Matt Crafton
2006
6/21
Crafton Rises To 8th In Standings, Heads To Milwaukee With Momentum
Matt Crafton’s climb toward the top of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings continues Friday in the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee Mile.
Crafton finished 5th at Michigan International Speedway last weekend, lifting him to 8th place in the standings. He is separated from the top-five by a mere 22 points. Crafton qualified 6th at Michigan in the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado, and ran in the top-five throughout the 200 lap race, which featured 8 cautions for 28 laps.
“It took our truck five or ten laps to get going, so I didn’t like the real short runs at the end of the race,” Crafton said. “I think we’d have had a top-three truck if we’d had more green flag runs. But all in all, Michigan has been a nemesis to me, so I’ll gladly take a top five finish. I’m thankful to my guys for the job they did this weekend.”
Crafton has finished in the top ten in half of the season’s first ten races, including 3 of the last five, and momentum in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appears to be wearing fluorescent yellow.
This weekend’s trip to The Milwaukee Mile may further aid Crafton’s championship efforts. In five previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Milwaukee, Crafton owns three top-ten finishes. “I really enjoy racing at Milwaukee, and look forward to going there every year,” said Crafton. “It’s a fun, flat track to race on, and the track makes the drivers work hard. We’ll have to use our practice sessions to put together a good plan for the race. We practice during the day, and the race is at night, so that will be a factor, too. I’m just real proud of our guys on the No. 88, and the job they are doing every week. They’re working their tails off for me, and the results are showing at the track. I’m confident that we can come out of Milwaukee with another real strong finish and keep our momentum going.”
The 200-lap, 200-mile race is scheduled for an 8:15pm CDT start, with live television coverage provided by SPEED TV. The race will also be broadcast on MRN Radio and XM Satellite Radio.