November 14, 2003
Rice Makes NCTS Debut in ThorSport Chevy with 20th-place Finish at Homestead Homestead, FL Buddy Rice drove a second Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet out of the ThorSport Racing stable to a 20th-place finish in Friday's Ford 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was Rice's debut in the NCTS, and his first stock car race of any kind. Bobby Hamilton won the 134-lap race on the newly reconfigured 1.5-mile oval. "We stayed out of trouble and brought it home in one piece," Rice said. "We had some close calls, but avoided all of the trouble out there and made it to the end. I got more and more comfortable racing in traffic as the day went on. We really started to turn some quick times there at the end." Rice narrowly missed disaster on the lap 101 restart that claimed series championship contender Brendan Gaughan. "I was doing what I could do to get the truck slowed down and miss all the debris that was out there," Rice said. "I must have got hit from behind pretty hard, because the left rear fender is sticking out like a parachute. Matt (Crafton) came over after the race and asked me if that damage made the truck loose at all. I must not have enough experience in these things because I couldn't tell the difference at all! "I had a good time this weekend. It is definitely a lot different from an Indy car, but it was a lot of fun. I don't know what the future holds right now, but I certainly wouldn't mind coming back and doing some more of this racing." November 14, 2003 Crafton Ends Tenure in ThorSport Chevy with 15th-Place Finish at Homestead Homestead, FL Matt Crafton drove the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet to a 15th-place finish in Friday's Ford 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was Crafton's last race in Duke and Rhonda Thorson's No. 88 Chevrolets. Bobby Hamilton won the 134-lap race on the newly reconfigured 1.5-mile oval. "We had an adventurous day to say the least," Crafton said. "Early in the race we got tangled up with Jack Sprague and it dinged up the left front corner of the truck. That gave us a real bad aero-push for most of that really long green flag run. Once we got the damage fixed, we ran some of the most competitive lap times of the race, but by then we had been put a lap down. That lucky dog rule then kept letting trucks that were in front of us, but a lot slower, get their laps back. We just never caught a break with the timing of the cautions." After each of the last two cautions of the day, Crafton fought a mysterious tire condition that caused his truck to become virtually undriveable for a lap or two before it would finally come back in. "I don't know what the situation was there," Crafton said. "I don't know if it was air pressure or if I had some trash on the tires or what, but I would go down into the corner and it would wash up all the way to the wall. I did all I could not to crash the first lap or so after those late race restarts. We thought we might have had a tire going soft it was so bad, but we had my teammate Buddy Rice pull up right before that last restart and he said it was fine. It is a shame, because had we been able to get it going on those last two restarts I think we could have picked up one or two more positions." Crafton wraps up the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with eleven top-10 finishes and finishes eleventh in the final series standings. "We had a really good season," Crafton said. "We had a lot of top-10 runs, and the team had its best points finish in its history. I can't say enough about this team and Duke and Rhonda Thorson. They have been great owners to drive for and really treated Jocelyn and myself like part of their family. We are going our separate ways next year, but I am always going to be grateful for the opportunity they gave me." *For More Information, Please Visit: November 13, 2003 CRAFTON TO START 17TH IN HOMESTEAD TRUCK FINALE HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Matt Crafton will close out his third full season of NASCAR Truck Series competition by starting 17th in the Ford 200 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway Friday, November 14. Crafton earned that slot in qualifying for the race Thursday, November 13. Bobby Hamilton won the pole. "This is our last race in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet," Crafton said. "We were hoping for a little better than 17th, but we're in the front half of the field in what may be the deepest field I've seen in my three years in this series." Overall, 44 trucks entered the Ford 200. Among those starting behind Crafton are NASCAR Winston Cup Series veterans Ken Schrader and Mike Wallace, former Truck Series champion Jack Sprague and reigning ARCA Series champion Frank Kimmel. "This is a heck of a field," Crafton said. "I think this is the preview of what the Truck Series is going to be like next year. But before that time comes, I really want to go out and give the ThorSport Racing Team once more top-10 run. "We've struggled in these last few races, but the guys haven't gotten down, haven't given up. We've had the best year the team's ever had, and after how we ran in Happy Hour, I think we're in a position to finish it on a high note." Crafton is currently 11th in the series point standings, 53 points behind 10th-place Chad Chaffin, who qualified second. "We'd like to get the top-10 finish, but regardless, this will be the team's best points' finish," Crafton said. "We're going out there tomorrow to run all day and stay on the lead lap. We'll probably need something to happen to Chad for us to pass him for 10th. We can't worry about that. We can only worry about our truck and doing what we can to get a good finish in the race." Crafton's fastest lap around the newly-reconfigured 1.5-mile oval was 32.714 seconds (165.067 miles per hour). Hamilton earned the pole with a 31.905/169.252 lap. The Ford 200 is slated to start at 3:15 p.m. EST/12:15 p.m. PST. