 PHOTOS: Bob Costanzo
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NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
SPEED WINS THE TOYOTA 150!
Lofton -5th; Butler, III takes Pole -finishes 6th
LEBANON TN (August 9, 2008) -All Eddie Sharp Racing teams scored top-ten finishes at Nashville Superspeedway this afternoon with Scott Speed scoring his fourth win of his rookie season, as well as earning the SunTrust Rookie of the Race award. Speed's crew chief Patrick Donahue was the Cometic Crew Chief of the Race.
Speed's ESR teammates also produced strong performances this weekend. Justin Lofton finished fifth in the Lofton Cattle Dodge and SIM Factory Pole Award winner Ken Butler III was sixth in the Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Toyota. |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Toyota 150 Unofficial Race Results
Nashville Superspeedway. Lebanon, TN; August 8, 2008 |
| FIN |
STR |
CAR |
DRIVER |
LAPS |
STATUS |
| WON |
5 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
117 |
Running |
| 5 |
6 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
117 |
Running |
| 6 |
POLE |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
117 |
Running |
Next Stop: Scott Speed, Ken Butler, III and Justin Lofton will turn their laps on a dirt track next weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. SIM Factory Pole Qualifying takes place on Sunday, August 17 at 12:00 p.m. Driver introductions will start at 1:45 p.m. and the green flag for the 100-mile Allen Crowe Memorial 100 drops Saturday at 2:00 p.m. All times listed are EASTERN. |
ESR NASHVILLE RACE REPORTS |
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| Speed Rocks Nashville for Win #4; Tightens grip on Championship Points |
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Scott Speed |
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Lebanon, Tenn. (August 9, 2008) – Eddie Sharp Racing’s Scott Speed rocked and rolled to his fourth career win at Nashville Superspeedway. Just four laps from the checkered flag in the Toyota 150, Speed grabbed the lead from Sean Caisse who dominated the field all day. Following a last lap caution and one-lap race to the finish, Speed rolled to the checkered flag and was rocking out on the famous Sam Bass Gibson Guitar in Victory Lane. Speed extended his ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship point lead over second-place Matt Carter to 140 points
"The 01 [Caisse] and the 16 [Allgaier] were battling so hard in front of us that I was willing to settle for third and not risk getting taken out of the race," said Speed. "I knew if we had the chance we could get past the 01 and when the opportunity presented itself I took it. We may not have led the race until the end, but those are the most important laps to lead anyways.”
With reports from Speed that the car was “tight in the center but a little loose off,” the Red Bull crew made an air pressure adjustment on the right-side tires, put on four “sticker” tires and added fuel when the No. 2 came to pit road under a caution on lap 55.
Under then next caution, Speed chatted with Donahue about the car’s handling.
“Well, we lost all our forward drive out but it [the adjustments during the pit stop] helped the center for sure,” radioed Speed. “I think in the long run it’s going to be really good. It’s just a handful right now!”
Speed added laughing, “I think I had it at a 90 degree angle coming out of that turn it was so loose!” Donahue replied, “I’m glad you can laugh at it. It made me a little nervous up here. They just showed your wiggle on the TV broadcast. Man, you did have it sideways! Nice job there!”
In the closing laps, contact between the 16 and 01 sent Allgaier (No. 16) spinning off the track. The race remained under the green flag and Speed put the hammer down and passed Caisse for the lead on lap 109.
The Red Bull pit was poised to erupt as Speed came around to take the checkered flag when the final caution of the day occurred. The race restarted for a one-lap dash and Speed took the checkered flag for his fourth win of the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. Speed also collected SunTrust Rookie of the Race honors. |
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Lofton Battles Back from Early Deficit to a Top 5 Finish at Nashville
Lebanon, Tenn. (August 9, 2008) – Eddie Sharp Racing’s Justin Lofton scored another top 5 this weekend in the Toyota 150 at Nashville Superspeedway. Following an early and unscheduled pit stop, the SunTrust Rookie of the Year candidate hammered his way from the back of the pack to an impressive fifth place finish.
