while driving down the front stretch under caution and reported to the team that the fenders were clear of the tire. However, on lap 183 Butler, III reported that he felt that his right front tire was flat.
 
KBIII brought the car down pit road while under the green flag to have the tires changed and the fender pulled out. Fortunately the caution came out at lap 184 and the No. 22 Toyota only lost two laps. When the race restarted on lap 190, Butler, III was in the 26th position and two laps behind the lead car.
 
Without enough time remaining in the race to gain the laps back or get a Lucky Dog pass, Butler, III ended the day at Toledo Speedway in the 25th position.
 
"This was definitely a very disappointing finish for us here," said Butler, III. "We had a fast car and I know we could have won this race. I feel terrible for my guys. They work so hard on this team, and I want to give them the trip to victory lane that they deserve. Today I struggled with the lapped traffic. I was trying to get us up front when we made contact with another car and damaged the tire. I want to thank Aaron's for their continued support. We'll get this No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota a win here very soon. Now we'll look to Pocono where I know our Toyota motors will be very fast."
 

Justin Lofton

TOLEDO, Ohio (May 18, 2008) – Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton & the Lofton Cattle Dodge came into the weekend with high hopes. Lofton started from the second row in the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care. Lofton remained in the top-10 for much of the day until late race contact sent him spinning down the front stretch. The team was able to keep the No. 20 on the lead lap and Lofton worked his way back into the top-15 bringing home a 14th place finish.

"It's another disappointing day for us," said Lofton. "Our car was really good we were a bit loose but I was simply riding. I'm still a rookie; I'm trying to learn when to race and when I ride. It's so upsetting when week after week we are fast, have great racecars and we just aren't getting the finishes. My team puts so much into this for me every single week and they deserve so much more. Pocono should be a good track for us, Eddie Sharp Racing has awesome equipment and all three teams should be contenders to win. I really just want to show that we are much better of a team than the finishes we are getting."

Justin's qualifying lap put him third on the starting grid in the No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge, with a speed of 111.428 mph and a time of 16.154 seconds. Sunday began with cloudy skies and rain was in the forecast. The on-track autograph session wasn't to be interrupted though. The fans didn't seem to mind the periodic raindrops and came out to show their support. Lofton was amazed by the fans and their knowledge of the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

"This is amazing, it's great to be a part of all this," said Lofton as he was looking around at the pack grandstands.

The green flag flew just as it was starting to sprinkle.

"Be smart, take care of the car and we will be there at the end" radioed Randy Nelson, Crew Chief of the No. 20 to Lofton. "10-4," Lofton replied.

As the race began to progress, Lofton radioed "I'm loose under breaking but the car is good. Please tell the #22 thanks and let's ride this thing out"

Lofton was very happy with the teamwork that Ken Butler, III showed and was looking forward to working with him during the race. Together the teammates demonstrated great patience and they worked together nicely. They passed several cars and maintained positions in the top-10, maneuvering though traffic like true veterans.

No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge

The caution flag flew on lap 76 and the Lofton Cattle team pitted for four fresh tires, a can of fuel, and an air pressure adjustment to help the car's handling. The No. 20 returned to the field in the 20th position. Unfortunately, the leaders didn't pit so track position was lost. However, the car was good and Nelson was not worried. Everyone was watching the weather and finally the rain began to fall on lap 100. At lap 109 it went from a sprinkle to a full out downpour complete with hail. The race was red flagged for approximately an hour and a half. During the rain delay the three Eddie Sharp Racing teammates discussed their race strategies and kidded around in the pit area.

When the red flag was lifted and the sun was shining again, Lofton and Nelson decided it was time to start racing. The green flag flew and the No. 20 was in 10th place. Justin radioed to the team that the car was still a bit loose but race-able and good.

"I'm having fun and trying to bring it home for you boys" said Lofton.

The spin

On Lap 184 there was on-track contact between the No. 16 and the No. 20, sending Lofton spinning down the front stretch. The caution flag flew and as Justin rejoined the field he was shown in the 27th position.

"You have got to be kidding me, Please tell me that just didn't happen," said Lofton as he was coming to pit road for 2 tires.

"We are going to be fine," said Nelson. " You have a better car than these guys and you know what to do, stay calm and go do what you do."

Lofton was on a mission to bounce back into the top-20. The team did not give up and he was able to bring home a 14th place finish.

"The car isn't torn up that bad and we finished, we learned a lot today," said Justin as he was helping to push the car into the trailer post race.

ESR DRIVER QUOTES

Justin Lofton (#20) – 3rd

"We unloaded good and that made the whole day go smooth. My guys worked really hard at the shop this week and I'm looking forward to bringing home a solid finish tomorrow here at Toledo. I'm really pleased with our third place qualifying effort. The Lofton Cattle Dodge is handling great and I think we finally hit on something."

Scott Speed

Dramatic finish at Kentucky leaves team hungry for next win


DENVER, N.C. (May 14, 2008) – Last weekend's dramatic finish at Kentucky Speedway was the most exciting action seen so far in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. Scott Speed and the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota were, literally, front and center in the drama. When the checkered flag FINALLY waved, Speed had lost his lead and finished in the second position. With fate denying Speed his second career victory in the ARS, the Red Bull team looks forward to this weekend at Toledo Speedway, where Eddie Sharp Racing swept last season in both wins and pole positions.

