 PHOTOS: Bob Costanzo
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TALLADEGA RACE UPDATE
WILD ONE AT 'DEGA!
Lofton -16th; Speed -23rd; Butler -knocked out early.
Speed extends points lead.
TALLADEGA, AL (October 3, 2008) – It was a wild afternoon of racing on the banks of Talladega at Friday's ARCA RE/MAX Series 250. Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton managed to stay out of the plentiful trouble enough to bring his #20 Lofton Cattle car home with a top-20 finish.
The real story of the day was ESR's Scott Speed managing to bring most of the #2 Red Bull Toyota across the finish line ahead of rival Ricky Stenhouse Jr., extending his lead in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship to 85 points.
Teammate Ken Butler, III was less fortunate, being taken out in the first "big one" of the day on lap 11.
Owner Eddie Sharp and driver Scott Speed also clinched their career first Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship for the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota team at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX 250 Unofficial Results
Talladega Superspeedway; October 3, 2008 |
| FIN |
STR |
CAR |
DRIVER |
LAPS |
STATUS |
| 16 |
10 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
94 |
Running |
| 23 |
7 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
81 |
Running |
| 36 |
34 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
11 |
Out |
Next Stop: Speed and the Red Bull team head to Toledo Speedway for Championship Weekend, the final event on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Schedule. The first practice for ARCA RE/MAX Series runs from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, 2008, with SIM Factory Pole Qualifying to follow at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, October 12, 2008 pre-race ceremonies begin at 1:15 p.m. and the green flag for the Hantz Group 200 by Belle Tire and Federated Car Care drops at 2:00 p.m. The race will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED Channel. 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. |
ESR TALLADEGA RACE REPORTS |
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2 |
20 |
22 |
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Speed Extends Point Lead Despite Talladega Tire Turmoil
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Scott Speed |
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TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 6, 2008) – Scott Speed and his No. 2 Red Bull team endured the trials and tribulations of Talladega Superspeedway in Friday's ARCA RE/MAX 250. The team worked quickly to get the Red Bull Toyota back on track after a blown right rear tire. Speed returned to the speedway and finished in the 23rd position, extending his championship lead to 85 points. The Eddie Sharp-owned No. 2 Toyota Camry also clinched the 2008 Speedway Challenge title.
"All I have to say is that my guys did a great job this weekend," said Speed. "We blew a right rear and everyone remained calm and got the car back together. No one gave up, which allowed us to gain more points in the Championship standings. We have one race to go; hopefully we can stay out of trouble and bring this thing home."
Speed ran solidly in the top-5 early in the race, only sacrificing track position to pit for fuel and right-side tires during the lap 29 caution flag. Speed raced quickly back into the top-10. When Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. blew a right rear tire, it appeared that the No. 2 team would leave the 2.66-mile Alabama track with a lucrative points lead. The fat lady was not yet ready to sing, and only ten laps later, the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota was the victim of a blown right rear tire.
"That was just ridiculous," said Speed, who was also 15th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. "The two races here were crazy. Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of fun out there but I was sweating at the same time. It was mayhem out there, but we still managed to get the job done and that's all that matters." |
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The team worked rapidly to cut off the front end of the car and replace the damaged radiator hose. Speed returned to the track on lap 81 and in the 26th position, losing only 12 laps during the repairs. In the remaining 13 laps of the ARCA RE/MAX 250, Speed was able to climb three additional positions, taking the checkered flag in the 23rd position. Friday's race marked only the third race this season that Speed and the No. 2 Red Bull team finished outside of the top-10. The last time was at Rockingham Speedway in May 2008.
Despite Friday's disappointing race results, car owner Eddie Sharp and Speed clinched the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship for the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota team at Talladega. See side bar to the right for details.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Point gap between Speed and second-place Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was extended to 85 points following the Talladega race. With Friday's win, Justin Allgaier moved within 105 points of Speed. Only one race remains in the 2008 season. |
Lofton Finishes 16th in Superspeedway Debut
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Justin Lofton |
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TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 6, 2008) – Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton managed to narrowly skirt through Friday's "Big One" at Talladega Superspeedway. Lofton consistently ran in the top-10 until damage received from contact with the nearly-airborne Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. limited the No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota to a 16th-place finish in the ARCA RE/MAX 250.
"Just another frustrating weekend," said Lofton. "My guys put together a great speedway car for this weekend. Unfortunately when Ricky blew his right rear tire, we got hit by him as he spun. We had to come in several times to work on the fenders and lost a lot of track position. The guys worked fast and kept us on the lead lap to get the best finish we could after that."
Lofton consistently ran in the top-10 until contact with the nearly-airborne Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. limited the No. 20 to a 16th-place finish. |
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The No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota was the fastest of the ESR entries in Thursday's practice, sitting fourth with a fast lap of 50.636 seconds. Lofton qualified the Camry in the tenth position for his superspeedway debut.
