 PHOTOS: Bob Costanzo
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NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK UPDATE
RAIN ENDS DAY EARLY:
RACE CALLED AFTER 48 OF 67 LAPS
Speed -8th; Butler -16th; Lofton -36th;
Speed retains ARCA points lead.
MILLVILLE NJ (September 28, 2008) - Rain prompted ARCA RE/MAX Series officials to wave the checkered flag 19 laps shy of the scheduled 67-lap, 150-mile distance, Sunday afternoon in the inaugural Loud Energy Drink 150 at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Full race reports below... |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Loud Energy Drink 150
Unofficial Results
New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ; September 28 2008 |
| FIN |
STR |
CAR |
DRIVER |
LAPS |
STATUS |
| 8 |
3 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
48 |
Running |
| 16 |
16 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
48 |
Running |
| 36 |
4 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
2 |
Out |
Next Stop: ESR teams make a quick 36-hour turn-around this week and head to Talladega Superspeedway for the 20th event on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Schedule. Wednesday, cars will roll through technical inspection. The first practice for ARCA RE/MAX Series runs from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2008, with SIM Factory Pole Qualifying to follow at 4:30 p.m. Final practice takes place from 11:00 – 11:50 a.m. with limited impound adjustments allowed on Friday, October 3, 2008. Driver Introductions takes place at 4:30 p.m. and the green flag for the Talladega ARCA 250 drops at 5:00 p.m. All times listed are EASTERN. |
ESR NEW JERSEY RACE REPORTS |
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2 |
20 |
22 |
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Speed Finishes 8th at New Jersey
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Scott Speed |
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MILLVILLE, N.J. (September 28, 2008) – Scott Speed and his No. 2 Red Bull team had very high hopes and expectations of success this weekend as the ARCA RE/MAX Series returned to road course racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park. A pit road penalty and early checkered flag due to anticipated inclement weather were both costly and forced the team to take an eighth-place finish.
"Obviously I am disappointed with the result, but I have to be happy with my performance because I did the best I could," said Speed. "We have two races left, so hopefully we can stay ahead of Ricky [Stenhouse, Jr.] at these last two races and pull this thing off."
The "thing" that Speed references is the heated battle between he and fellow SunTrust Rookie of the Year candidate, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship title. The controversial finish to Sunday's event narrowed the margin between the two talented drivers to only 65 points.
The weekend at NJMP was plagued with intermittent showers, causing one practice to be cancelled on Friday afternoon. Qualifying went off without a hitch on Saturday and Sunday morning the sun played hide and seek. The race went green on schedule and Speed jumped into the second position behind pole-sitter, Andy Lally. Rain began to sprinkle on lap 18, however the race remained under the green flag.
The No. 2 Red Bull Toyota came to pit road on lap 26 for fuel and four tires. The Camry ran over the front air hose on its way out of the pit stall and was penalized. Speed restarted the race in the 18th position and systematically picked his way through the field. On lap 37, the final caution of the day came for debris in turn 2. As the rain began to fall, the cars stayed on track under caution to keep the track as dry as possible. Despite a break in the weather, on lap 48 the checkered flag was waved, 19 laps short of the original scheduled 67.
Unable to make up the lost track positions, Scott Speed and the No. 2 Red Bull team were scored in the eighth-position. A respectable finish to some, but not acceptable to a team that has the bar set as high as possible and Championship aspirations on the line. |
Great Car, Short Day for Lofton at New Jersey Motorsports Park
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Justin Lofton |
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MILLVILLE, N.J. (September 28, 2008) – Despite unloading strong and qualifying in the top-5 for the inaugural ARCA RE/MAX Series event at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Justin Lofton and the Lofton Cattle team were loaded early and heading to the airport. On lap 2 of the Loud Energy Drink 150 the motor of the No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota expired. Lofton finished the day a very dissatisfying 36th.
"What a disappointing way to leave here," said Lofton. "I feel so bad for my guys who put in countless hours to put together a great road course car. The track is great and a lot of fun to drive. I can't wait to go back there."
Two laps later, with a loud explosion and some impressive pyrotechnics, the day ended for Lofton as his engine blew up coming out of turn 2... |
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The No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota was stellar in Friday and Saturday's practice sessions, sitting sixth and seventh on the speed charts, respectively. With a 99.116 mph lap in qualifying, the Lofton Cattle team lined up in the fourth position to start the 67-lap race.
Two laps later, with a loud explosion and some impressive pyrotechnics, the day ended for Lofton as his engine blew up coming out of turn 2.
