Matt Crafton
2006

5/30
Crafton 6th At Mansfield, Remains On Roll

Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado) rolled to his fourth top 10 finish in the last five races with a sixth place finish in the caution-filled City of Mansfield 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway on Saturday. Crafton persevered despite a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record 18 cautions on the half-mile bullring. The cautions totalled 85 laps, chewing up more than a third of the race. Crafton started the race in tenth place after qualifying was canceled, and remained in the top ten for the duration of the sun-drenched afternoon. Crafton has finished in the top ten in both short-track races thus far this season, as he claimed a season-best third-place finish at Martinsville in April. He was second only to race winner Ron Hornaday among Chevrolets on Saturday.
"The guys gave me another good truck to drive today," Crafton said. "I believe we'd have been as strong as anyone out there on long runs, but we didn't get a chance to show it with all the cautions. The longest green flag stretch we had was ten laps. It was tough to pass out there. The race was all about track position, and it was kind of a 'follow the leader' type of deal. On one of the last restarts, things kind of accordioned-up going into turn one, so I just drove it to the outside and buried it and it stuck for me. We didn't want to ride around and follow people. We were here to win." Crafton narrowly missed his second top-five finish of the season, as he and rookie Joey Miller battled fiercely for the final fifteen laps of the race. "We could have had a top-five, but he knew I was there and he ran his line and ran a real good race and I wasn't gonna move him for fifth. All things considered, it was a real good day for us."
Crafton's recent string of strong finishes has catapulted him from the middle of the pack to 8th place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings after seven races. He is separated from fifth place by less than 40 points. "The guys always work their tails off for me," said Crafton of his crew. "They're always looking for every possible way that we can make the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado better. We're in a real good rhythm right now, and we feel good about what's ahead."
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series action continues with the AAA Insurance 200 at Dover International Speedway at 4:45pm EST on Friday. Speed Channel will air the race via tape-delay at 8pm. MRN Radio will carry the event live.
In five previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Dover, Crafton owns a pair of top ten finishes, including a ninth-place finish last season.

5/23
Crafton Carptures Fourth Consecutive Top 10 At Charlotte, Heads To Mansfield With Momentum

Matt Crafton charged to an 8th place finish in the No. 88 Menards/Energizer Chevrolet in the Quaker Steak & Lube 200 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday, and into the top 10 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings for the first time this season.

Crafton secured his fourth consecutive top 10 finish at the 1.5 mile superspeedway, the longest active streak among NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers, and has collected three top 10 finishes in his last 4 races, fueling his rise in the standings.

“I’m real proud of the way we finished at Charlotte,” Crafton said. “The guys keep working hard and they’re putting good trucks underneath me, and we’re getting stronger. Unfortunately, we’ve made some mistakes in the pits that have cost us some valuable spots, and we’ve got to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them. This Series is so tough as it is, and you’ve got to make the most of your opportunities.”

While he never threatened the leaders at Charlotte, Crafton avoided any major problems and ran comfortably in the top 15 throughout the race. Crafton is within 40 points of the top 5 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings as he heads for the City of Mansfield 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway on Saturday.

“Mansfield is the home track for ThorSport Racing, and that’s added incentive for us to run well there,” said Crafton. “We tested well there last year, but missed the setup during the race. We had a top 10 truck, but cut a tire late in the race and fell out of contention. It’s a great environment, with the short track and the fans going crazy. We want to bring home a top 5 finish for ThorSport Racing. I’m happy to be racing every week now, and I'm confident that we can keep our momentum going.”

Saturday will mark Crafton’s third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Mansfield. He finished 10th in ’04.

5/17
Crafton Looks To Keep Top 10 Streak Intact At Charlotte

ThorSport Racing's Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards/Energizer Chevy) is among nine drivers entered in Friday's Quaker Steak & Lube 200 who raced in the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Charlotte in '03. Crafton is the only one of the bunch, however, to post three consecutive top 10 finishes. Crafton has finished ninth in all three of his starts at the newly resurfaced 1.5 mile superspeedway. He hopes to keep that streak intact, and perhaps add his first top 5 finish to the mix, this weekend.
"I always look forward to coming to Charlotte," said Crafton. "With all of the great history here, it's a really special place, and an honor to race here. I've always run well here, and I'm confident that we can do it again on Friday."
Crafton and the No. 88 team tested at Chicagoland recently in preparation for the race. "We tested well at Chicagoland, and that added to our confidence," he said. "Because of the harder tire at Charlotte, we're gonna have to take a different approach to pit strategy for this race."
After the early-season lull of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where off weekends have been plentiful, the series revs into rhythm with nine consecutive races beginning at Charlotte. Crafton welcomes the hectic pace.
"I'm glad the waiting is over," he said. "It's time to get back to racing, and to do what we get paid to do."
Despite a disappointing start to the season, Crafton has claimed two top 10 finishes in the last three races and has climbed to 13th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. He is within twenty points of the top 10.
"We've gained momentum over the last few races, and I believe we can keep it going at Charlotte," Crafton said. "We feel real good about our No. 88 team, and we're ready to see what we can do."

5/2
Crafton Finishes 12th in Missouri-Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200

Matt Crafton finished where he started in the Missouri-Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at windy Gateway International Speedway on Friday evening, as he brought the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado home in 12 th place on the 1.25 mile paved oval.

Crafton, owner of four top-ten finishes in five previous starts at Gateway, began the race in 12 th place after qualifying was canceled due to bad weather.  At times during the 200-mile, caution-filled affair (a track record 13 cautions  consumed 50 laps), it appeared Crafton would add to his record of strong finishes at Gateway.  He ran inside the top-ten for several laps late in the race, but a problem on restarts, which had plagued the No. 88 throughout the evening,  kept Crafton from a shot at victory.

“We were horrible on restarts tonight,” said Crafton.  “It took my truck at least five laps or more to get going.  The truck was good after a thirty or forty lap run, but we couldn’t get any green flag runs like you usually have here.  We couldn’t get going with all the cautions.”

Crafton remains in 12 th place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings after five races.  Next up for Crafton is the Quaker Steak and Lube 200 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte on May 19.