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. November 11, 2003 RICE TO DRIVE THORSPORT'S NO. 88 TRUCK AT HOMESTEAD HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Buddy Rice, a veteran of the Indy Racing League and Indianapolis 500, will attempt to make his NASCAR Truck Series debut in the Ford 200 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway Friday, November 14, it was announced Tuesday. Rice is slated to drive the No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet fielded by ThorSport Racing as a teammate to Matt Crafton in the No. 98 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet. "We're delighted to be able to bring Buddy Rice to NASCAR racing this week at Homestead," said Duke Thorson, owner of ThorSport Racing. "He's a tremendous talent who showed us Monday that he can successfully make the transition from Indy racing to NASCAR racing in our truck." Rice was among the drivers that participated in an open test session at the Homestead track Monday, November 10. While official times weren't recorded, Rice's fastest unofficial lap around the 1.5-mile oval was 32.42 seconds (166.564 miles per hour), likely among the top-12 times posted that day. Qualifying for the Ford 200 is Thursday, November 13. Rice, 27, is a Phoenix native. He won the Toyota Atlantic championship in 2000 with five victories. He has 18 career starts in the Indy Racing League with a career-best finish of second. He recorded eight top-10 finishes. Rice was a rookie at the 2003 Indianapolis 500. He started 19th and finished 11th.
November 10, 2003 CRAFTON READY FOR SEASON FINALE HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Fresh from a full day of testing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Matt Crafton is ready for the conclusion of the 2003 NASCAR Truck Series season. The season finale, the Ford 200, is Friday, November 14 at the Homestead track. The day-long test session Monday, October 10 was the first time truck had been on the Homestead facility since the track was reconfigured to have higher banking in the corners. "They did a great job rebuilding this place," Crafton said. "I think there's going to a lot of action here come Friday." While official times weren't recorded, Crafton's fastest unofficial lap around the 1.5-mile oval was 32.85 seconds. "We're comfortable running there," Crafton said. "We were on the mat almost all the way around. I think we're going to have to squeeze a little more speed out of the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet in qualifying Thursday. We think we have a good race truck. We need to make it a little faster in a two-lap dash in qualifying." Crafton comes into the race 11th in the series point standings. He trails 10th-place Chad Chaffin by 43 points.
October 31, 2003 CRAFTON 14TH IN SILVERADO 150 AVONDALE, Ariz. Despite damage sustained in an early-race incident, Matt Crafton brought the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado to 14th position in the Silverado 150 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Phoenix International Raceway Friday, October 31. Kevin Harvick won the race. Crafton, who started 18th, was battling with Terry Cook when their trucks made contact in turn three resulting in a spin by Cook's truck. Crafton drove through the incident, but received damage to the right front fender. I hate it that we got into Terry there, Crafton said. We were racing hard and racing clean. I just got into three a little too hard, got loose and got into him. I'm glad he didn't get in the fence and was able to end up finishing. The ThorSport Racing crew made quick repairs on a subsequent pit stop and Crafton returned to the fray in 18th position. He raced between 18th and 14th for the balance of the 150-lap race at the one-mile oval. I really have to hand it the crew, Crafton said. They did a super job on the fender. They also made a great chassis adjustment on that pit stop. From that point on, we had a great handling truck, but we struggled for straightaway speed. I think we had a top-five handling truck. The performance left Crafton 11th in the series point standings. He trails 10th-place Chad Chaffin by 53 points with one race remaining on the 2003 slate. The season-finale is November 14 in Homestead, Fla. October 29, 2003 CRAFTON COMING FROM 18TH IN SILVERADO 150 AVONDALE, Ariz. - Matt Crafton will start 18th in the Silverado 150 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Phoenix International Raceway Friday, October 31. He earned that starting position in qualifying for the event held Wednesday, October 29. Ted Musgrave won the pole. "We picked up from what we ran in practice, but I think I left a little out there," Crafton said. "We had a lot of little things happen in practice