"I just want to thank my guys for all their hard work this season," added Lofton. "I'm really excited to head to Talladega this week. I know the guys are giving me a solid speedway car. I think we'll do really well." |
Butler III Finishes 16th in Road Course Debut
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Ken Butler, III |
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MILLVILLE, N.J. (September 28, 2008) – Ken Butler, III and his No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog team made their road course debut this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park. When the race was ended early due to anticipated inclement weather, KBIII took the checkered flag in the 16th position in Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150.
"I had a lot of fun for my first road course race," said Butler. "The guys did a great job on the car. I was disappointed that we ended the day early. I really think we could have continued to move up and gotten a better finish."
Butler qualified the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dodge in the 16th position with an 86.872-second lap around the 2.3-mile road course.
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Eddie Sharp Racing's No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dodge at New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Raceway |
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The No. 22 came to pit road under the lap 25 caution flag for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. Never falling off the lead lap, KBIII had to return to pit road on lap 36 and 39 for the team's assessment and work on some right front fender damage. The No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dodge had climbed to 16th when the race was ended early due to rain.
"The guys did great job getting this car together," said Crew Chief Jonathan Davis. "It's unfortunate that they ended the race early; I think we could have made a few more spots back."
KBIII is tied for ninth in the point standings with 3640 points, only 35 points out of the sixth position.
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NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
QUALIFYING: SPEED, LOFTON ON SECOND ROW
Speed --3rd; Lofton -4th; Butler -16th
MILLVILLE NJ (September 27, 2008)-Qualifying has finished and the starting grid for Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150 at New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Raceway circuit is set. Eddie Sharp Racing's Scott Speed and Justin Lofton will start from the second row. Teammate Ken Butler, III starts from 16th place |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Loud Energy Drink 150
Qualifying Results
New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ; September 27 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| 3 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
82.454
|
98.237 |
| 4 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
82.555 |
98.116 |
| 16 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
86.872 |
93.241 |
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NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
SPEED SECOND IN FINAL PRACTICE
SPEED: "The car came out of the truck good, so great job to the guys. The goal is to just stay out of trouble all weekend and if we do that I'm sure we will extend our lead." |
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in the first practice session yesterday, Eddie Sharp Racing's Red Bull racer, Scott Speed was second during final practice this morning at New Jersey Motorsports Park in preparation for Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150.
Speed's ESR teammates Justin Lofton and Ken Butler, III were 7th and 27th respectively in this last session before European style qualifying takes place on NJMS's Thunderbolt Raceway.
SIM Factory Qualifying will be held in eight group sessions of five cars each, as determined by practice speeds. |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Loud Energy Drink 150
Practice 2 Results
New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ; September 27 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| 2 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
1:22.761 |
97.872 |
| 7 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
1:24.202 |
96.197 |
| 27 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
1:30.112 |
89.888 |
Next up for the ARCA RE/MAX Series is SIM Factory Pole Award Qualifying on Saturday from 2:15-4:15 p.m. Qualifying will be held in group sessions, with the fastest 32 teams earning starting positions in Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150 and the rest of the 41 car starting field starting by provisionals.
The Loud Energy Drink 150 rolls off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 28th. |
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NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
SPEED SECOND IN PRACTICE 1
Lofton -6th; KB3 -23rd
LOFTON: "This place is a blast! The layout of the track, the grip level, everything ... it's a lot of fun! And even more so with a lot of horsepower." |
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MILLVILLE NJ (September 26, 2008)-ARCA RE/MAX Series point leader Scott Speed was second during the single practice session on Friday afternoon at New Jersey Motorsports Park in preparation for Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150.
An early afternoon practice session, scheduled for 1:10-1:40 p.m., was cancelled due to rain. The remaining session began with a full course caution while Series and track officials dried the 2.3-mile Thunderbolt Road Course. There were two additional full course cautions during the session when drivers went off the track. |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX Series Loud Energy Drink 150
Practice 1 Results
New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ; September 26 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| 2 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
1:24.763 |
95.561 |
| 6 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
1:25.743 |
94.465 |
| 23 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
1:33.130 |
86.975 |
ARCA RE/MAX Series teams will practice on Saturday from 10:05-10:35 p.m. before SIM Factory Pole Award Qualifying from 2:15-4:15 p.m. Qualifying will be held in group sessions, with the fastest 32 teams earning starting positions in Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150 and the rest of the 41 car starting field starting by provisionals.
The Loud Energy Drink 150 rolls off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 28th. |
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ARCA RE/MAX SERIES NEWS
BOWLING FOR BILL
MILLVILLE NJ (September 26, 2008)--There will be a charity fundraiser/bowling tournament on Friday, September 26th at Strike Zone Lanes in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey.
