Lofton's Competitive Run Ends Early in Martinsville

Justin Lofton and the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra team knew that they had an extremely competitive truck entering the Kroger 250 event weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Unfortunately, the tight racing quarters on the half-mile short track won out, after contact from a lapped truck ended their charge less than 20 laps into the race.

"It is disappointing for me and all of the guys on this No. 77 Germain Racing team. They built a strong truck. We knew after testing we were going to be a contender this weekend, and we proved that every time we got on track. I can only control how I race people, and it's unfortunate that some lapped trucks don't show a little more respect with the guys that are racing for the top-10," Lofton said.

There were two practice sessions at Martinsville on Friday and at the conclusion of each run, crew chief Ryan "Rudy" Fugle and Lofton proved their pairing was a fast one, with the No. 77 showing in the fourth position both times. The trend continued with qualifying on Saturday after Lofton wheeled his Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra into the eighth starting spot.

Once under the green flag for the 250-lap race, Lofton maintained the fast pace, racing near the front of the field. On lap 18 however, contact from a lapped truck sent Lofton hard into the turn 3 wall, causing heavy damage to his race truck. The team was forced to make prolonged repairs to the rear end of the No. 77 in the garage area, before sending Lofton back on track on lap 103, over 80 laps down.

Seven laps later, the yellow flag waved with Lofton reporting that the speed was still in the truck, and it was handling okay, despite the damage. At that time, Fugle informed the team that when it was time, they would have to take the truck to the garage area in order to change tires and add fuel, because of the damage to the fuel cell area on the truck.

On lap 137, the yellow, followed by a red flag, waved after a multi-truck wreck. Once the red was lifted, Lofton pulled into the garage for the inevitable fresh tires and fuel.

The second half of the race was uneventful for Lofton. Through the final stretch of the race, his only complaint was that a slight vibration had developed in the front end due to the rubber build-up from the tires. The checkered flag waved on lap 250 with the 25-year-old crossing the stripe in the 32nd position.

"The last half of that race was tough because we still had an extremely fast and competitive truck. I wanted to race with the leaders but the most important thing was to show them respect and finish out the race," Lofton added.

Lofton and the No. 77 team will next hit the track on April 22nd at the Nashville Superspeedway.

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Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra

Track: Martinsville Speedway

Event: Kroger 250

When: Saturday, April 2, 2 PM (Eastern)

Broadcast information: 1:30 PM (Eastern) SPEED

Last Time Out: Justin Lofton qualified 17th for the Too Tough to Tame 200 in Darlington during the tour's last race three weeks ago. The outing started out with a big obstacle after a multi-truck wreck broke out on the very first lap of the event. Lofton unfortunately got caught up in the melee, suffering front end damage, but the Ryan Fugle led No. 77 Lofton Cattle team worked on Lofton's battered Toyota Tundra, repairing the damage and handling issues. Lofton held up his end of the bargain too, picking off positions through the very last lap of competition. The checkered flag waved with Lofton driving home in the 13th position.

Two Wheel Time: Lofton got his start racing when he was just 12 years old. But rather than four wheels, Lofton flexed his competitive muscle on two wheels, racing mountain bikes. Though full bodied, four-wheeled, horse-powered machines are now his thing, Lofton still enjoys hitting the trails on two wheels. During the break in NCWTS competition, Lofton took advantage of the time away from the track by relaxing at home and hitting the trails with his truck chief Doug Powers.

Lofton at Martinsville: Lofton will make his third start at Martinsville this Saturday during the Kroger 250. His first trip to the paperclip-shaped track ended early after contact from a lapped truck forced him to the garage area for repairs. His return visit to the .0526-mile oval last fall was a competitive one after he qualified just outside of the top-10 in 11th, and finished a solid 13th.

Lofton Loves Short Tracks: Lofton, the 2009 ARCA Racing Series champion earned the honor after claiming six race wins. Three of them were on tracks measuring a half-mile or less. In 2010 during his rookie season in trucks, Lofton tallied six runs within the top 15 on tracks measuring a mile or less, including a solid fifth place run at the challenging, high banked, half-mile in Bristol.

Truck Information: Lofton will race chassis GR102. It is a brand new truck that has not yet seen race action. However, the team tested the truck at the Motor Mile before heading to Martinsville.

Lofton on Martinsville: "I'm so excited about heading to Martinsville this week. It's a fun short track and you really have to be on your game there because things happen so fast. If you can stay out of trouble, you can come home with a solid finish. I feel like we have some momentum rolling after Darlington. The guys were relentless working on the truck there and it paid off with a good finish. We hope to keep adding to it."

