ARCA RE/MAX American 200
ROCKINGHAM

LOFTON CLAIMS THE CROWN!

RACE REPORT
ESR Caps Off Season With Championship, Other Honors After Challenging Rockingham Outing

Rockingham, NC (October 10, 2009) --Car owner Eddie Sharp knew that his team had quite a task in front of them on Sunday after his driver Justin Lofton, the points leader entering the season-ending American 200, was forced to surrender a second place starting position for the start of the race after an engine change. Despite taking the green flag from the 41st spot, Lofton maneuvered his way through the field to finish third, locking up the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series championship by just five points over race winner Parker Kligerman.

Team Owner Eddie Sharp

"The best two guys, the best two teams were sitting at the front. It doesn't matter if it's five points or 500. We did it," Sharp said.

Lofton did what he needed to do on Sunday, keeping a cool head despite the disadvantage of starting at the rear of the field.

23-year-old Lofton initially qualified second for the race, but following qualifying, his Mark Rette led crew was forced to swap out engines.

"Right before qualifying, there was some stuff in the oil filter. We made a judgment call to go ahead and let him qualify to get points. We didn't tell Justin because we didn't want to worry him," Sharp explained.

A new engine was installed after qualifying, forcing the No. 6 car to start from the back of the grid, instead of the front row.

"Mark's made awesome calls all year. He made the call to change the motor. It was the right thing to do. It definitely worked out," Lofton said.

With a new, strong power plant under the hood of his No. 6 Toyota, Lofton wheeled his way through the pack once the green flag waved and by lap 25, he had moved his way into the top 20 after passing rookie teammate Craig Goess for the 19th position.

The race ran uncharacteristically caution free through the first portion of the race, with the first yellow flag falling on lap 70. Under the yellow, Lofton dropped his machine onto pit road to the attention of his crew. Rette called for a slight adjustment in addition to four fresh Hoosier tires.

Lofton took the restart on lap 76 from the 12th position. Within 10 laps, Lofton's day improved yet again, as he cracked the top 10.

The race hit halfway as Lofton reported a minor tight condition on his machine. Fortunately, the caution flag waved on lap 116, allowing the Lofton Cattle crew to tweak on the machine once more. After bolting on their final set of tires and making another small adjustment, Lofton was back on track for the restart, primed in the seventh spot.

50 laps later, the field fell under a red flag period following a caution flag. At that time, Lofton was sitting in the fourth position. Parker Kligerman however, led the way, giving the Penske Racing-affiliated driver the advantage in the point standings.

Once the caution flag was lifted, Lofton dug in and maneuvered his way into the third position, locking him in as the 2009 champion. For the final 38 laps, Lofton maintained his position in order to take the top honors.

On the last lap however, he got racy and made contact with Casey Roderick, gunning for the second spot. After getting sideways, Lofton wheeled his machine straight and crossed the stripe in third, narrowly locking in the championship with a five-point advantage.

"I took it really, really cautious all day. I knew if it was going to come down to how I did, I was going to need everything. I was going to need all four fenders on the car. I was going to need all of the tires that I could possibly save," Lofton said.

Lofton locked up the honors in only his second season of ARCA competition. Through the season, he earned an impressive five pole awards, six race wins, and led the series with 15 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes spanning 21 events.

"Running against the Penske organization, it shows the quality of people that Eddie has working for him and the equipment that he has underneath the driver. I have to thank Eddie for that. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him," a humble Lofton added.

Sharp, who used to race himself, added of his young champion, "I told Justin last year if he came back we could do this. He and his Dad entrusted me with his future. That is the ultimate compliment to a team owner, when a Dad trusts me with his son. He's become a son to me. I couldn't have written a script and wrote it any better, with a better person, not a driver, but a better person than Justin Lofton."

The Sharp organization ended the season with the owner's championship, driving championship, the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge, and crew chief Rette also locked up the Crew Chief of The Year honors.

Sharp's rookie drivers Craig Goess and Tim George Jr. ended their season fifth and 11th in series points. Goess captured a best finish of third at Pocono and ended the year with two top-five and 12 top-10 finishes while George Jr. collected one top-five and two top-10s.