and we didn't get the number of laps we usually do. I didn't know how good the truck was going to be, what it would do. Left a little out there because of that." Crafton's fastest lap around the one-mile oval in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado was 28.381 seconds (126.845 miles per hour). He earned his 23nd-straight top-20 starting position. Musgrave took the pole with a 27.815/129.427 performance. Crafton heads into the penultimate event this season, ranked 11th in the series point standings. The Silverado 150 is slated to start at 5:45 p.m. EST/2:45 p.m. PST Friday, October 31. A final practice in advance of the event is slated for Thursday, October 30. The race will be telecast live by SpeedChannel and broadcast live on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. October 28, 2003 KRUSEMAN BACK IN THORSPORT'S NO. 98 TRUCK SANDUSKY, Ohio - Champion sprint car racer Cory Kruseman is again trying his hand at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in a truck fielded by ThorSport Racing, it was announced Tuesday. Kruseman is set to drive the No. 98 Agromin/Menards Chevrolet in the Silverado 150 at the Phoenix International Raceway Friday, October 31. "It's great to have Cory back with us this week," said ThorSport owner Duke Thorson. "Cory made this race last year, against a very tough field and in his first time in a truck. With that experience and some time he spent with us recently testing, we're looking forward to an even better performance this time." Kruseman made his truck debut in the 2002 Silverado 150. He qualified 32nd out of 42 trucks which entered the event. Engine failure after 109 laps left the California native 31st in the final rundown. Practice and qualifying for this year's Silverado 150 is slated for Wednesday, October 29. The race takes the green flag at 5:45 p.m. EST/2:45 p.m. PST Friday, October 31. The Silverado 150 will be telecast live by SpeedChannel and broadcast via the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. October 24, 2003 Contact: Liberty Sports Management Tim Stephens Charles Krall October 18, 2003 BRAKES GO AGAINST CRAFTON; 28TH AT MARTINSVILLE MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Brake failure after 111 laps left the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado against the retaining wall in turn two and put Matt Crafton 28th in the finishing order of the Advance Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Martinsville Speedway Saturday, October 18. Jon Wood won the race. "We started having brake fade right away," Crafton said. "I kept pumping them to get them to work. Finally, they just went to the floor and I couldn't keep it off the wall. "We were tight all weekend, but the adjustments on the last pit stop got us the best we'd been the whole time. We were a lap down, but I was running right there with the top-five trucks. Thought we could get a caution, get back on the lead lap and maybe find a way to get a decent finish. Instead, we were the caution. Tough way to end the day." The performance left Crafton 11th in the series point standings with two races remaining in the 2003 season. The circuit continues with an October 31 event near Phoenix. October 17, 2003 CRAFTON 20TH IN MARTINSVILLE ADVANCE 200 LINEUP MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Matt Crafton earned the 20th position in the starting lineup for the Advance Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Martinsville Speedway Friday, October 17. Carl Edwards won the pole for the race which is slated for Saturday, October 18. "We expected to be better than that," Crafton said. "We were 14th in practice with a 20.87. We slowed down to a 20.99 in qualifying. If we'd have run (20.)87, we would have been 14th again." Crafton's fastest lap around the 0.526 mile oval in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado was 20.992 seconds (90.206 miles per hour). He earned his 22nd-straight top-20 starting position. Edwards took the pole with a 20.664/91.549 performance. "I think we'll be pretty decent in the race," Crafton said. "We were fifth in happy hour. Never got it perfect, but got it better. I'm not sure anybody's perfect. We made some progress. We're still tight in the center (of the corner), but most of the others are too. If we can run a smart race and have good pit stops, there's no reason we can't get a top-10." Crafton heads into the event, the 23rd of 25 races this season, ranked 11th in the series point standings. He trails 10th-place Chad Chaffin, who qualified eighth, by 23 points. The Advance Auto Parts 200 is slated to start at 12:45 p.m. EDT/9:45 a.m. PDT Saturday, October 18. The race will be telecast live by SpeedChannel and broadcast live on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. October 16, 2003 Mansfield Motorsports Speedway Announces NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Event in May 2004 Mansfield, OH: Mansfield Motorsports Speedway and NASCAR have reached an agreement that will bring a national touring NASCAR series back to the State of Ohio for the first time in fifty years. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will visit the facility for the Inaugural Ohio 250, which is scheduled for Sunday May 16. The event will be the first nationally sanctioned NASCAR event in Ohio since May 24, 1953 when Herb Thomas won a 100-mile Grand National (now Winston Cup) Series event at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus. In all, there were eleven Grand National Series events in Ohio at tracks in Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Canfield. There has not been a NASCAR Busch Series or Craftsman Truck Series event in the state, until now. "We are extremely proud that NASCAR has selected our facility for this historic event," said Mansfield Speedway owner Mike Dzurilla. "Ohio is a fantastic destination. There are world-class amusement parks, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame. Lake Erie provides some of the best fishing and boating opportunities in America. There are several professional sports teams all across the state as well as several of the best college athletic programs. "Ohio is a hotbed for motorsports of all types," Dzurilla continued. There are some of the best short track races in the country in Ohio, and many other motorsports series have events and teams located here. There are several successful NHRA and IHRA races in Ohio, and CART has had two of its best races here in Cleveland and Mid-Ohio. The Bullet Motorsports NHRA Pro Stock and Sportsman team is located right here in Mansfield, Team Rahal's CART and IRL teams are located near Columbus, and the ThorSport Truck Series team is located in Sandusky. We are so pleased to say we can now service the motorsports fans in Ohio with a major league NASCAR event, and it is right here at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway." The Inaugural Ohio 250 will be the fourth race of the 25-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule in 2004. The series will visit 23 racetracks in 19 states, starting at Daytona International Speedway in February and ending at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. The series will have twelve events in conjunction with the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, two in conjunction with the NASCAR Busch Series, and five in conjunction with the IRL IndyCar Series. Tickets are now available for Inaugural Ohio 250 by calling the track office at (419) 525-RACE (7223). For information on Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, please visit www.mansfield-speedway.com. For information on the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks series, please visit www.nascar.com or www.truckseries.com. October 11, 2003 CRAFTON FINDS WAY TO FINISH 12TH IN SILVERADO 350 FORT WORTH, Texas - Some well-timed caution periods and a great late-race restart helped Matt Crafton overcome handling woes and earn 12th finishing position in the Silverado 350 NASCAR Truck Series event at the Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, October 11. Brendan Gaughan won the event, his fourth straight victory at the 1.5-mile oval. "I can't believe we finished 12th," Crafton said. "Probably should have been 20thâ€&Mac186;or worse. The guys never gave up. Every time we pitted, they made the truck a little better. We got some help with when the cautions came, and then we jumped on them on that last restart and got to 12th. It's hard to be happy with anything but a top-10, but to get a 12th today was something else." Crafton started 14th in the 36-truck field. He charged to ninth early before making a pit stop after 16 of 146 laps were completed. After the initial pit stop, designed to get Crafton ahead of many of his competitors on fuel, the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado developed a handling problem which slowed Crafton dramatically versus the competition. "It was handful after that first pit stop," Crafton said. "I was hanging on and hoping for a caution in the worst way. We ended up getting lapped twice, but by the time the caution came out, most of the other guys had made green flag pit stops. We were ninth, even though we were two laps down, by the time we finally got that caution. That saved us from a much worse finish." Crafton raced the rest of the event between 11th and 15th positions. He was 14th as the field took the green flag for the final time with 19 laps remaining. As the pack compacted into a three-wide formation in the second turn, Crafton moved to the outside, found a hole and shot through to 11th place. He yielded that position in the final laps, but held the rest of the field at bay to earn the 12th spot at the checkered flag. The performance helped Crafton maintain 11th position in the series point standings. He trails 10th-place Chad Chaffin by 23 points with three races remaining. The circuit continues with an October 18 event in Martinsville, Va. October 10, 2003 CRAFTON PICKS UP 14TH IN TEXAS TRUCK QUALIFYING FORT WORTH, Texas - After struggling throughout practice, Matt Crafton picked up considerable speed and earned the 14th starting position in qualifying for the Silverado 350 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway Friday, October 10. Andy Houston won the pole for the race, scheduled for Saturday, October 11. Crafton was 18th and 20th in a pair of Friday morning qualifying session, fighting a series of handling woes in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado. "We were loose all morning. Never could get a handle on it," Crafton said. "(Crew chief) Jerry Cook found the problem and made some good adjustments for qualifying. We picked up a half second and ended up 14th. Now we can work on it more and be ready to race tomorrow." Crafton's fastest lap was 30.502 seconds (177.04 miles per hour) around the 1.5-mile oval. Houston earned the pole with a lap of 29.747/181.53. The performance marked the 21st consecutive race in which Crafton has qualified in the top 20. He ranks 11th in the current truck series point standings, 32 points behind Chad Chaffin for 10th-place. The Silverado 350 is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT/noon PDT Saturday, October 11. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. October 4, 2003 JACK FOILS CRAFTON IN SOUTH BOSTON SOUTH BOSTON, Va. - A problem with a jack on a mid-race pit stop ruined Matt Crafton's run in the John Boy & Billy's 250 NASCAR Truck Series race at the South Boston Speedway Saturday, October 16. Crafton finished 16th, two laps behind winner Dennis Setzer. Crafton, who started ninth, raced to seventh positions in the first 20 laps before pitting for the first time. He returned to the track in 28th place, but steadily worked his way forward, running 11th before pitting again. A problem with the jack as the ThorSport Racing crew serviced the No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet cost Crafton nearly two laps to the leaders. He returned to the track in 19th position. Over the final 100 laps, he raced to 16th position and consistently ran laps faster than many of the eventual top-10 finishers. "What a shame," Crafton said. "We had a truck that could have run in the top five and we finished 16th with it. That's frustrating." The performance kept Crafton 11th in the series point standings. He trails 10th-place Chad Chaffin by 32 points with four races remaining on the 2003 slate. The circuit continues with an October 11 event in Fort Worth, Texas. September 27, 2003 CRAFTON NINTH IN LAS VEGAS 350 LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Matt Crafton finished ninth in the Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, September 27. Brendan Gaughan won the event. Crafton, who started 16th in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet, ran as high as fifth in the 146-lap event at the 1.5-mile oval. He was outside the top-10 and a lap behind Gaughan before a caution period around lap 100. Per new NASCAR regulations, Crafton was returned to the lead lap during the caution period, the result of being the first truck one lap in arrears. "We had just gotten around Randy LaJoie when the caution came out," Crafton said. "The guys had been telling me that we needed to get around him to get in position to get the lap back. It really worked out well for us." By regaining the lap, Crafton was able to race his way back into the top-10. Another caution in the final 10 laps set up a five-lap dash to the finish. Crafton pitted for tires, but was unable to gain any ground as the race concluded. "I don't think I got the tires cleaned up enough for that last dash," Crafton said. "We went for tires thinking we might get one or two more positions. It didn't turn out that way. That's a shame, but we got another top-10 and had a good points night." The performance was Crafton's 11th top-10 finish of the season but his first in three career starts at the Las Vegas track. He finished on the lead lap for the 14th time in 20 races this season. Crafton closed to within 23 points to Chad Chaffin for 10th in the series drivers' point standings. Five races remain in the 2003 campaign. The circuit continues with an October 4 event in South Boston, Va. September 20, 2003 CRAFTON 14TH IN CALIFORNIA TRUCK RACE FONTANA, Calif. - What started with promise ended in frustration for Matt Crafton in the American Racing Wheels 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the California Speedway Saturday, September 20. Crafton finished 14th in the event, one lap behind winner Ted Musgrave. "We never got it figured out today," Crafton said. "We'd be so tight for a few laps, and then go so loose you couldn't drive it. Was a handful and pretty frustrating." After starting 11th, Crafton charged to eighth before a pair of pit stops during a caution period that started after 10 of the event's 100 laps were completed. The second stop, made to make an aerodynamic adjustment, left Crafton 33rd overall and trailing the pack by nearly a half mile. A long green flag run ensued. Crafton moved steadily through the pack, and was back to 10th position when again bringing the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado to pit lane on lap 57. "The clutch went out on the green flag stop" Crafton lamented. "That really cost us. We came in running in the top-10 and on the lead lap. By the time we could get restarted, pushed off and up to speed, we were something like 18th and almost two laps down." A caution shortly after the clutch malady trapped Crafton one lap behind the leaders. Over the final 32 laps, he improved from 18th to 14th. The performance kept Crafton to 11th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a September 27 race in Las Vegas. September 19, 2003 CRAFTON TO START 11TH IN AMERICAN RACING WHEELS 200 FONTANA, Calif. - Matt Crafton qualified 11th for the American Racing Wheels 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the California Speedway Friday, September 19. Brendan Gaughan won the pole for the event to be held Saturday, September 20. Crafton's fastest lap in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet was 42.216 seconds (170.551 miles per hour). Gaughan's pole effort was 41.447/173.716. "We gained about two-and-half-tenths (of a second) better than we practiced, so we're pretty happy with it," Crafton said. "Got pretty loose off four. Might have been able to get another tenth, a tenth-and-a-half without that, but we'll take it." The performance marks the 18th consecutive race in which Crafton has qualified in the top-10. It's his best qualifying effort in four starts at the California track. He has two top-10 finishes in his three previous races at the two-mile oval. The American Racing Wheels 200 is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT Saturday, September 20. The race is slated for telecast on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. September 13, 2003 CRAFTON TAKES 10TH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE LOUDON, N.H. - Running sixth as the laps wound down in the New Hampshire 200 NASCAR Truck Series race, the last thing Matt Crafton wanted to see was a caution flag. When another truck crashed on the front stretch on lap 179, that's exactly what happened Saturday, September 13 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. After the race resumed on lap 184, Crafton found himself fighting in a tight pack in the back half of the top 10. He eventually earned 10th place in the race which was won by Jimmy Spencer. "We didn't need that last caution," Crafton said. "We were sixth, and I'm pretty certain nobody was going to catch us from behind. We were starting to reel a couple of other trucks in. I think we had a shot at a top-five." Crafton was still running seventh in the final five laps, but contact with the front stretch wall further hampered the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet. "That might have been the dumbest thing I've ever done in racing," Crafton said. "I flat drove it into the fence coming off four. I apologized to the team because my mistake cost us three positions in the last three laps." Nonetheless, Crafton posted his 10th top-10 finish of the season with seven races remaining on the 2003 slate. His career-best is 11 top-10's, set as a truck rookie in 2001. "The top 10's are nice, but we are still looking for top fives and chances to race to win," Crafton said. "I'm disappointed with our finish today because we didn't race for the top-five at the end." The performance moved Crafton to 11th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a September 20 race in Fontana, Calif. September 12, 2003 CRAFTON 13TH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TRUCK LINEUP LOUDON, N.H. - Matt Crafton qualified 13th for the New Hampshire 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the New Hampshire International Speedway Friday, September 12. Jimmy Spencer won the pole for the event to be held Saturday, September 13 at the 1.058-mile oval. Crafton's fastest lap in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet was 30.455 seconds (125.063 miles per hour). Spencer's pole effort was 29.909/127.346. "That's a couple of tenths (of a second) slower than we ran on old tires in practice this morning," Crafton said of his qualifying lap. "When I came off the track, I was disappointed. I figured we'd be lucky to stay in the top-20. "The track must have slowed down from practice. A lot of guys couldn't back up their times from this morning. We'd like to be in the top-10, but we're in the front half of the field, on the inside and have a pretty good truck in race trim. I think we're ready." The performance marks the 17th consecutive race in which Crafton has qualified in the top-10. It's his best qualifying effort in three starts at the New Hampshire track. The New Hampshire 200 is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. EDT/10 p.m. PDT Saturday, September 13. The race is slated for telecast on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. September 4, 2003 CRAFTON 14TH IN RICHMOND TRUCK RACE RICHMOND, Va. - Despite handling woes throughout the event, Matt Crafton finished 14th in the Virginia is for Lovers 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Richmond International Raceway Thursday, September 4. Tony Stewart won the event. "The truck was junk all night long," said Crafton. "This is the second time we've run this truck this year and we've struggled both times. We're taking this truck home from here, putting a cover over it and not going to even think about racing it again this season." A long green flag run combined with the handling issues left Crafton's Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado a lap down to the leaders as the race hit the mid-point. He returned to the lead lap as the result of a caution on lap 155. The yellow flag flew when contact between Crafton's truck and one driven by Terry Cook resulted in Cook's truck spinning. Jimmy Spencer was caught up in the accident and eliminated from the race as a result of damage to his truck. "We were coming back up to speed after a restart," Crafton recalled. "I don't know if Terry missed a shift or what, but I got a good run on him. I was up to his door. He started coming down on me. I put my left sides on the apron and tried to give him room, but we ran out of room. I hit him and he spun. I feel bad for everybody that got involved in that deal, especially Jimmy Spencer. He had a truck that