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No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge |
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“Everyone on the No. 20 Lofton Cattle team was on top of their game today,” said Lofton. “We had a great qualifying effort after our Friday practice. The team put an awesome set up under the car and did a great job this weekend.”
Lofton started the 150-mile event in the sixth position. With concerns that a tire was going down on the Lofton Cattle Dodge, Lofton made an early pit stop under caution on lap 15. While in the pits, the team made a track bar adjustment to aid in the car’s slightly tight handling. Lofton restarted on the lead lap but very deep in the field and went to work immediately to make up for the unscheduled stop. Six laps later, Lofton was already up to the 26th position and climbing.
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Justin Lofton |
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The team pitted with the leaders for a final stop on lap 55, again for tires, fuel, and another track bar adjustment. The car’s handling was much improved and Lofton drove into the top 10 by lap 68. Lofton passed competitors like a seasoned veteran and, in the final laps of the race, drove to a fifth-place finish.
“During the first pit stop Wayne and my guys did a great job at adjusting the car,” commented Lofton. “As I was coming up through the field I was very glad they didn’t loosen me up too much. Nashville is an awesome track. I had a lot of fun today; I just wish we could have brought home the guitar. All in all it was a great weekend for us and we will move on to Springfield and let it rip in the dirt!”
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Solid Sixth Place Finish for Ken Butler III at Nashville; Jumps to 9th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
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SIM Factory Pole Winner Ken Butler, III |
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Lebanon, Tenn. (August 9, 2008) – Eddie Sharp Racing’s Ken Butler, III brought home another top 10 this weekend in the Toyota 150 at Nashville Superspeedway. His stellar performance this weekend jumped the driver of the No. 22 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota to the ninth position is ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points.
“We had a really fast car today,” said Butler. “My Aaron’s Lucky Dog team worked really hard to give us a rocket ship here. I was really glad I could put it on the pole for them. We had a great race today and the momentum is definitely with us now.”
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No. 22 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota |
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KBIII took the green flag from the coveted pole position. The Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota remained solidly in the top 10 for the entire 150-mile event. The car was loose going into the turns all day. The one and only pit stop came on lap 55 when the No. 22 came to pit road under caution. The over the wall crew put on four fresh Hoosier tires, fuel and made an air pressure adjustment to aid the loose handling.
KBIII drove the No. 22 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota home in the sixth position, his sixth top 10 finish of the season.
“We had a really good car all day,” commented Crew Chief Jonathan Davis. “It was just a little too loose at the start of the runs. My guys have really stepped up and I appreciate all their hard work, week in and week out. We’re looking forward to the dirt races coming up. It should be very interesting. This is a new experience for all of us and I think we’ll have a lot of fun.”
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NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY QUALIFYING REPORT
KEN BUTLER, III TAKES THE POLE AT NASHVILLE FOR THE TOYOTA 150!
Speed qualifies 5th; Lofton 6th to round out great ESR effort!
LEBANON TN (August 9, 2008) -Eddie Sharp Racing's Ken Butler, III earned his second pole for the 2008 season, dominating the field with a 29.476-second lap in the Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota. Fresh of a Top 10 finish at Pocono Raceway last weekend, KBIII is gaining momentum and looks to be a strong contender to win the famous Nashville Gibson guitar. Teammates Scott Speed and Justin Lofton rounded out a great morning for ESR by qualifying fifth and sixth, respectively, for the Toyota 150.
"The Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota was really solid," said Butler. "This car has been really good for us. It's the same car that we had last weekend at Pocono. I think we will be really strong tonight in the Toyota 150."