DRIVER REPORT

Third Place Finish at Rockingham Secures 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Championship for Lofton & ESR

Rockingham, NC (October 10, 2009) --Justin Lofton secured the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series championship on Sunday, valiantly driving through the field to finish third at Rockingham Speedway to lock up the honor. 23-year-old Lofton drove from 41st to third, capturing the championship by just five points over Parker Kligerman. Kligerman however, made it tough on Lofton, as he led the most laps and won the season-ending American 200.

"I really wanted to win this race. It would have meant a lot to me to win, but to be crowned a champion at 'The Rock' was really cool," Lofton said.

The championship is the first for Lofton behind the wheel of the No. 6 Lofton Cattle Toyota, driving his second season for multi-car team owner Eddie Sharp. He earned the top honor courtesy of five pole awards, six race wins, and a series leading 15 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes.

Initially, Lofton entered the race weekend with a 15-point lead over Kligerman but added a 10-point cushion after qualifying second on Saturday for Sunday's season finale.

After qualifying however, Lofton was forced to the rear of the field for the start of the race after the team swapped out engines on the No. 6 Toyota.

With the approach to race the racetrack, Lofton took the green flag and patiently made his way through the pack. By lap 25, he had already cracked the top 20, racing his way into the 19th position.

The field saw an extended green flag run through the first half of the race with Lofton moving into 14th by lap 65. Lap 70 saw the first caution flag of the day, which allowed the field to make the first round of pitstops. Lofton guided his machine down pitroad to the attention of his Mark Rette led pit crew for four fresh tires and a minor adjustment. He lined up 12th for the restart.

By lap 85, Lofton finessed his way into the top 10. He continued his climb, skillfully clicking off positions and on lap 136, he raced his way into fifth. At that point however, his position wasn't enough to secure the championship, as Kligerman led the way.

2009 ARCA RE/MAX Champion Justin Lofton

"That was definitely a workout. You're timing everything. It was really tough to move up quickly," Lofton said of his drive through the field. "I took it really cautious all day long."

With just over 50 laps remaining, another caution flag fell, opening the door for another set of pitstops. Crew chief Rette again called for a minor adjustment and four fresh tires.

Following a red flag period for cleanup for the initial yellow flag incident, Lofton found himself running third for the restart, locked in as the champion.

He clicked off the remaining laps without much chatter on the radio other than guidance from his spotter Mark Gregory.

On the last lap however, Lofton got overzealous racing for the second position with the No. 51 of Casey Roderick and the two made contact.

"I was getting greedy. I was getting really greedy," Lofton said. "I saw an opportunity and I thought my car was a little bit better."

Lofton regrouped and crossed the stripe in third, locking up the 2009 championship.

"This championship means so much to all of us. I couldn't have done it without Eddie, Mark, all of the guys on the 6 team worked so hard on this car all year long to earn this. It's so special to have my family here; my Mom, Dad, both of my sisters. We're a very close family. To win a championship in front of them is really cool.

QUALIFYING UPDATE
Lofton Qualifies Second For Finale, Surrenders Starting Spot for New Engine

Rockingham, NC (October 10, 2009) -- Current ARCA RE/MAX Series points leader Justin Lofton qualified second for Sunday's season finale at Rockingham Speedway. Lofton wheeled his No. 6 Lofton Cattle Toyota around the one-mile track in 24.548 seconds, a top speed at 146.651 miles per hour.

Following qualifying however, Lofton's No. 6 Mark Rette-led crew was forced to swap out engines. Since the cars were under impound after qualifying, the change will drop Lofton to the rear of the field for the start of the American 200 on Sunday.

"It's an unfortunate circumstance but I'm confident in all of the guys and Justin's ability. We have a good car," said Rette.

The team ran consistent times throughout the one and only practice session on Saturday, ending up ninth on the speed chart, but slivers of metal were found in the car's oil, forcing the change. Knowing that qualifying points were vital, the team opted to qualify the car before making the engine change.

"I'm really proud of the guys and glad that they caught it. It's better to catch it before the race than to start the race and the engine let go because of that," Lofton said. "It's just a testament to how hard they work and how serious we are about this championship."

Lofton entered the weekend leading Parker Kligerman by 15 points in the championship point standings. After qualifying second, he picked up 10 points on Kligerman and enters the American 200 with a 25 point advantage.

"I'm looking at this engine change as a blessing in disguise," said Lofton, whose Eddie Sharp Racing Team has already clinched the 2009 Owner's Championship. "I didn't know before qualifying that we were going to change engines even though the guys on the team knew. They didn't want me to worry about anything other than qualifying during my run. We don't have too much of a plan heading into Sunday's race even though we have had a lot of team meetings during the week. We're just going to go out and do our own thing. If we start worrying about what other people are doing then we are going to start making mistakes. Someone will leave a lug nut loose or I will go out and brush the wall. We are just going to go out and try to win the race."

Lofton needs to finish Sunday's race within four finishing positions of Kligerman in order to clinch the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series Driving Championship, provided that Kligerman does not lead laps on Sunday. The ARCA RE/MAX Series awards 225 points to the race winner at the conclusion of each event, with points decreasing in increments of five. A driver can earn an additional five points for leading a lap and an additional five points for leading the most laps.

Teammates Craig Goess and Tim George will start from the 19th and 29th positions on the grid respectively.

PRACTICE
Lofton ninth in practice

Rockingham, NC (October 10, 2009) -- Eddie Sharp Racing's Justin Lofton was ninth in practice for tomorrow's American 200 at Rockingham Speedway. Teammates Craig Goess and Tim George posted times 18th and 30th respectively.

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is up next at 2:30 ET. The Sunday afternoon American 200, scheduled for 1:00 PM, will also feature live streaming audio coverage at ARCAracing.com. The American 200 will also air same-day on SPEED at 10:00 PM.

Team Owner Eddie Sharp Weighs Importance of Championship, Embraces Successes

Eddie Sharp is well aware of what is at stake this Sunday at Rockingham Speedway. But no matter what happens, the multi-car team owner says that he's happy with the season his organization has produced and if nothing else, has shown that Eddie Sharp Racing is a contender to be reckoned with for years to come.

"I have the best group of people that I've ever had around me. We're the strongest we've ever been," Sharp said, looking back on his six-win season.

Entering this weekend's finale at Rockingham, Sharp's elder statesman Justin Lofton leads the way in the driver point standings by a scant 15 points over the second place driver Parker Kligerman. His rookie drivers Craig Goess and Tim George Jr. are also fighting over ground within the top 10 in the points, sitting fifth and 11th respectively.

"If Justin can win the title, it would be huge for the company as a whole. Based on Craig and Tim's experience in these types of cars, they are on par for where they should be. It's important that all three of them are in the top 10 in the owner's column. That means a lot to me.

"For Tim, it would be nice to see him break into the top 10 in driver points. The nice thing about that is they get a chance to go on stage at the ceremony and be recognized. It's still attainable."

While Lofton focuses on his marginal lead, George Jr. is mapping out a plan to chop off 75 points that are standing between him and a top 10 points finish.

All eyes however, will be on Lofton's No. 6 as he battles for his first stockcar championship. At 23, Lofton has amassed an impressive list of stats during his second year behind the wheel of a Sharp-backed machine. After 20 of the 21 races, Lofton has claimed five pole awards, six race wins, a series leading 14 top five and 18 top 10 finishes.

Lofton, Sharp and the 2009 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Championship Challenge award.

The consistency already clinched one championship for ESR, the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge, awarded to Sharp and Lofton last week in Kansas following their second place effort. The Challenge consisted of nine events on tracks longer than one mile in length. Of those events, Lofton picked up wins in Talladega, Pocono, and Chicago.

"Any time you can win a championship of any sort, a championship within a championship, you can stamp your name next to it as an organization, it's a prestigious honor. Hoosier and ARCA have supported it for a long time and means a lot to me," Sharp said.

"But what means the most, is that we won it two years in a row, with two different drivers, two different teams and two different crew chiefs. That really shows the depths of Eddie Sharp Racing the company. That is what I am most proud of," Sharp added, citing his 2008 win with Scott Speed.

