ARCA RE/MAX Series Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150
KENTUCKY

Team ESR shows its strength at Kentucky, claims three top 10 finishes

LOFTON -3rd; GOESS -4th; ARPIN -6th

SPARTA, KY (July 18, 2009) - Eddie Sharp Racing flexed its muscle at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, as three of the team's four entries came home solidly in the top 10 at the Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 ARCA RE/MAX Series event.

Lofton: 2nd in points

Justin Lofton, who finished second in May on the 1.5-mile track, had another strong run, piloting his No. 6 Lofton Cattle / CGS Imaging Toyota into third at the finish, despite running lap times faster than the race leaders in the closing laps. Rookies Craig Goess and Steve Arpin followed, joining Lofton across the finish line within the top 10. ESR's fourth car, wheeled by Tim George Jr., held steady, finishing 23rd in the 100-lap race.

"It builds momentum for the guys. We're going to take this and build on it. We have some really awesome racetracks coming up for us," said Lofton, who maintains the second position in the driver point standings.

Behind the wheel of the No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota, Goess had an up and down night at Kentucky but his perseverance paid off with a career-best finish of fourth.

Goess: Career best.

Goess originally qualified his No. 81 Toyota in the 11th position but trouble under the hood forced his Patrick Donahue-led team to change engines prior to the start of the race, forcing Goess to the rear of the field. Pit strategy early in the event paid off, giving him back the track position that he lost due to the change.

"If that's what we have to do to keep getting up here and get a win out of it, I'll start from the back," an elated Goess said. "The guys did an awesome job. Everybody worked hard on the car. We're getting it closer. We had a really good car. I'm looking forward to the next race."

Arpin: 4th straight top-10

Arpin and the No. 20 Pinewood Sports Toyota team led some laps late in the race and went on to claim their fourth straight top-10 effort as Arpin crossed the stripe in sixth.

"It was a good night. Our guys made a bunch of good changes on the car and kind of flipped the coin going into this one. The car was awesome. We struggled in dirty air but once we got in clean air, the car was really good," Arpin said.

Seven caution flags waved throughout the event, offering up different pit strategies under the yellow flag conditions. From fuel only to staying out on the track, the majority of the lead lap cars surprisingly played similar cards. But Goess took advantage early, and with less than 30 laps on the board, he was within the top five.

Beyond the halfway mark, on lap 63, the caution flag waved yet again following a two-car run-in, and one lap later, Lofton followed then-leader and eventual winner Parker Kligerman down pit road. After the crew swapped out the tires and fueled up his Toyota, Lofton was back on track for a run at the new leader, teammate Arpin, who stayed on track to inherit the lead.

As the laps clicked down and the newer tires showed their advantages, Arpin slipped back to sixth while Goess and Lofton, who had a better car on the longer runs, moved back within the top five.

DRIVER REPORT

Lofton Comes Home Third at Kentucky

Justin Lofton kept with the consistency on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway in the Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 ARCA RE/MAX Series race, contending near the front of the field from flag to flag, steering his No. 6 Lofton Cattle / CGS Imaging Toyota to a third place run at the finish.

Lofton

"It builds momentum for the guys. We had a rough June and the start of July. We're going to take this and build on it. We have some really awesome racetracks coming up for us," Lofton said.

Following the 100-lap race, which officially marked the halfway spot on the schedule, Lofton maintained the second position in the standings thanks to his ninth top-10 finish of the year, his third straight. Lofton also leads the series with top-fives with eight.

Lofton finished runner-up during the tour's first stop at Kentucky, making him a clear choice as one of the guys to watch once the cars first hit the 1.5-mile track for practice on Friday. He qualified for the 100-lap race from the fifth position and in a typical display, Lofton held his position up front all race long.

Caution flags unfortunately fell early and often with two yellows waving over the field with less than 10 laps on the board. Seven caution flags dropped throughout the race, forcing the field to a crawl behind the pace car for a devastating 36 laps of the 100-lap race.

The caution flags gave the field the opportunity to gamble on various pit strategies but Lofton's shot-caller Mark Rette stuck to the game plan and took advantage of a late race yellow in order to give his driver new tires for the final run.

