General Info:
Eddie Sharp earned his racing stripes on sea and land, behind the wheel and on the pitbox, from race-to-race and year-to-year building the dream that is now the reality known as Eddie Sharp Racing. For those drivers who have become part of the fabric and family, the business is simply called Team ESR. At Eddie Sharp Racing, it's all about the team.Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie SharpRacing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing.Located in Denver, North Carolina just north of Charlotte, Eddie Sharp Racing occupies a top-notch facility that closely resembles a five-star NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, both inside and out. The two ESR buildings each contain two teams where on any given day, championship contending cars are assembled, engines tuned and teams strategize to score the next race day victory.In 2009, Team ESR will field four full-time ARCA teams including one-year ESR veteran, Justin Lofton, 2008 Camping World Series East contender, Craig Goess Jr., 2008 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year, Steve Arpin, and 2008 Grand-Am Rookie of the Year, Tim George Jr. Each driver a success in his own right, together they represent a passion for winning in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and advancing into NASCAR equipped with the best knowledge and tools for success.Eddie Sharp Racing not only provides the essential tools in the best cars, fine-tuned chassis and superior Toyota engines, he offers drivers an unprecedented education in the business of stock car racing. With a team that operates on a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level, Eddie works one-on-one with each driver, honing his skills and tailoring the ARCA program to fit each driver's skill set and expectations. Additionally, ESR provides a full range of marketing, communications and sponsor support.In 2008, Team ESR fielded three full-time cars, two of which were sponsored by national brands, including Red Bull Energy Drink and Aarons Rents, Inc Red Bull racer Scott Speed, formerly of Formula 1 fame, hung his proverbial hat at ESR for the 08 season, learning the ropes, the tracks and the stock car dialogue. Together, Sharp and veteran crew chief, Patrick Donahue, crafted a program for Speed that made him a true ARCA championship contender and soon earned him a ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he logged his first rookie win in Dover. Speed is slated to race full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the #82 Red Bull Toyota Camry in 2009.Aarons Rents has been on board at ESR for two years fielding cars with skilled drivers including Ken Butler III, Michael McDowell and Josh Wise. After graduating from ESR and ARCA in 2007, Michael McDowell headed straight to the Cup Series piloting the No. 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing. McDowell, 2007 ARCA Rookie of the Year with four races and nine poles, recently announced his full-time ride in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2009, where he will continue to gain critical ground and laps. Following in stride, Ken Butler III also announced his graduation into the Nationwide Series this season together with Aarons as a full-time sponsor.With graduates in the premiere stock car series and a new freshman class in place, Team ESR will continue to prove it has the credentials to reach beyond driver development with a unique and superior curriculum that sets the standard for the racing talent of the future.