Crew Chief Ryan "Rudy" Fugle on Martinsville: "Martinsville is a historic track that I am excited to go to. It is one of those races on the Truck schedule that all of the teams want to win. I am real excited to get back to racing after having the last few weeks off."

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Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing

 Darlington Raceway has a reputation for being one of NASCAR's toughest race tracks. But the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra team refused to relent to its challenges on Saturday, overcoming numerous obstacles in the Too Tough to Tame 200, and finishing with an impressive 13th place finish.

"The guys on this team worked nonstop all day. We had a rough start in practice but they thrashed on it and we got it turned around for qualifying. We had a good starting spot, but there's not much you can do when trucks scatter on the start. There was nowhere to go there and we suffered a bit of damage, but the guys fixed it up as best as they could and we kept digging," Lofton said.

Knowing that he had no points to rely on in order to make the event, Lofton and the No. 77 Lofton Cattle team showed no signs of concern early on after suffering through a spin and a "Darlington stripe" in both morning practice sessions. Instead, they simply worked harder, getting the truck ready for the afternoon qualifying run.

The hard work paid off, as Lofton laid down the 17th fastest speed, securing a solid starting spot for the race. Once the green flag waved however, more trouble found Lofton.

As the field got up to speed on the first lap, contact near the front of the field ignited a melee, collecting at least seven damaged race trucks, including Lofton's No. 77 Toyota.

Lofton radioed to crew chief Ryan Fugle that the wheel was off in addition to the cosmetic damage. He made multiple stops down pit road under the caution flag, with the crew repairing as much as they could before being forced to send him back on track for the restart.

Despite battling an ill-handling machine, Lofton maintained a spot on the lead lap through the third caution flag on lap 26. The yellow allowed him to make another trip to pit road. The crew swapped out right side tires and fixed the alignment. Lofton took the restart from the 30th position.

With a repaired truck, Lofton settled in behind the wheel, and consistently clicked off positions lap after lap.

By the time the yellow waved on lap 90, Lofton showed in the 13th position. At that time, Fugle called him to pit road. The crew worked their magic, laying down a solid four-tire change, gaining a position. Some leaders however, opted for two tires, leaving Lofton 12th for the restart.

Three more caution flags waved through the final 50 laps of the race, with spotter Mark Green calling Lofton through multiple near misses.

Lofton took advantage of one of those yellows, making his final pit stop of the night on lap 120. After taking on an air pressure adjustment, two tires, and fuel, Lofton rejoined the race in 17th.

With only three laps remaining following the final restart on lap 144, Lofton flexed his muscle, wheeling his battered, yet strong No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra to a solid 13th place finish.

"I can't thank my guys enough. Rudy (crew chief Ryan Fugle) is such a great motivator. He stayed positive, laid out a plan to get the truck fixed, and kept me focused. It feels great to leave Darlington with a 13th place finish after the challenges we faced all day," Lofton added.

After Darlington, Lofton picked up eight spots to 15th in the driver point standings. The No. 77 team will next hit the track on April 2 at Martinsville Speedway.

For more on Justin Lofton, visit LoftonRacing.com and on Twitter, @jlracing.

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Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra

Track: Darlington Raceway

Event: Too Tough to Tame 200

When: Saturday, March 12th 5 PM (Eastern)

Broadcast information: 4:30 PM (Eastern), SPEED

Last Time Out: Justin Lofton qualified 24th for the 150-mile race at Phoenix two weeks ago, but despite a strong truck with a storied background within the Germain Racing stable, the Ryan Fugle led team suffered a setback when the throttle stop backed out, sending the No. 77 Toyota to pit road for prolonged repairs early in the running. Lofton made the best of the remainder of the race, running lap times consistent with top-10 trucks. Lofton and team ended the night in the 30th position.

Lofton at Darlington: Lofton logged his highest qualifying effort to date, qualifying in the third position, last August in Darlington. Though the track is dubbed "Too Tough to Tame" the California native had no problems early on learning the ropes around the abrasive 1.366-mile track. After laying down the top-five starting spot, Lofton ran a stellar race, maintaining a spot within the top-five most of the night before a late race run-in dropped him to 20th at the finish.

Down Time Details: Lofton spent the off weekend in between Phoenix and Darlington in his hometown of Brawley, California, shooting a music video with his production company Weekend Warriors TV. Lofton, along with co-owners, sister Brittany Lofton and business partner Brett Bortle, spent Saturday and Sunday filming with rock band Paperback Hero for their single Breath of Time. Following Darlington, Lofton and the WWTV crew will head to the Field Filler Fairgrounds for some go-kart racing. During his break in competition next weekend, Lofton plans on heading to Colorado to partake in snowmobiling with friend Rusty Szymanski. Szymanski serves as Lofton's navigator when he's behind the wheel of an off-road machine.