"Last weekend was definitely the craziest finish to a race so far," said Speed. "It was a lot of fun and we did everything right. It just wasn't meant to be. Hopefully this week will be a different story. We tested at South Boston on Wednesday so we're ready to head back to a short track with a great car. The key this weekend will be to qualify up front and stay there with smart pit strategy. And patience. A lot of patience."

This will be Speed's first career start at the 0.5-mile speedway. Last season teammate Ken Butler, III won the speedway's May race while ESR alum Michael McDowell took the victory in October. McDowell started each of the two events from the pole position. Speed demonstrated one example of his driving versatility earlier this season with a solid fifth-place finish at Salem Speedway.

"We were really good at Salem earlier this season so I expect this weekend we'll be the same," commented Speed. "My team always puts together a great car for me and the Toledo car will be no exception."

Unfinished Business: 2007 Winner Ken Butler III

DENVER, N.C. (May 15, 2008) – Ken Butler, III's teammate, Scott Speed, may have grabbed the first Eddie Sharp Racing win this season, but this weekend the ESR teams travel to a track at which KBIII has had a lot of success. Butler won this race in 2007 following a top-10 qualifying run. He returned in October to sit on the front row in the outside pole position and finish in the top-15. Butler knows how to get his No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota around Toledo Speedway, and he is hungry to repeat in the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care.

"I'm looking forward to heading back to Toledo," said Butler, III. "I feel like I have some unfinished business there. Let's face it, everyone talks about how I spun McDowell last year and won. What they forget is that I was leading the race when Michael got past me. We had a strong car and I stayed glued to his rear bumper. As the caution came out for another incident, Michael checked up faster than I did. Of course it wasn't intentional, he was my teammate. But we got the win and I'm not ashamed of that at all. Now I want to go back and get another one so that we can give everyone something else to talk about."

This weekend marks the third career start for Ken Butler, III at the 0.5-mile paved oval. One year ago KBII earned his first and only ARCA RE/MAX Series win at Toledo Speedway. In October 2007, KBIII returned to qualify 2nd by a fraction of a second behind ESR teammate Michael McDowell, giving Eddie Sharp Racing yet another 1-2 start. McDowell went on to win the Hantz Group 200 by Belle Tire.

Justin Lofton

Denver, N.C. (May 14, 2008) – Justin Lofton and the Lofton Cattle team are poised to head to Toledo, Ohio this weekend for the running of the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care. The Eddie Sharp Racing rookie is looking to bounce back from a disappointing start to the 2008 season. Lofton has qualified well in all five starts but just has not been able to seal the deal.

"Toledo looks to be my type of race track," said Lofton. "I love short track racing and I am hoping that we can come out of here on Sunday with a solid top 5 finish. We have had awesome race cars but just haven't been able to bring home the finishes we need."

"We decided to run a white car this weekend to try and change things up a bit. At this point it can't hurt our luck," added Justin, while laughing.

Eddie Sharp Racing has a history of coming home with great finishes at Toledo Speedway and the driver of the No. 20 Dodge is hoping he can add his name to that illustrious list. Last year teammate Ken Butler, III won the first race at the 0.5 mile oval located in northwest Ohio and Michael McDowell won the second for an Eddie Sharp Racing sweep of the Toledo Speedway!

This weekend will mark Lofton's first trip to the Buckeye state and he expects to bring home a trophy as well as a racecar with four fenders.

SCOTT SPEED QUICK FACTS:

2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Stats:
Best Start: 2nd (twice) at Daytona, Feb. '08 and Kansas , Apr. '08
Best Finish: Won at Kansas, Apr. '08

Notes of Interest:
> Eddie Sharp Racing is bringing car #202 (aka chassis #407) to the Toledo Speedway. This Toyota Camry was last seen on-track at Salem Speedway, where Speed started 5th and finished 5th. This was also McDowell's 2007 Toledo car, bringing home two pole positions and a win.
> #202 is fondly known as "Popeye" to the No. 2 Red Bull team because each time it has returned to N.C. it has had one headlight punched out.
> First career start at Toledo Speedway for Scott Speed.

KEN BUTLER, III QUICK FACTS:

2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Stats:
Best Start: Pole at Kansas, Apr. '08
Best Finish: 4th at Kentucky, May '08

Notes of Interest:
> Eddie Sharp Racing is bringing car #205 to Toledo Speedway. This was Butler, III's 2007 Toledo car, which earned KBIII one win and an outside pole.
> In 2007, Eddie Sharp Racing had a streak of successful starts and finishes at Toledo Speedway (May: McDowell started first, KBIII won; October: McDowell and KBIII started 1-2, respectively, McDowell won)
> Third career start at Toledo Speedway. In May 2007, Butler, III qualified 6nd and finished 1st. In October 2007, Butler qualified 2nd and finished 14th.

JUSTIN LOFTON QUICK FACTS:

2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Stats:
Best Start: 3rd at Rockingham, May '08
Best Finish: 12th at Kansas, Apr. '08

Notes of Interest:
> First career start at Toledo Speedway for Justin Lofton (first trip to the state of Ohio for this west coast boy!!)