Justin Lofton isn’t alone during his return to Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR). Not only will he have the familiar face of team owner Eddie Sharp leading the way, but he’ll also have the know-how in new crew chief Dan Bormann. Bormann, who served as the car chief on Lofton’s ARCA Racing Series entry en route to the 2009 championship, has been named crew chief on Lofton’s Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra.
“I am really looking forward to working with Justin again. We work well together and we are great friends. I know what he wants in a setup, and we already have the communication down,” Bormann said. “I am really excited about the opportunity and I can’t thank Eddie and Justin enough.”
With the addition of Bormann, Trip Bruce will now serve as ESR’s competition director. He will also take the reigns on pending development programs within the team.
“Dan was very vocal in helping this team be as successful as we were in 2009. To be able to bring him and Justin back together again speaks volumes for what we built. Justin and I both know he will get the job done. He is a genuine leader,” added team owner Sharp. “With Dan joining Trip, this adds even more depth to our company. Trip is a huge asset. ESR can only continue to grow from here with him in a position of overseeing the program.”
Though this marks 33-year-old Bormann’s first go around as crew chief, he has a plethora of racing experience to his credit. A 13 year motorsports veteran, Bormann got his start at local short tracks in his native California. After learning the ropes in the K&N Pro Series West, he decided to move east, and relocated to North Carolina in 2005.
He padded his resume by working with veteran drivers Mike Skinner, Tony Raines, and Jimmy Spencer before moving to Clay Andrews Racing in 2006. Later that year, the team earned the race win in Kentucky with driver David Gilliland. Gilliland promptly made the move to the Sprint Cup Series, and CAR dissolved. Bormann then also made the move to Cup competition with Roush Fenway Racing. After a short stint at RFR, Bormann landed at Chip Ganassi Racing, where he remained for three seasons. During that time he made numerous trips to victory lane in the Nationwide Series while working with drivers Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya.
In early 2009 Bormann moved to Eddie Sharp Racing where he spent the season as car chief on Lofton’s ARCA entry. Together, they earned six race wins, 15 top-fives and 19 top-10s en route to the title.
Following the championship season in 2009, Bormann transitioned with Lofton to Camping World Truck Series competition, serving as his truck chief at Red Horse Racing. They earned a season best finish of third with four top-five and eight top-10 finishes through the year.
Bormann started the 2011 season at Turner Motorsports, where he served as truck chief for Ricky Carmichael until the call came that Lofton was returning to ESR.
“It was a no-brainer for me and it really means a lot that Eddie, Justin, and Justin’s Dad Bob believe in me enough to ask me to lead this team. I am really looking forward to Kentucky and racing together again,” Bormann added.
“I trust every decision Dan makes on these trucks. It’s been a long time coming and I know he’s the right man for the job,” Lofton said.
Justin Lofton PR
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