Truck Information: Lofton will race chassis GR010 this week in Darlington. Lofton and the No. 77 team ran this truck two weeks ago on the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway. The truck has a solid history within the Germain Racing stable. Teammate Todd Bodine raced the truck numerous times last season en route to multiple top-five runs.

Lofton on Darlington: "I am really excited for Darlington. As a rookie, I had a really good run there last year. I really liked the track. It's unique and challenging but a lot of fun to race. My teammate Todd Bodine won there last year, so that just gives the team an added boost heading into the weekend."

Crew Chief Ryan "Rudy" Fugle on Darlington:"The team had a chance with the week off to focus on all of the small details and because of that, we are heading to the track this weekend rejuvenated. We're going to start fresh and put the first two races and the bad luck behind us. This is a good truck and Justin ran really well in Darlington last year. We plan on running up front and mixing it up for the win."

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Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra

Track: Phoenix International Raceway

Event: Lucas Oil 150

When: Friday, February 25th 8:00 PM (Eastern)

Broadcast information: 7:30 PM (Eastern), SPEED

Last Time Out: Justin Lofton had an eventful run at Daytona last week. First, he had to qualify on time in order to make the 250-mile Friday night event. On Thursday, Lofton did just that and nabbed the 17th starting position. The race however, was a bit of a challenge, with Lofton and the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra team falling victim to the tight racing on the 2.-5 mile superspeedway, suffering damage to their Tundra due to a lap 76 multi-truck wreck. Despite a few lingering issues, the team banded together and drove home to an 18th place finish.

Lofton at Phoenix: Born and raised in southern California, Lofton climbed the racing ladder throughout the Southwest.  From late models to lower-tiered NASCAR touring series, including the K&N Pro Series West, Lofton has visited PIR many times. To date, he has logged nearly 600 miles on the 1-mile track. In 2010 in Camping World Truck Series competition, Lofton had a stellar run in front of many family members and friends that made the trip from California. He started the event last November from the seventh position and finished and impressive ninth.

Off Week Plans: The Camping World Truck Series schedule sees a break in competition next weekend, allowing Lofton time to shift his focus to the production company, Weekend Warriors TV, that he co-owns. The three-person organization will head to Lofton’s home town in Brawley, California and shoot a music video for the Los Angeles-based rock band Paperback Hero.

Truck Information: Lofton will race chassis GR010 this week in Phoenix. Lofton and the No. 77 team recently tested the truck at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida. Last year, teammate, champion Todd Bodine raced the machine numerous times, notching several top-fives and a visit to victory lane.

Lofton on Phoenix: “I am excited about Phoenix this week. I love racing there. I consider it my home track. It is always a lot of fun to go there because family and friends from back home can make the trip. For some of them, it is the only trip they make all year. I had a good finish for them last year and I’m really excited about our chances this week. We tested this truck during the off season and it was really fast.”

Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing 

Justin Lofton celebrated his 25th birthday on Friday at the Daytona International Speedway, coinciding with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' season opener, the NextEra Energy Resources 250.

"Friday was a lot of fun. It's always cool to celebrate my birthday the week of Daytona, but it was really special this year to have the race fall on my birthday," Lofton said.

After months of anticipation, the event marked the debut for the 2009 ARCA Racing Series champion with his new team Germain Racing. Lofton and crew chief Ryan Fugle showed instant chemistry, as the duo had no problem securing a starting spot for the 100-lap Friday night race after Lofton grabbed the 17th starting position in his No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra.

Once the green flag fell Lofton needed only six laps to move into the top-10. By lap 20 however, Lofton radioed Fugle that his Tundra was running a bit hot, causing him to have to move around in the draft in order to get more air into the nose of his machine in order to cool down the rising temperatures.

Under green on lap 28, Lofton drove the No. 77 Toyota down pit road for his first pit stop of the night. The crew got to work, changing right side tires and adding fuel.

10 laps later, the first caution flag of the event waved, allowing Lofton to make another stop. This time the crew swapped out all four tires, added fuel, and made an adjustment under the rear end of the No. 77. The additional work cost Lofton a lap, but by the next caution on lap 55, Lofton was given the free pass, putting him back on the lead lap.

