RACE ADVANCE: Eddie Sharp Racing Trio Talladega Bound

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



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.

 

Here are some quotes from each of the ESR drivers:

 

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."

 

Justin Lofton (No. 20 Lofton Cattle Toyota):

"I'm really looking forward to racing at Talladega. 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 can 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."

 

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." 

 

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. 

 

For more on Eddie Sharp Racing, please log onto www.teamesr.com.

 

For more on Scott Speed, please visit www.redbullusa.com/scottspeed.

 

For more on Ken Butler, III, please visit www.butlerbrothersracing.com.

 

For more on Justin Lofton, please visit www.loftonracing.com.

 

 

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 Speedway)

Best Start:  First at Cayuga Speedway Park, June 2008

Best Finish: First at Michigan International Speedway, June 2008

 

###

Media Contact:    Jody L. Jennings

                                 Public Relations Manager

   Eddie Sharp Racing
   C: 205.910-4429 
   O: 704.489-8809
     jjennings@teamesr.com