Once the race reached the halfway mark, the usual suspects were up front and following another caution flag on lap 63, Lofton dropped his No. 6 Lofton Cattle / CGS Imaging Toyota down pitroad to the attention of his crew. With fresh Hoosier tires underneath him, Lofton took to the track for the final charge to the checkers.

Parker Kligerman and Grant Enfinger battled for the lead as Lofton chased them down in the closing laps. With a car that ran better on the longer runs, Lofton clicked off faster lap times at the finish but track position and the lack of more laps left him third at the rundown.

Kligerman went on to win the race and now leads Lofton by 150 points in the standings.

"I feel good about next weekend's race. The guys are pumped, I love short track racing - we have a great short track program and it's time to get back into victory lane," Lofton said.

Next weekend Lofton will reunite with primary sponsor Valvoline Instant Oil Change at Berlin Raceway for the Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac on Saturday, July 25th. In the previous short track races run this season, Lofton has two pole awards and three top fives.

DRIVER REPORT

After a Trying Start to the Weekend, Goess Ends Up Fourth at Kentucky

No.81 Toyota

Craig Goess and his Toyota of Greenville ARCA RE/MAX team knew they would have a strong car for the "Click It or Ticket Buckle Up 150" due to the success they experienced in their test at the Kentucky Speedway in recent weeks, however as their race weekend began, it did not look like things were going to flow in their favor. Goess experienced devastating engine issues in practice and was left with no option but to change engines and start at the rear of the field. However, a challenging starting position was not going to hold Goess back as he made his way through the pack. Using pit strategy in his favor, Goess brought home a fourth-place finish.

"We were optimistic about going there [Kentucky Speedway] because of the car we had brought there to the test. We were close to the top of the board all day and it was the best feeling car that we've had so far this year, so we were anxious to go back," explained Goess. "Then pretty much the whole day in practice it didn't feel like the car had any motor in it. When we qualified it really laid down and started tightening up, so we ended up putting a backup motor in the car. The end result of that was obviously we had to go back and start in the back in 36th. I don't think the other motor would've lasted more than a few laps anyway so we really didn't have a choice.

Goess and Crew Chief Patrick Donahue

"The car was really good," continued Goess. "It got a little tight at the end and we just got out-motored by the guys in front of us and down the straightaway. At that place, horsepower is really, really important. Everybody worked hard on the car getting the motor out since it was kind of a last minute thing that we had to do, but fighting back from the back of the pack and using a little pit strategy to make up track position and being able to maintain the pace that I was doing at the end of the race where a lot of guys had a lot fresher tires than we did, we were all pretty happy it ended up being a good night."

This weekend marked Goess' career-best ARCA RE/MAX Series finish, and rolling off that momentum, he and his team are hoping their first series win is in the cards in the near future.

"I think we're going in the right direction," commented Goess. "It's always hard to know when that's going to come, but I think that if we keep making improvements, then a win will come. Who knows when, but hopefully sooner than later."

Craig Goess' next opportunity to pull into victory lane will occur on July 25th in the ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Berlin Raceway in Maine.

DRIVER REPORT

Arpin Continues Impressive ARCA Season with Sixth-place Run at Kentucky Speedway

Arpin

Steve Arpin delivered another strong run this past weekend in ARCA RE/MAX Series action at Kentucky Speedway with a sixth-place finish in the ‘Click It or Ticket Buckle Up Kentucky 150’. Arpin led seven laps in the closing stages of the event prior to battling for the lead door to door before yielding the top spot to competitors with fresher tires and notching his fifth top-ten run of the season on the prestigious racing tour. The finish keeps Arpin in seventh-place in the ARCA championship points standings heading into this weekend’s event at Berlin Speedway.

‘We made some good decisions through the race and got good track position,’ Arpin noted on the run at Kentucky Speedway. ‘We needed clean air to be competitive and the aerodynamics on the car were off a little bit and that hurt us trying to move forward in traffic. All in all, it was a good weekend and we gained a lot from when we unloaded,’ Arpin said.

Arpin’s turn at the front of the pack came from lap 63 thru lap 69 in front of the global audience watching the event on SPEED TV. With the team struggling to maintain a competitive aero package in the pack of cars around the mile and a half oval, Arpin and the Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) crew gambled staying on the racetrack while other teams pitted for new tires. On the restart Arpin jumped out front to lead seven laps and then battled fiercely with Grant Enfinger and other lead cars before having to settle for the sixth spot at the checkered flag.

