Catchfence

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.

For more on Justin Lofton, visit www.LoftonRacing.com

To follow Justin on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/jlracing

For more on Eddie Sharp Racing, visit www.TeamESR.com

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie Sharp Racing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing. Located in Denver, North Carolina just north of Charlotte, Eddie Sharp Racing occupies a top-notch facility that closely resembles a five-star NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, both inside and out. The two ESR buildings each contain two teams where on any given day, championship contending cars are assembled, engines tuned and teams strategize to score the next race day victory.

- Activ8 Communications Press Release