Lofton was the first of the ESR cars to qualify and turned in a 29.786-second lap that put the No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge in the sixth position to start tonight's 150 mile event. KBIII followed in the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota and set the pace for the rest of qualifying with his 162.804 mph Pole Award-winning lap. Speed followed immediately behind Butler in the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota and turned in a 29.664-second lap to put him in the fifth position. |
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Ken Butler, III will start from the pole |
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"The car was the best that it's been all weekend," commented Lofton following qualifying. "Finally!" he added with a grin. "The guys worked really hard and we finally came up with the right combination. I think we will definitely be strong in today's race."
Speed reported that the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota was "a little loose, but good. We will definitely be good in race trim tonight."
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Toyota 150 Qualifying Results
Nashville Superspeedway. Lebanon, TN; August 8, 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| POLE |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
29.476 |
162.804 |
| 5 |
22 |
Scott Speed |
29.664 |
161.772 |
| 6 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
29.786 |
161.109 |
Pre-race Ceremonies for the Toyota 150 begin today at 4:00 p.m. The green flag for the 113-lap (150 mile) race at Nashville Superspeedway waves at 4:30 p.m. All times listed are EASTERN. |
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NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
ARCA RE/MAX Toyota 150 Practice Update
Speed storms up the chart in session
NASHVILLE TN (8-8-08) - The ARCA RE/MAX Series opened its 2008 Nashville Superspeedway race weekend with a three-hour practice session Friday afternoon in preparation for Saturday's Toyota 150.
Current point leader Scott Speed shot from 20th quickest to third in the final moments of practice. Teammates Ken Butler, III and Justin Lofton finished the session 9th and 12th respectively
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Toyota 150 Practice 1 Results
Nashville Superspeedway. Lebanon, TN; August 8, 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| 3 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
29.728 |
161.424 |
| 9 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
29.884 |
160.581 |
| 12 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
30.026 |
159.821 |
Qualifying and the race are both on Saturday. Qualifying is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Central. Arcaracing.com will feature live timing and scoring during the qualifying session and race.
The Toyota 150 race starts at 3:30 p.m. Central. The race is live on SPEED beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. |
| ESR Driver Practice Quotes |
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Scott Speed
-3rd in practice |
Ken Butler III
-9th in practice |
Justin Lofton
-12th in practice |
| "We struggled quite a bit all day, but we figured out the problem at the end of practice. ÝWe are now competitive, so tomorrow's race should be a lot of fun." |
"Jonathan and I are still learning each other and figuring out what I like in the car and what will make us go fast. We practiced 9th today which was ok but I am confident that we can qualify the Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota in the top 5 tomorrow." |
"We started off a little free during practice and the guys worked really hard on the car all day. We were just a bit tight on the mock run but I think the Lofton Cattle Dodge will qualify well tomorrow afternoon." |
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NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
ARCA RE/MAX Toyota 150 Preview
ESR Ready to Make Sweet Music in the Music City!
DENVER, N.C. (August 6, 2008) – Following a very satisfying weekend at Pocono Raceway, the Eddie Sharp Racing teams are packed and ready to head to Nashville, Tennessee for the Toyota 150. ESR teammates Justin Lofton, Scott Speed, and Ken Butler, III are looking forward to another weekend of speedway domination. With stellar finishes at Pocono, all three teams climbed in the championship point standings, including Speed's move to the top position. Full of focus and determination, look for the ESR cars to be a factor this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
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New ARCA RE/MAX Series Points Leader Scott Speed |
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Speed climbed from 37th in points following a disappointing start at Daytona to the first place position in only 13 races. With a 95 point lead over second place Matt Carter, the No. 2 Red Bull team is looking forward to a visit to Nashville. In 2007, Michael McDowell put the No. 2 on the pole position. With four SIM Factory Pole Awards already in his back pocket, including last weekend's pole at Pocono, Speed is a likely candidate to lead the field to the green flag in Saturday's race. Speed also leads the SunTrust Rookie of the Year and Superspeedway Challenge standings. Crew Chief Patrick Donahue is leading the Cometic Crew Chief of the Year standings.