On lap 11 the "Big One" occurred as the No. 25 of Brian Scott blew a right rear tire. Lofton reacted quickly and decisively, driving the No. 20 low on the track and narrowly missing contact with the wrecking cars. Lofton remained in the top-10 until the No. 99 of Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. violently blew a right rear tire, spinning immediately in front of the No. 20 Toyota, damaging Lofton's right front fender.
The Lofton Cattle team came to pit road on multiple occasions to work on the fender damage and wheel alignment. The handling of No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota went away completely and Lofton had his hands full for the remainder of the 94-lap event. One of 19 cars that finished on the lead lap as the dark was setting in quickly in Talladega, Alabama, Lofton took the checkered flag in the 16th position. |
Fiery Crash Ends Butler's Day Early at Talladega
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Ken Butler, III |
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TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 6, 2008) – Ken Butler, III felt the wrath of the ticking time bomb otherwise known as Talladega Superspeedway on Friday. KBIII climbed an impressive 22 positions in only 12 laps when he was slammed hard into the outside by the No. 25, the first of many victims of a right-side tire explosion. KBIII was treated and released from infield care and scored in the 36th position for the ARCA RE/MAX 250.
"What a wild ride," said Butler. "I am just so thankful that everyone was ok in that big wreck. The car was great and we were moving to the front fast. That is one of those wrecks where it was no one's fault. The tire exploded and sent the 25 into our Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota. We slammed the wall and became a fireball. It's so unfortunate because we had a really good car."
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"The tire exploded and sent the 25 into our Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota. We slammed the wall and became a fireball." -KBIII |
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During lap 12 of the ARCA RE/MAX 250, KBIII was on the outside of Brian Scott when the right rear tire of the No. 25 exploded, catapulting Scott into the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota and slamming Butler hard into the outside wall. The No. 22 quickly became engulfed with flames. KBIII climbed to safety as the car came to a halt, still heavily on fire. Suffering only minor burns on his hands, Butler's day was over, sending the team home a disappointing 36th on the results sheet.
"The guys worked night and day on this car," said Crew Chief Jonathan Davis. "It was a good car that drafted really well. Unfortunately some speedway cars don't go well by themselves and this is one of them. The weekend went really well even though our qualifying effort didn't show it. Superspeedways are so unpredictable and it is easy to get caught in a wreck as an innocent bystander. That's what happened to us. We're just glad KB is ok." |
Sharp, Speed Win 2008 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship
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Team Owner Eddie Sharp and driver Scott Speed |
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TALLADEGA AL (10-5-08)-Owner Eddie Sharp and driver Scott Speed clinched their career first Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship for the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota team at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend.
The Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge is a $75,000 total point fund for races on speedway ovals greater than one mile in length and included ten races in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series. Speed and the No. 2 earned top-five finishes in eight of the ten superspeedway challenge events this season, including three wins (Kansasl, Kentucky and Nashville), three runner-up finishes (Kentucky and Pocono twice) and one third-place finish (Chicagoland).
Heading into this year's ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega, three teams were mathematically eligible to clinch the year-end award, including Sharp's No. 2 and No. 22 teams and the No. 99 Aflac Ford driven by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and owned by Jack Roush.
Superspeedway Challenge Championship points are awarded to car owners based on race points, with the winner of a Superspeedway Challenge race earning 200 points and points decreasing in increments of five. Speed's 23rd place finish at Talladega was higher than Stenhouse's 28th place finish and Butler's 36th place finish. All three drivers were involved in separate incidents during the 94 lap/250-mile race, which was slowed by seven cautions.
The ARCA RE/MAX Series has recognized a superspeedway challenge champion each consecutive year since 1984. Sharp and Speed will formally accept the 2008 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship at the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in December.
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TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
QUALIFYING UPDATE
Speed -7th; Lofton -10th; Butler -34th
TALLADEGA, AL (October 2, 2008) – The grid for Friday's ARCA RE/MAX Series 250 at Talladega Superspeedway was set this afternoon.
Earlier in the day, ESR's Justin Lofton was 4th quickest in practice in the #20 Lofton Cattle Toyota Camry. Teammate Scott Speed was focused on single car runs in his No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing Red Bull Toyota and did not draft, resulting in a 28th spot on the time chart.
There will be a final ARCA RE/MAX Series practice session on Friday from 10-10:50 a.m. in which teams will be allowed to make a limited number of impound adjustments before the ARCA RE/MAX 250 rolls off at 4 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Eastern. The race is live on SPEED.
ESR ARCA RE/MAX 250
Qualifying Results
Talladega Superspeedway; October 2, 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| 7 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
51.930 |
184.402 |
| 10 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
52.065 |
183.924 |
| 34 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
53.043 |
180.533 |
ESR ARCA RE/MAX 250
Practice 1 Results
Talladega Superspeedway; October 2, 2008 |
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
TIME |
SPEED |
| 4 |
20 |
Justin Lofton |
50.636 |
189.114 |
| 18 |
22 |
Ken Butler III |
51.083 |
187.460 |
| 28 |
2 |
Scott Speed |
51.611 |
185.542 |
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ARCA RE/MAX SERIES
ESR LEADS ANOTHER POINTS RACE
Talladega Race to Determine 2008 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Champion
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Eddie Sharp |
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TALLADEGA, AL (October 3, 2008) – Friday's ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway marks the tenth and final race in the 2008 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge and will determine the 2008 Superspeedway Challenge Champion.
Currently, car owner Eddie Sharp leads the Superspeedway Challenge standings with driver Scott Speed. Roush Fenway Racing car owner Jack Roush is second in the standings with driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. followed by Sharp with driver Ken Butler, III.
Sharp and Roush are the only car owners still mathematically eligible to earn the award this year. Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Championship points are awarded to car owners based on race points, with the winner of a Superspeedway Challenge race earning 200 points and points decreasing in increments of five.
Superspeedway Challenge, which is a separate point fund for races on speedway ovals greater than one mile in length, kicked off with the ARCA 200 at Daytona on February 9th. Other superspeedway challenge events on the 2008 schedule include Kansas Speedway (April 26th), Kentucky Speedway (May 10th, July 18th), Pocono Raceway (June 7th, August 2nd), Michigan Int'l Speedway (June 13th), Nashville Superspeedway (August 9th), Chicagoland Speedway (September 6th) and this weekend's ARCA RE/MAX 250 at Talladega Superspeedway (October 3rd).
The ARCA RE/MAX Series has recognized a superspeedway challenge champion each consecutive year since 1984. |
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TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
ARCA RE/MAX 250 Preview
Eddie Sharp Racing Trio Talladega Bound
 DENVER, N.C. (October 1, 2008) – With only two races remaining in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series season, Scott Speed, Justin Lofton, and Ken Butler, III head to Talladega Superspeedway for 250 miles of restrictor plate racing.
This weekend Speed returns to the site of his stock car racing debut. In one year, Speed has proven to naysayers that a former F1 driver can indeed make his mark on the oval tracks. Leading the hunt for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship, Speed has notched out four wins, three SIM Factory Pole Awards, 17 top-10 and ten top-5 finishes in only 19 events. Speed enters the weekend with a 65-point lead over Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the Championship title and continues to lead the charge for SunTrust Rookie of the Year. In his 2007 appearance at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, Speed both started and finished in the seventh position.
Joining the ESR team after the season opener, Lofton makes his superspeedway debut in the No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota. Lofton and the Lofton Cattle team tested at the Talladega, Alabama speedway recently. The test was very satisfying, with the Toyota Camry in the top-5 on the speed charts. Lofton has made an impressive move into the ARCA RE/MAX Series this season, boasting a win at Michigan International Speedway and the SIM Factory Pole at Cayuga.
KBIII makes his Talladega debut this weekend in the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota. Butler made his first superspeedway start in February's ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Butler qualified the Toyota Camry in the 5th position; however, following inspection the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog was required to start 34th. Suffering damage in a multi-car pile-up early in the race, KBIII brought the No. 22 home in the 19th spot. KBIII has earned two pole positions this season and is tied for ninth-place in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship point standings.
The ESR teams are geared up for the final speedway event of the season and the conclusion of the 2008 Superspeedway Challenge. Speed and the No. 2 Red Bull team currently hold the lead with 1545 points. KBIII and the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog team are in third with 1350 points, and Lofton and the Lofton Cattle crew hold the fifth position with 1280 points.
2008 AT A GLANCE --
Scott Speed (No. 2 Red Bull Toyota):
1st in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(4520 points; 65 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):
9th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(3640 points; 880 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):
14th in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points
(3130 points; 1390 out of 1st)
*note: has made 18/19 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 |
ESR DRIVER QUOTES:
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2 |
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Scott Speed (No. 2 Red Bull Toyota):
"Talladega should be very exciting this weekend. I made my first stock car start here last year, which is the only time I have been on the track so it should be pretty interesting running both series this weekend [ARCA RE/MAX and Craftsman Truck Series]. I will have plenty of laps, no doubt about it. Hopefully we can have a good finish at these last two races and win the Championship. Things really haven't been going our way lately, so I hope to turn things around this weekend."
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20 |
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Justin Lofton (No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota):
"We had a great test here a couple of weeks ago. The guys have been working incredibly long hours for our final two races and I really appreciate everything they've done. This should be an exciting race. You never know what will happen at a superspeedway. I'm excited to race on one for the first time. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble, avoid the ‘Big One' and leave here with the finish this Lofton Cattle team deserves."
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22 |
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Ken Butler, III (No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Dream Machine Dodge):
"This will be my first race at Talladega Superspeedway. I am really looking forward to driving the No. 22 Aaron's Lucky Dog Toyota at a track where Aaron's has been so involved. We had a strong car at Daytona in February. If we can avoid major trouble on the track, I think we'll be good and competitive."
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| TRACK FACTS |
| TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY |
| Location |
Talladega Alabama |
Address |
3366 Speedway Blvd. Talladega, AL |
| Phone: |
(256) 362-2261 |
Length |
2.66-mile paved trioval |
Turns |
33 degree banking |
| First ARCA Race |
1969 |
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. The race will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED Channel. 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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