Lofton gets first off-road win of 2012 on General Tires

For some, the Henderson 250 was a race to the Best In The Desert (BITD) championship.  For others, it was an opportunity to finish the 2012 BITD season with a bang.  And that’s just what NASCAR standout Justin Lofton did.  For the second year in a row, Lofton captured the Class 1500 win.
 
“It was an awesome weekend for all of us on the Lofton Racing Team,” said Lofton.  “We were bummed that we missed the pole by two-tenths of a second.  And I know exactly where that’s at, so it’s the most annoying thing in the world.
 
“We took the pre-runner out in the Sportsman’s Class and were able to get a quick peek at the track to make sure there were no holes out there.”  Lofton continued, “So when we got into the 1500 buggy, it was comforting to know what to expect.  Overall it was a great race.”
 
While 250 miles to an off-road racer seems like a trophy dash, it doesn’t mean that the job at hand is any easier.  The Nevada desert serves up a variety of challenges including sharp rocks and steep drop-offs.  Lofton and his co-driver, Jorge Lameda, had a set-back early on in the race that put them behind by eight minutes but their determination was un-stoppable.  They navigated their way through the rough terrain but were operating with only front brakes after their rear brake line broke.  With strong equipment and smart pit strategy, the team charged to the front coming within one minute of the overall win.
 
“Our Grabbers held up really good,” commented Lofton.  “We were really smart on our pit strategy and adjusted throughout the race to get us in front of different vehicles which was important because the dust was really bad out there.  Overall, I’m really excited to defend our win at Henderson and finish the season on a high note.”
 
“On behalf of everyone at General Tire, I want to congratulate Justin on his back-to-back wins at Henderson,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire.  “We’re proud to have Justin on General’s and it was impressive to watch him and Jorge come back to win Class 1500 and come within one minute of the overall after some early setbacks.
 
“I’d also like to congratulate all the Team GT members who garnered a podium at Henderson.”  Roffler continued, “It was great to end 2012 on such a strong note and we’re looking forward to an even better 2013.”
 
General tires also helped Sean Backus to a win in Class 7200 while Macrae Glass took home the win in Class 8000.  Kent Kroeker and Randy Merritt posted second-place finishes in Class 8000 and 7200 respectively, and General Tire Vegas to Reno winner, Garrick Freitas, marched to a third-place finish in Class 1500.