WESTMORLAND, California -- It was a good news, bad news, good news weekend for rookie Justin Lofton. Lead by veteran crew chief, Paul Copenhaver and surprise visitor Brad Parrott, they had a successful Saturday of practice. “Justin got faster each time he went out,” said Copenhaver. “We got good feedback from the driver which made it easier to make the adjustments that the car needed.” By the end of practice the Bob Lofton Cattle Feeding Investments Chevrolet was 12th on the board.
Sunday morning qualifying had less than stellar results. After taking the green flag for the first of his 2 laps, Justin spun in the middle of turn 2. Making a full 360, he managed to save the car, doing only minor damage to the right front fender and bending the upper control arm. “The car felt great through 3 and 4. I just got excited and got in the gas too early coming through 1 and 2”, said Lofton. As a result of the spin, it was questionable as to whether or not Lofton would make the field. Even before knowing whether or not the #66 would make the field, the crew went to work replacing the upper control arm, and repairing the damage to the right front fender. When the qualifying results were finally posted, Lofton had the final spot, starting 34th. The crew, under NASCAR’s watchful eye, worked frantically to not only finish the mechanical, but also cosmetic repairs, and roll the car out to staging with the rest of the 34-car field.
Wasting no time, Lofton went to work immediately after the green flag, picking off cars one at a time. As he moved up into the top 15, a multi-car accident resulted in a yellow flag. The crew got him out quickly after a pit stop, and Lofton was shown in 9th. Then, over the radio came the bad news that they had been assessed a penalty for a tire violation, resulting in returning Lofton to the rear of the field. Lofton didn’t allow the penalty to get down, and again went to work at the drop of the green flag making his way back towards the front. When all was said and done and the final checkered flag dropped, Lofton had finished the race in 12th place, having come from the rear twice in the same race. As a result, he was awarded the Powerade Move of the Race for improving his position further than anyone else. “Justin showed great patience during the race.” said Parrott “He is developing into a talented young driver”.
The Team is looking forward to returning to Phoenix in April and showing what they can due from the “front” of the field.
