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NASCAR Trucks: Lefturn Motorsports and CJ Racing agree to merge race teams

27 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Marietta, GA - Lefturn Motorsports, LLC, headquartered here has signed a Letter of Intent to combine race team operations with CJ Racing Enterprises' #27 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Team of Denver, NC, effective August 18, 2000. Under the arrangement, the #27 Hastings Filters Ford F-150 will complete the full 2000 NCTS season with Lefturn's driver, Ricky Sanders, at the controls. Mike Albernaz, CJR owner, will assume the role of Crew Chief and the combined #19 and #27 race trucks and equipment are now housed at CJR's shop.

"This move will allow me to concentrate on building winning race trucks and focus set-ups and race strategy on a single driver," Albernaz said. "That's what I love to do."

"Here in our first year we have struggled with race preparation," said Jim Murphy, Lefturn President. "As a result, Ricky hasn't gotten the practice or race time that he needs. Combining the shops under Mike's direction will put that problem behind us"

Sanders has qualified for NCTS events at Texas and Kentucky and was running 21st at Texas when the transmission broke at 100 laps and finished 22nd at the Kroger 250. The #27 is 26th in Owner Points and the arrangement with Lefturn allows the #27 to continue to display the Hastings Filters colors with the #19's TruckTrix.com. as an associate.

"We plan to concentrate on getting the #27 into the last five races of 2000, finishing in the Top 25 in Owner Points and adding a co-sponsor that complements Hastings for 2001," Murphy said. "We're going to talk with Ford about the new motor rules and other 2001 changes; and, by the end of September, we will have a plan built for next year that can carry us into the December Daytona test."

Hastings Filters is a subsidiary of Clarcor Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer and marketer of Engine/Mobile Filtration products; Industrial/Environmental Filtration products and Packaging products for domestic and international markets. Hastings offers a full line brand of aftermarket filters for light trucks and automobiles. TruckTrix.com, a subsidiary of Lefturn Enterprises, Inc. is a marketing consolidation program for independent automotive accessory shops. In addition to the NCTS race team, Lefturn Motorsports, LLC manufactures and markets Billet Race Products, a line of specialized circle track suspension adjusters.

Text provided by K. Hahn

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