Several ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers are expected to participate including Eddie Sharp Racing's drivers Scott Speed, Ken Butler III and Justin Lofton. |
The bowling tournament is designed to raise money for ARCA Chaplain Bill Krick, who is recovering from open heart surgery. The event will be held in conjunction with the Loud Energy Drink 150 ARCA RE/MAX Series race weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Strike Zone Lanes is located at 1400 White Horse Pike, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215. Phone (609) 965-2299. |
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NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
ARCA RE/MAX Loud Energy Drink 150 Preview
Speed, Lofton, and KBIII Ready to Road Course Race at New Jersey Motorsports Park
 DENVER, N.C. (September 25, 2008) – Scott Speed, Justin Lofton, and Ken Butler, III head to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the ARCA RE/MAX Series' return to road course racing. Ready to add right-hand turns to the mix this weekend, look for this ESR trio to lead the pack at the 2.3-mile road course in Sunday's Loud Energy Drink 150.
Former F1 driver, Speed is back to familiar territory this weekend, returning to his road racing roots. Speed climb into the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota this weekend with a 90-point lead over Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the Championship title. With only three events remaining in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Season, Speed also continues to lead the charge for SunTrust Rookie of the Year.
Lofton is no stranger to road course racing. The Westmorland, California-native cut his teeth on the west coast road courses while competing in the NASCAR Camping World Series West. Most recently Lofton wheeled the No. 2 Toyota in the NASCAR Camping World Series East 2008 visit to Lime Rock. With qualifying cancelled due to rain, the field was set by owner's points, leaving Lofton to start in the 17th position. Lofton took the green flag on Saturday afternoon and quickly charged through the field, moving up to the sixth position in only nine laps around the 1.53-mile road course. In addition to his skillful driving, images captured of the No. 2 with four wheels off the ground definitely caught people's attention. Look for Lofton this weekend behind the wheel of the No 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota.
This weekend is KBIII's road course debut. KBIII prepared for the trip to NJMP with at trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a three-day road course driving school at Road America courtesy of the Skip Barber Racing School. The driver of the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dodge is in the eighth position in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship point standings.
2008 AT A GLANCE --
Scott Speed (No. 2 Red Bull Toyota):
1st in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(4325 points; 90 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 (four times) at Kansas Speedway, April 2008; Kentucky, July 2008; Berlin, July 2008; and Nashville, August 2008
Ken Butler, III (No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Toyota):
8th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(3490 points; 835 out of 1st)
Best Start: First (twice) at Kansas Speedway, April 2008 and Nashville, August 2008
Best Finish: 4th at Kentucky Speedway, May 2008
Justin Lofton (No. 20 Lofton Cattle Dodge):
13th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(3080 points; 1245 out of 1st)
***note: has made 17/18 starts (Lofton's first race was at Salem)
Best Start: First at Cayuga Speedway Park, June 2008
Best Finish: First at Michigan International Speedway, June 2008 |
DRIVER QUOTES:
The ESR drivers are ready for right and left turns this weekend in the 19th event of the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. |
2 |
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Scott Speed (No. 2 Red Bull Toyota):
"This week's race should be a lot of fun. I have not raced on a road course since being back in America so I am very excited for this weekend's race. We have three races left and a 90-point lead. We have done everything we can up to this point and now just need to focus on running well in these final events."
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20 |
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Justin Lofton (No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota):
"I'm really looking forward to getting back on a road course. I had a lot of fun running at Lime Rock and I think it will definitely give us an advantage this weekend. Just having road course experience gives us an edge over a large majority of the ARCA field."
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22 |
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Ken Butler, III (No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Dodge):
"I'm excited to make my road course start. The road course school in Milwaukee was definitely a great step for preparing for this weekend. I think we'll have a lot of fun and the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dodge should definitely be strong."
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| TRACK FACTS |
| THUNDERBOLT RACEWAY at NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK |
| Location |
Millville New Jersey |
Address |
2 E. Broad St., Millville New Jersey |
| Phone: |
(856) 327-8000 |
Length |
2.3-mile paved roadcourse |
Turns |
Left AND right! |
| First ARCA Race |
This is it! |
The ARCA RE/MAX Series is scheduled to run two practice sessions on Friday, September 26, 2008 from 1:10 until 1:40 p.m. and from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., and again on Saturday, September 27th from 10:05 until 10:35 a.m. SIM Factory Pole Qualifying follows at 2:15 p.m. The green flag for the inaugural Loud Energy Drink drops at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 28th. 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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