Catchfence

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 21, 2012) – Matt Lofton drove his No. 16 Strutmasters.com, Paramount Chevrolet to an 11th-place finish Sunday in his debut at the ARCA Racing Series’ home track of Toledo Speedway.

Though the race marked his first start at Toledo Speedway, Lofton proved he was ready to tackle the .5-mile banked oval with a strong qualifying run of 16.227 seconds. The lap time earned him a starting position situated within the top 10 which would give him an advantage in the tight, side-by-side racing the track is known for producing.

As the Menards 200 officially got underway, Lofton made a quick pass to advance to eighth place just as the first caution of the race came out. He maintained his eighth-place position for nearly 30 laps, but radioed to crew chief Jon Wolfe that though the car was fast, it was slippery on the track’s hot surface. By Lap 60 Lofton had fallen to 13th battling the track conditions and the No. 16 Chevrolet was starting to run hot in the tight race traffic.

The No. 16 Strutmasters.com, Paramount crew made several modifications to the car with three pit stops during cautions throughout the next 60 laps, adjusting the trackbar and wedge, and removing tape from the grill. Lofton shuffled around the top 15 and when the ninth caution was brought out on Lap 148, Wolfe called for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.

The race resumed on Lap 153 with Lofton running 16th. Nearly twenty laps later, Lofton entered pit road under caution for the final stop of the event. The No. 16 Strutmasters.com, Paramount Chevrolet took two right-side tires and returned to the track in 16th place. Lofton raced hard for the remaining 28 laps and advanced five positions to earn 11th place.

“I’m really proud of my No. 16 Strutmasters.com, Paramount Chevrolet crew for working hard to help me earn a solid top 15 finish,” Lofton said. “Had we had a few more laps, I know we could have walked away with a top 10. It’s great to have such a dedicated crew behind me and I look forward to what the rest of the season brings.”

Lofton returns to his 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule on June 2 for the Akona 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Elko Speedway.

- Coulter Motorsports Press Release