Lofton, who first competed in the Lofton Cattle Dodge at Salem Speedway in April, has made a steady climb up the rankings in recent months. With his 11th-place finish at Pocono, Lofton jumped into the top 15. Like teammate Speed, Lofton will compete on concrete for the first time in his career. With a win at Michigan International Speedway and a SIM Factory Pole Award at Cayuga, Lofton is looking to continue the charge and take home the famous Nashville Superspeedway guitar.
Heading to Nashville, KBIII is the veteran driver of the ESR team. In 2007, Butler started the Toyota 150 in the seventh position and wheeled the No. 22 to an 11th-place finish. A much-needed top 10 finish at Pocono catapulted the driver of the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota back into the tenth position in ARCA RE/MAX Series points. Ready to ride the momentum from a positive weekend in Pennsylvania, look for the No. 22 Aaron's machine to be very competitive in the Music City.
2008 AT A GLANCE --
Scott Speed (No. 2 Red Bull Toyota):
1st in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(3045 points; 95 points ahead of second place)
Best Start: First (three times) at Pocono Raceway, June 2008; Michigan International Speedway, June 2008; and Pocono Raceway, August 2008
Best Finish: First (three times) at Kansas Speedway, April 2008; Kentucky, July 2008; and Berlin, July 2008
Ken Butler, III (No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Toyota):
10th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(2405 points; 640 out of 1st)
Best Start: First at Kansas Speedway, April 2008
Best Finish: 4th at Kentucky Speedway, May 2008
Justin Lofton (No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge):
15th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(1980 points; 1065 out of 1st)
***note: has made 10/11 starts
(Lofton's first race was at Salem Speedway)
Best Start: First at Cayuga Speedway Park, June 2008
Best Finish: First at Michigan International Speedway, June 2008 |
| DRIVER QUOTES: All three speedway demons are ready to rock and roll on Saturday evening in event 14 on the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. |
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Scott Speed (No. 2 Red Bull Toyota):
"We should run well at Nashville. I have tested there twice in the last few weeks, so I feel like I know the track better than some right now. That is a good advantage going into this weekend. I have a great group of people behind me and I am grateful for that."
"Taking the points lead is great. Of course I would like to win the ARCA Championship, but right now we are focused on one race at a time and hope in the end we're on top."
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Justin Lofton (No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge):
"I'm looking forward to this weekend at Nashville. I've never raced on concrete before so this will be another new experience for me. I have the utmost confidence and faith in Wayne Carroll and the Lofton Cattle crew. The Nashville guitar has to be one of the coolest trophies in racing and I would like nothing more than to add that one to the collection this year!"
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Ken Butler, III (No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Toyota):
"Thankfully we broke the trail of bad luck we've been having and got a solid finish last weekend at Pocono. The Aaron's Lucky Dog team is confident and excited about going to Nashville this weekend. We have high hopes and are very hungry. I am fortunate to have raced there last year and I'm really looking forward to returning to Nashville."
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| TRACK FACTS |
| NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY |
| Location |
Lebanon, Tennessee |
Address |
4847-F McCrary Rd., Lebanon TN 37090 |
| Phone: |
(615) 547-7500 |
Length |
1.33-mile concrete |
Turns |
14 degrees |
| First ARCA Race |
2001 |
ARCA RE/MAX Series practice runs from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, August 8, 2008. Teams return to the track on Saturday for SIM Factory Pole Qualifying at 11:30 a.m. Driver Introductions begin Saturday August 9th at 4:00 p.m. and the green flag for the Toyota flies at 4:30 p.m. The race will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED. All times listed are EASTERN.
Catch all the action at arcaracing.com offering LIVE Timing & Scoring of all on-track activities as well as LIVE flag-to-flag streaming audio coverage of the race through the ARCA Racing Network exclusively on arcanation.com presented by Team Glock. |
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