‘We had a tough time all through practice Friday, we fought a real tight car all day. Everyone put their minds together Friday night and we made quite a few adjustments,’ explained Arpin. ‘Saturday, before qualifying, I wasn't satisfied with our practice qualifying run, but we had a lot better car in race trim. Jefferson Hodges, my normal crew chief had some family commitments on Saturday so Nate was up on top of the pit box and he did a great job and we brought home another decent run, just not the win that I thought we could have gotten with a little more preparation for the unique track in Kentucky,’ concluded Arpin.

DRIVER REPORT

George Jr. Builds Experience, Is Optimistic for Second Half of the ARCA RE/MAX Season

George, Jr.

Tim George Jr. ushered in the second half of his rookie season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway, running the Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150.

The race was the first time this season that George Jr. revisited a track previously run on during the first half of the season. Piloting the No. 2 Ruby Tuesday Toyota for car owner Eddie Sharp, George Jr. rolled over his learned lessons from the first half to the 1.5-mile track for practice on Friday before a full day of qualifying and racing on Saturday night.

After wheeling his No. 2 Ruby Tuesday / Chrome Hearts / Metromint Toyota into the 21st spot on the speed chart, George Jr. climbed into his machine for 100 laps of racing under the lights.

The race was a challenging one, slowed seven times for caution flags, leaving the field under the yellow flag for a total of 36 of the 100 laps. With not much time to focus on racing, George Jr. used the event as a learning experience.

"I'm still trying to get over this mid-season hump right now. I feel like I'm gaining more experience every race, but it isn't yet reflected in the results. I was more consistent during this race than I had been in the past, which must have been due to some seat changes we made last week and getting more support under my legs," George Jr. said of the race.

He added, "I have several things I need to work on driving wise, and now that I'm more aware of the issues we should start to see some improvement. Everyone has worked really hard, and it has been great having all of the support. I appreciate the patience while I figure this out."

George Jr. finished the Kentucky race in the 23rd position.

QUALIFYING: Lofton starts on Row 3

SPARTA, KY (July 18, 2009) - Justin Lofton starts tonight's Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 from P5 in his No.6 Lofton Cattle-CGS Imaging Toyota

Craig Goess, who qualified 11th in the No. 81 Greenville Toyota of NC Toyota will drop to the rear of the field at the start of Saturday night's Click It or Ticket. Buckle Up Kentucky 150 as his Eddie Sharp Racing Team, led by crew chief Patrick Donahue, is making an engine change prior to race time.

Teammates Steve Arpin and Tim George, Jr. qualified 15th and 21st.

Tonight's race, slated to start at 9:45 local time, is live on SPEED. Live timing and scoring and live audio of the all ARCA on-track activity will be available at http://www.arcaracing.com.

Goess fastest of ESR squads in final practice

SPARTA, KY (July 17, 2009) - Craig Goess, Jr. was the quickest of the four Eddie Sharp Racing drivers in final practice this evening, running eighth at Kentucky Speedway. Teammates Steve Arpin, Justin Lofton and Tim George, Jr. were 10th, 11th and 20th respectively.

Qualifying is scheduled for 5pm tomorrow. Saturday's Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 is live on SPEED. In addition to SPEED's coverage of the race, live timing and scoring and live audio of the all ARCA on-track activity will be available at http://www.arcaracing.com.

Lofton second quickest in first practice

SPARTA, KY (July 17, 2009) - Eddie Sharp Racing driver Justin Lofton turned the second fastest lap in practice today. Teammates Craig Goess, Jr., Steve Arpin and Tim George, Jr. were 15th, 20th and 27th respectively.

"I am happy to be back at Kentucky," said Lofton. "We have the same car and same setup as we had in May. We are making a few changes before the next practice to adjust to the rubber that has been put down."

Final practice for tomorrow's Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 runs from 7:40 until 9:00 PM this evening

ESR's Tim George Jr. heads to Kentucky with experience and confidence

Tim George, Jr

DENVER, N.C. (July 16, 2009) - With 11 events of the 21-race schedule now complete, Tim George Jr. will mark a first this weekend when he makes a return visit to the Kentucky Speedway for Saturday night's Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150.