could have won and he got taken out." The performance kept Crafton 12th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a September 13 race in Loudon, N.H. September 2, 2003 For Additional Information, Contact Tim Stephens (440) 725-5997 Crafton and ThorSport to Part at End of 2003 Season SANDUSKY, Ohio - Matt Crafton has opted to leave the Menards Chevrolet Silverado at the conclusion of the 2003 season, it was announced Tuesday by Duke Thorson, owner of ThorSport Racing which fields the No. 88 truck on the NASCAR Truck Series. Crafton has been with the team since October, 2000. "Everybody involved with ThorSport is sad to know that Matt won't be coming back next year," Thorson said. "He's been a great part of the growth and development of our team for three years." Crafton has made 63 consecutive truck starts in the No. 88 entry. He owns 27 top-10 finishes, including nine in 16 starts this season. In his most-recent race, the Tulare, Calif. native equaled his career-best finish of sixth in the August 20 event in Bristol, Tenn. Crafton qualified fifth for that event, a career-best as well. "I'm very impressed with the progress the team has made in the last three years," Crafton said. "Duke and Rhonda Thorson are great owners and terrific people. They've made me and (my wife) Jocelyn feel at home from the time we showed up in Sandusky. "Jerry Cook has done a great job building this team. He's put together a veteran group that's building trucks capable of running up front every week right now. I look at where the team is today versus where it was in 2000, and I'm proud to have been part of ThorSport during those three years. "But the time has come for me to step out and look for another challenge. It wouldn't be fair for me to start looking for something else without first letting the team know what I was doing. ThorSport has a chance to be a top-10 team again next year. They deserve the time to hire the right driver so they can continue to grow and develop. This way, they can." Thorson indicated that the driver selection process would begin immediately. "As soon as Matt told me of this decision, I started working on a list," Thorson said. "I'm sure the list will get longer before it gets shorter. We'll look at our options carefully, review them with our sponsors and then make the best choice for all parties." While losing Crafton creates a new challenge for Thorson, he was quick to note that the need to hire a driver doesn't impact his overall vision for ThorSport Racing. "The last few weeks have been very exciting for us," Thorson said. "While everybody can see how we've been running in the top-10 consistently, most people can't see what we've been able to do off the race track. "We recently received a commitment from Menards to stay with us through the 2004 season. Included in our program is the ability to continue to use engines from Menard Engine Development for the No. 88 truck as well as a second entry." ThorSport entered a second truck for driver Cory Kruseman in two events in 2002. This season, the team has provided a truck and additional support for driver Tina Gordon in two events in a joint effort with Brevak Racing. "We plan to expand to a two-truck program in 2004 in some fashion," Thorson said. "We're close to making it happen." ThorSport entered the NASCAR Truck Series in July, 1996. The team has competed full-time since 1998 and owns one victory, two poles, five top-five and 44 top-10 finishes. The next event for Crafton and the No. 88 ThorSport team is the Virginia is for Lovers 200 at the Richmond (Va.) International Raceway Thursday, September 4. That is the 17th of 25 races which comprise the 2003 NASCAR Truck Series campaign. "While I'm looking at the future by making this decision, I remain focused on the current situation as well," Crafton said. "When I came to this team in 2000, I came to win. I have nine races left to get that done, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen." August 20, 2003 CRAFTON MATCHES CAREER-BEST WITH SIXTH IN BRISTOL DEBUT BRISTOL, Tenn. - On a night when he posted his career-best qualifying effort and matched his career-best finish, Matt Crafton sat on the front stretch wall of the Bristol Motor Speedway shaking his head and lamenting what might have been. "They knew we were here tonight," Crafton said. "But that's not quite enough. We spent over 100 laps in the top-five tonight but weren't there at the end. We just ran out of tires, got tight and some guys got by us at the end." Crafton ran third behind Kevin Harvick and Travis Kvapil for more than 70 laps as the circuits waned in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 200. Having pitted for tires and fuel on lap 49, the tires on Crafton's Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado wore thin in the final laps. He surrendered positions to Robert Pressley, Rick Crawford, Brendan Gaughan and Dennis Setzer, falling to seventh as the field raced toward the white flag. A tire exploded on Harvick's truck, putting the leader into the wall and handing the win to Kvapil. The incident allowed Crafton to move back to sixth, matching his career-best finish. The finish was Crafton's best since he took sixth position in a race in Fountain, Colo. in May, 2001. Crafton started 54 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race between the sixth-place performances. "We're still