Fugle then made the call on lap 56 and again on lap 67 to bring Lofton down pit road in order to top off on fuel. With 33 laps remaining, he informed his driver, "Use long gears. We're good to lap 101, but save all you can for a green-white-checkered."

Just 10 laps later however, a multi-truck wreck broke out in turn 1. Over a dozen trucks were involved, including Lofton. With damage to the Lofton Cattle machine, the newly 25-year-old drove to pit road for repairs.

Lofton returned to the track, but a bent truck arm left Lofton with a challenge behind the wheel. On lap 85, the truck broke loose, sending Lofton spinning through the tri-oval. After additional repairs, Lofton rejoined the race.

With just two laps remaining, the caution fell following a 10-truck accident across the front stretch. Luckily, Lofton missed the melee.

After waiting out a 10-minute red flag for clean-up, Lofton took the restart from the 24th position for a race-extending green-white-checkered finish.

With the help of spotter Mark Green, Lofton maneuvered his way through the draft on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, wheeling his way to a solid 18th place finish.

"We had a tough race but the guys did a great job working on the truck and we pulled out a solid result. We have a great group of guys here and it feels good to get our first race together under our belts. I'm real excited about heading to Phoenix next. It is one of my favorite tracks," Lofton added.

Lofton and the No. 77 Toyota Tundra team will next hit the track on Friday, February 25th at the Phoenix International Raceway for the Lucas Oil 150.

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Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing

- Bodine is the Reigning Truck Series Champion after earning his 2nd title in 2010

- Bodine is Third Driver in Truck Series History to Win Multiple Titles, and Clinch Early

- Bodine Owns 21 Truck Series wins with Germain Racing and 36 NASCAR career wins

- At Daytona, Bodine has finished 5th or better in each of six NCWTS races

Mooresville, N.C. (February 16, 2010) - Germain Racing has a new look for 2011. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions are kicking off the year with a sponsorship from Tire Kingdom on the No. 30 Tundra and this season will be the first in two years that sees the 30 Tundra have a full-time teammate again. In fact, Bodine will be flanked by three teammates—Max Papis in the No. 9 GEICO Tundra, Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra and Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Tundra. Germain Racing’s three full-time additions to the Truck Series have played into the recipe for what could be the most competitive season in history, according to the reigning champ who is attempting to race in all three events at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

“I’m excited about the truck series and for the series because we’ve got a lot of new teams coming in with really good drivers.  I feel like this is probably going to be the most competitive year in the Truck Series ever,” explained Bodine, who is racing at Daytona International Speedway for Tire Kingdom in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday night, in the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry on Saturday and on Sunday in the No. 60 Tire Kingdom Camry. 

Bodine says the reason 2011 should go down in history as the best season ever is that the Truck Series fields are brimming full of competitive racing teams and drivers and it’s why the fans keep coming back to watch the Trucks.

“When the series first started, they had a lot of good guys, but there was only five or six teams that really could step up anytime and win a race.  If you look at the list of teams we’ve got and drivers, I think this year there’s an honest 12 or 15 teams that could win on any given week.   To have that kind of level of competition is incredible,” said Bodine, noting that in a 36 truck field, nearly half of the competition is regularly competing for the win each week. “I believe that’s one reason that fans are drawn to the Truck Series,” said Bodine. “We’ve got a lot of good teams that are on level playing fields.  We don’t have four or five that are going to run away with the show every week.  When the fans show up to watch, they never know who is going to win.”

Bodine and Germain Racing are part of the deeper talent pool this season. They have recruited three full-time drivers to add to their Truck Series fleet this year. Bodine did his part. They are also part of another big three in Daytona as Bodine and Germain Racing attempt to race in the Truck Series season opener as well as the NNS and NSCS openers all with sponsorship from Tire Kingdom.

“It’s pretty neat.  I don’t know that it’s ever been done where one sponsor sponsored all three series at Daytona -- the same driver, same team.  Tire Kingdom has been in racing -- they do a lot of other things in NHRA and drag racing, and they partnered with Valvoline to come up with this program for Speed Weeks.  We’re really proud to be able to be with them in NASCAR. Hopefully we can grow the program and make it bigger and better down the line,” said Bodine.

Bodine is strapping into racing chassis TRD-058 for Friday’s season opener. It is the only chassis to ever be a No. 30 Tundra at Daytona or Talladega. The truck has four restrictor plate wins in a stretch that began with a pole and win in 2007 at Talladega and continued through a win at Daytona in 2009 in a then unsponsored No. 30 Tundra. No driver had collected four consecutive superspeedway wins when Bodine accomplished this.

Watch Bodine in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway on SPEED with race coverage beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

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Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra