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Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. For Justin Lofton, that meant wiggling Joey Coulter out of the way in the closing laps to win the thrilling ARCA RE/MAX 200 presented by Belle Tire Friday night at Toledo Speedway.

Lofton, 20 laps from the finish, got into the left rear quarter of Coulter during a late-race restart. Coulter, to save the car, had to chase it up the track while Lofton drove underneath to take the lead. From there, Coulter stayed right with the eventual winner; and at times got close enough to return the favor, but settled in to finish second, one length away. It was Lofton’s fifth win of the season and sixth overall of his career.

“We worked so hard to get a win here at Toledo, ARCA’s hometown track,” said Lofton, who led 57 laps overall. “This feels good. I didn’t mean to get into Joey Coulter there. It’s just racing I guess. I want to thank Valvoline Instant Oil Change for coming on board with us again. This win feels really, really good. After all the bad luck we’ve had here, I felt like this place owed us one. Maybe we can go get us another win the dirt (at DuQuoin).”

The victory padded Lofton’s point lead over Parker Kligerman by 65 points while it eliminated what would have been a career-first win for Coulter.

2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Justin Allgaier had a bit of a homecoming today at Toledo Speedway where the Springfield, Illinois driver brought his NASCAR Nationwide Series Verizon team to play for a couple days.

“We’ve been working on trying to make our short track program better,” said Allgaier, who plans to test Tuesday and Wednesday at the historic Toledo half-mile.

“I’ve had so many laps around this place. I know where to brake, when I can get back in the gas. I don’t need to spend time getting to know the place. That way we can focus more on the car rather than working on me.

“We tested at Walt Disney World Speedway not too long ago, but we spent too much time getting to know the track. Toledo’s a good choice because we already have so many laps around here.”

Toledo is also where Allgaier molded some of his most cherished memories.

“Even outside of the races I’ve won (in ARCA), I think the night I finished second to Ken Schrader here was my most favorite memory. That was huge for me beyond explaining it.”

Toledo Speedway is also the track where Allgaier secured the 2008 title in dramatic fashion. Allgaier went into the Toledo season finale last year third in points, but came out first when Scott Speed and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. tangled with one another. Allgaier went on to win the race and win the coveted crown.

Point leader Parker Kligerman has opted for a weekend at home in Westport, Connecticut this Saturday and Sunday during one of two off-weekends for the ARCA RE/MAX Series before the next event on tour - the 47th Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile-dirt in Springfield Sunday, August 23rd.

KIigerman will be celebrating his 19th birthday Saturday, August 8th followed up by Blink-182 concert Sunday night. As for the following weekend, no plans yet.

Meanwhile, Justin Lofton (left), who trails Kligerman by 20 points headed down the homestretch, is busy in a different kind of way this weekend, all the while preparing for his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Michigan Int’l Speedway Saturday, August 15th. Lofton, who scored his first career ARCA RE/MAX Series win at Michigan in 2008, is set to pilot a second CJM Racing entry as a teammate to Sprint Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin.

“I went to San Diego after Pocono for two days and visited with friends and my grandparents,” California native Lofton said. “I am staying busy this weekend moving from my apartment into a house.” If time allows, Lofton might spend a day this weekend with his crew at Carowinds for some much needed fun amidst their hectic schedule.
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As more and more women get into auto racing - and actually do well at it - we are going to see more female-focused sponsors. Attend a NASCAR Sprint Cup race and you’ll see lots of pink - more in the shops than in the stands, however - as many vendors miss the mark on female fans, thinking they’d want pink “versions” of their fan t-shirts and hats rather than show off their “colors”, say in the red/blue of Tony Stewart or the AMP green of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

NASCAR isn’t the only series that is recognizing the correlation between the advancements of the female driver and the increased interest and participation of the female fan. ARCARacing.com announced earlier this week that Pocono will make history - or, “her”story if you will, with the launch of new female-focused sponsors for ARCA driver Alli Owens, one of the few women drivers who has seen success - and support - from fans across the board.

40 Small businesses - either run by women entrepreneurs; having products focused solely on women consumers; or run by women - have become product sponsors for Alli’s already-unique female-driven car. Owens will be one of two women driving at the Pennsylvania ARCA 200 on August 1, 2009.

“This is a new idea for our sport and for ARCA RE/MAX - support from small businesses, who typically could not afford a large sponsorship in any series. But there should be no discount for the ‘passion’ of women in business, like myself,” said Alli Owens. “We are amazingly driven in whatever we do. I’m so happy to be able to promote some of the best small businesses across the country, run by women - since they support the effort of women in racing! As one of my young fans just said last week, ‘You Rock and Girls Rule!’”

“As a team owner, I’m enthusiastic to have support by so many companies for our team,” said DMS team owner Eddie D’Hondt. “It’s a very different way of approaching the business aspect of our sport, but it’s also an innovative way to market. Alli is already unique to the sport, being a woman - her platform of awareness is heightened, and that makes it attractive for a potential sponsor. Her reach is great, and the female consumers drive 85% of the purchasing decisions in a family. We are listening; and we are happy to support women & women-run businesses to complement our full line of great sponsors.”

To view the full list of female-centric sponsors that will be participating in the August 1st event, please visit www.arcaracing.com/news.

Herschel McGriff gave a lot of people a reason to smile this past weekend when he competed in the Camping West World Series at Portland International Raceway, U.S.A finishing 13th in the 28 car field. A finish made all the more surprising after McGriff was forced to start at the back of the field and make up a lost lap. It was also a surprising finish given that McGriff is 81 years old.

McGriff has been competing in NASCAR since the 1950’s. In fact he won four races in 1954 prior to any active NASCAR driver today even being born.

In 2002, McGriff established the record for the oldest driver to compete in a NASCAR sanctioned event, a record he broke this past weekend.

Another driver, James Hylton, attempted but failed to make the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 in 2007. Hylton was 72 at the time. He did return to Daytona and competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Race in 2008 starting 38th and finishing 36th.

While these men are certainly great competitors and both are proven winners in NASCAR, at their respectful ages are they a danger to themselves or others when they are racing?

Keselowski hoped a recent meeting with team owner Rick Hendrick would answer some questions about where he’d be racing next season. Keselowski wants a full-time ride next year, and he’s optimistic he can stay affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports. He discussed several possibilities with Hendrick, though no final decision was reached.

Keselowski was making only his seventh Cup start of the season last night at Chicagoland Speedway. He qualified 29th in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 25 Chevrolet, and had Tony Eury Jr., as his crew chief. Eury was calling the shots for the first time since he was ousted as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief in late May.

The place is the famed Hickory Motor Speedway and the action along with the temperature was hot, hot, hot. Paddy Rodenbeck set the Sunoco Pole time of 15.315 and kept a blistering pace all night long. Brandon McReynolds was the KLB Race Cars & Parts outside pole winner at 15.333. Twenty four cars hit the blistering grid, the qualifying was close and the field is set.

The Pro Challenge cars lead off the evening activities with young Meghan Dillner winning the pole at 16.002 followed by Stephen Bergh, Jr. on the outside with a 16.068. Dillner took the lead on lap one and she had determination and stamina to remain there for the entire race. Her win was not a given however. Bergh fought her tooth and nail for the lead but Dillner wasn’t giving an inch. They had the crowd in a roar and a lot of women shouting “You go girl”. Bergh put the pressure on Dillner with a vengeance with John Hilliker in hot pursuit. It was a battle royal and on lap 22 Bergh spins in turn four. He goes to the rear and will come back to a fourth place finish. Early in the race Kyle Benjamin and Brady Boswell spin in turn two but it was definitely Dillner’s night to shine and she did it in great style.

The Denver Marine, Performancenter, 3V Performance 150 Finish

1. Paddy Rodenbeck

2. Jamey Caudill

3. Matt McCall

4. Roger Lee Newton

5. Corey LaJoie

6. Darrell Wallace, Jr.

7. Owen Kelly

8. Michael Rouse

9. Clint Mills

10. Jordan McGregor

11. Brandon McReynolds

12. Scott Turlington

13. Coleman Pressley

14. Brennan Poole

15. Kyle Grissom

16. Matthew Godley

17. Grant McGinnis

18. Richard Boswell II

19. Garrett Campbell

20. Andy Loden

21. Joey Bryant

22. Dylan Presnell

23. Don Satterfield

24. Chris Lawson

Donald R. “Don” Arnold, former ARCA RE/MAX Series driver, died Saturday June 20. Arnold, who was 77, finished seventh in ARCA national championship points in 1964 and 10th in 1965.

Jack Bowsher won series driving championships both seasons, while Rookie of the Years during those seasons were Charlie Glotzbach in ‘64 and Benny Parsons in ‘65.

A U.S. Army veteran who served during the Korean War, Don Arnold is survived by his wife Marilyn of Mentor Ohio.

Funeral services have taken place, final interment is at Western Reserve Memorial Garden in Chester Township, and memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Cleveland Clinic, 6801 Brecksville Road, Independence OH 44131.

The ASA Late Model Series has announced the following changes to the Challenge Series schedule. The August 1, 2009 race scheduled for Bristol Motor Speedway has been changed to August 2, 2009 at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

“After months of trying to work out a date with the ASA Late Model Series, we regret that we are not able to host the series in 2009, but we want to continue hosting ASA Late Model Series races. I know that both the sanctioning body and the speedway officials regret being unable to stage ASA Late Model Series racing this year after the spectacular shows we’ve enjoyed the past two years. Hopefully, we will see the ASA Late Model Series back at Bristol in the very near future” stated Bristol Motor Speedway’s Wayne Estes.

“While its disappointing that we won’t be at Bristol in 2009, I went to work as quick as I could to find a replacement for that race. After speaking with the new promoter at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway I knew I had found the right place. We have always has great car counts and great races at the Fairgrounds and we are very excited about going back” commented ASA Late Model Series President Ron Varney.

To help pack the grandstands we will offering a discount for any fan that brings their ticket stub fro the Camping World Truck race being run on Saturday at Nashville Super Speedway” we are even trying to get some of the Truck Series drivers to race our event on Sunday. It should be a must see for race fans, 200 laps of ASA Late Model racing.

Ah… Toledo Speedway, my home town track. I grew up in Toledo suburb Maumee, just blocks away from the Lucas County Recreation Center where the midget racing track was located. I could hear the sounds of the race - and the Toledo Mud Hens game - from my bedroom window on still, muggy Ohio summer nights.

Wish I could have made it to Toledo Speedway just once. Now out on the left coast, all I read about are the awesome ARCA series events that happen at this track, all the amazing action that I’m missing out here in California.

This week, you can catch the action in LIVE VIDEO and AUDIO STREAMS from Toledo Speedway and get a little taste of the action for yourself. Just tune in to www.arcaracing.com and don’t miss a moment!

Live streaming video and audio returns to ARCAracing.com/ARCA Nation this Saturday and Sunday, May 16 & 17 from Toledo Speedway for both the ARCA RE/MAX Series Menards 200 finale and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series K-100.

All on track activity for both series, including practice, qualifying and the races, will feature live video and audio streams all weekend long.