For Lofton, his driving championship would be the culmination of hard work not only for ESR, but personally for all involved, from car owner to crew chief, the No. 6 crew is hoping that the season's successes pay off in a big way.

First year crew chief Mark Rette joined ESR during the off season and proved early on to be the right addition, as he led Lofton to his first 2009 win just four races deep. From superspeedways to short tracks, Rette's made the right calls in tandem with his driver en route to their position atop the standings entering the season finale.

"Based on Mark's resume, I felt it was collective; the equipment and Mark and Justin's chemistry, Mark's experience at the higher levels, it should have worked. You put it on paper and this works. We assembled them in the eleventh hour knowing they should be able to hit the ground running. They all deserve their due," Sharp said.

As for Rette, he said the team's game plan is much of the same entering the finale, despite the pressures.

"The championship would mean the world to me. It would justify everything I've worked so hard for. You're away from your family and friends because you are working so hard to get to where you're at," he said.

"It's just another race We're going to do the same thing we've been doing all year. We're going to go there and sit on the pole, lead the most laps and win the race."

Lofton too, is trying the low key approach. Though he wants nothing more than to hoist the 2009 championship trophy, he knows that his season has already been a success.

"We really want this championship. It would mean so much to me, my crew chief Mark and Eddie. We've all worked so hard and had such a good season. There's nothing we can do when it comes down to race time. We can't control what Parker does or how people race us. We're going to race our race and go for the win. That's what we need to do to win this championship."

Sharp summarizes, "I think because of how the year has gone and the friendly competition that the 77 (of Kligerman) and ourselves have had, both of those kids are winners.

"Regardless of what happens on Sunday, it's been a wonderful year. We have a pretty good points lead on the owner's side. We have to finish 33rd or better to lock it up. I really, really want Justin to be the driving champion. But whatever happens, it's been an amazing season. I tell the guys all of the time, 'It's not the destination, it's the journey. You have to remember the ride.'"

Eddie Sharp Racing's Ruby Tuesday racer Tim George Jr on te air.

George Jr., Hosting Fan Meet and Greet on Thursday at Kannapolis Ruby Tuesday

Tim George Jr., driver of the No. 2 Ruby Tuesday Toyota in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, spent Monday morning at Clear Channel in Charlotte, N.C. recording radio spots promoting activities later this week on behalf of sponsor Ruby Tuesday. Surrounding Charlotte, N.C. radio stations (WKKT, WEND, and WRFX) will air George Jr.'s commercials leading up to the festivities.

"I had a great time at Clear Channel in Charlotte. Arroe Collins was very good at helping to bring out my "radio personality." I got a full tour of the studio and everyone was very knowledgeable about the media. The WKKT people will come out to the appearance at the Kannapolis Ruby Tuesday this Thursday, which will be fun," George Jr. proclaimed.

"It looks like all the guys who helped me out with my car and my crew chief Jon Wolfe will also be at the appearance. I look forward to doing more radio work in the future!"

Ruby Tuesday, located at 2461 Wonder Drive in Kannapolis, will have a No. 2 Ruby Tuesday Toyota show car on display in addition to an exotic super car. George Jr. will be on hand, giving away Ruby Tuesday merchandise, including hats provided by his Eddie Sharp Racing team. The big event also includes a grand prize giveaway for two tickets for this Sunday's ARCA RE/MAX Series season finale at Rockingham Speedway.

Come on down and try new dishes on the Ruby Tuesday menu with Tim George Jr., who will be meeting fans from 5 - 7 P.M. and then select the grand prize winners for the Rockingham tickets at approximately 7:05 P.M.

Festivities will also be broadcast live on WKKT.

George Jr.'s radio spot can be heard in the surrounding Charlotte area, or via his website at http://timgeorgejr.com/multimedia/video.cfm?mid=648

George Jr. will also be Tweeting live from the event, so if you have any questions, follow him on Twitter and ask him anything you want this Thursday between 5-7 PM! To follow Tim George Jr. on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/timgeorgejr

For more on Tim George Jr., please visit www.timgeorgejr.com