In May, during George Jr.'s first visit to the 1.5-mile track, he had a solid run in the Ruby Tuesday/Chrome Hearts/Metromint Toyota, finishing a solid 14th.

"This is the first time I will be back at a track I have raced on in my ARCA racing career. I'm looking forward to having some familiarity with how the track will change during the race and the line itself," George Jr. said.

In preparing for the event, George Jr. and his No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing crew recently visited Kentucky for a test session along with teammates Craig Goess, Jr. and Justin Lofton. Though the test session was fruitful, the changing track temperatures, in addition to the Goodyear tire rubber, in contract to ARCA's Hoosiers, that might be laid down on the racing surface leaves a question mark entering the race weekend.

"The temperature should be higher and there will be a lot of different rubber from the Camping World Truck Series (which runs prior to the ARCA race)," George Jr. added. "We have all been working hard at the shop to get me a lot more comfortable in the car, so hopefully it pays off."

George Jr. currently sits ninth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings and so far, has tallied five top-15 finishes.

The Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 is set for Saturday, July 18th and can be seen on SPEED at 9:30 PM EST.

Lofton eyes return to victory lane, heads to familiar Kentucky track

Justin Lofton

DENVER, N.C. (July 16, 2009) - Clear contender Justin Lofton enters the Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 this weekend at Kentucky Speedway second in the series point standings. Lofton, driver of the No. 6 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota also has an impressive compilation of stats at Kentucky.

Last July, Lofton finished 10th in the 150-mile race and earlier this season during the first visit for the ARCA RE/MAX Series on the 1.5-mile track, he narrowly missed a trip to victory lane, finishing second.

"I like Kentucky. It's a good track with different lanes and plenty of room to pass," Lofton said. "I put in a few laps here a few weeks ago and I'm ready for this race. It's time for us to get another win. We've been running really well lately and I know another one is right around the corner."

Prior to heading to Iowa Speedway last week, Lofton was on hand for a test session at Kentucky. The elder statesman at Eddie Sharp Racing, Lofton gave his rookie teammates Tim George Jr. and Craig Goess, Jr. a few pointers around the track as well as putting in a few laps of his own behind the wheel of George's machine.

"It was a different perspective and I learned a few things for this week's race," Lofton said of the test. "Of course, with the Camping World Truck Series running before us, we can't predict what type of changes that might make to the track itself. But, my crew chief Mark Rette and all of the guys are on top of their game and I'm sure we'll have another good run there."

The California native Lofton enters the 100-lap race at Kentucky, which marks the halfway mark of the ARCA schedule, with eight top-10 finishes, with four of them being runner-up showings, in addition to a win at Talladega Superspeedway. He also has five pole awards in just his second season of competition.

ARCA RE/MAX Series
Click It or Ticket Buckle-Up Kentucky 150
KENTUCKY PRE-RACE NOTES

Defending race winners

Scott Speed blew past Caisse on the restart

Last July, Eddie Sharp Racing took home the trophy at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway after then ESR driver Scott Speed claimed the top honors, passing Sean Caisse following a restart with less than 10 laps remaining. He held off challenges from Caisse after a green-white-checkered finish extended the race following a record-setting 10th caution flag. Notably, Speed pit early in the event, on lap 18, leaving him to run the final 86 laps on the same tank of fuel, giving the ESR camp stealthy notes about pit strategy entering this week's event. Justin Lofton, driver of the No. 6 Toyota for ESR this season, also had a good race last year in Kentucky, finishing 10th.

Rookies ready
ESR rookies Craig Goess, Jr. and Tim George Jr. recently tested the 1.5-mile Kentucky track and Lofton was also on hand. Though Lofton's No. 6 team was not at the track with their own machine, he hopped behind the wheel of George Jr's No. 2 ride for a few laps and made a few mental notes from the test session in addition to giving his rookie teammates a few pointers.

"I was able to learn a lot at the Kentucky test, on and off the track. I was able to make laps in my teammate's car, and was able to help adjust it on and off the track. It was interesting being on the outside watching and helping someone else," Lofton said.

This is the second visit this season to Kentucky. During the tour's first stop in May Lofton finished second, rookie Goess was seventh and George Jr. was 14th. Steve Arpin got caught up in an accident and finished 29th.