looking for that first top-five, and that's frustrating," Crafton said. "We got a top-five qualifying run today. We're getting close to getting a top-five finish. It's only a matter to time now." The O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 was Crafton's first race at the Bristol Motor Speedway. It was his 13th top-ten finish in a race marking the first time he'd run at a track. The series continues with a race in Richmond, Va. Thursday, September 4. August 8, 2003 CRAFTON GETS 10TH IN NASHVILLE TRUCK RACE GLADEVILLE, Tenn. - Despite race-long handling woes, Matt Crafton finished 10th in the Federated Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Truck Series event at the Nashville Superspeedway Friday, August 8. Carl Edwards won the event. "I can't believe how tight we were tonight" Crafton said. "From the drop of the green flag, we were miserably tight. The guys did a great job on the pit stops trying to make it better. We never got it 100 percent, but we got it faster and faster as the night went along." Crafton, who started 12th in the 33-truck field, spent much of the night racing outside the top-10. A pair of well-timed caution periods helped keep him in the hunt. After a final pit stop on lap 125, he raced into the top-10 for the first time. He remained there until the conclusion of the 150-lap race around the 1.333-mile concrete oval. The performance was Crafton's eighth top-10 finish of the season, two better than in all of 2002. It was his first career top-10 at the Nashville Superspeedway. He remained 12th in the NASCAR Truck Series point standings. "We were able to get out of here with a top-10 finish, which is something that hadn't happened the last two years," Crafton said. "Guess we'll be happy with that, take a breath with 10 days off and get ready for Bristol." The series continues with a race in Bristol, Tenn. Wednesday, August 20. The event will be the first for the circuit at the Bristol Motor Speedway since 1999 and Crafton's first attempt at the high-banked half-mile. August 7, 2003 CRAFTON 10TH IN NASHVILLE TRUCK PRACTICE LEBANAON, Tenn. - Matt Crafton posted the 10th-fastest time in practice for the Federated Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Truck Series event at the Nashville Superspeedway Thursday, August 7. The race, along with qualifying, is on the docket Friday, August 8 at the 1.333-mile concrete oval. Crafton's fastest lap in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado was 31.260 seconds (153.512 miles per hour). Jason Leffler led the practice at 30.821/155.699. "I feel pretty good about what we accomplished in this hour tonight," Crafton said. "We're a lot closer to the front than we've been in our other two trips here." In 2001, Crafton qualified 14th for this event. He finished 25th due to engine failure in that race. Last year, the started 22nd and finished 18th, four laps behind the leader. Despite the improved performance in Thursday's practice, Crafton still isn't a fan of the facility. "I still don't like this track," he said. "There's absolutely no grip here. None. You get outside the groove and you could really go for a ride." Another practice session is slated for Friday morning. Qualifying is Friday afternoon and the eighth annual Federated Auto Parts 200 takes the green flag at 9 p.m. EDT. The race is slated for telecast on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. August 1, 2003 CRAFTON TAKES 10TH IN INDY TRUCK EVENT CLERMONT, Ind. - Matt Crafton charged from deep in the field to 10th in the second half of the Power Stroke 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday, June 1. It was his third top-10 finish in as many starts at the Indiana facility. Carl Edwards won the race. "It's another top-10, which is good," Crafton said. "But we're not happy with this. We came here to get more than a 10th-place out of this race. "As the night played out, 10th was about all we could get. We were so tight, I had to drive the truck all the way to the apron to de-wedge it and make it turn." The handling issue hurt Crafton the most on the final restart of the 200-lap race. Running 10th after a pit stop sequence, Crafton was trapped in the outside groove in the laps after the field got the green flag. He faded to 13th before clearing lapped traffic. "We got so far behind on that restart," Crafton said. "We never really recovered. At the end, I think we were better than a couple of the trucks right in front of us. We might have been able to get them with a few more laps, but we were so tight, we might have used up the right front and backed up, too. Crafton, who started 20th in the 36-truck field, raced into the top-15 early in the race. He maintained 10th-15th positions throughout much of the night. A pit stop near the mid-point of the race left him 23rd. With lightning showing in the skies and a threat of rain in the area, Crafton put on a charge that took him to 14th before the final caution. Rains held off throughout the balance of the race and provided Crafton time to race to his seventh top-10 finish in 14 races this season. The performance left him 12th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a race in Lebanon, Tenn. on Friday, August 9. July 26, 2003 ENGINE ENDS CRAFTON'S MICHIGAN RACE BROOKLYN, Mich. - Engine failure after 66 laps ended Matt Crafton's run in the Sears 200 NASCAR Truck Series event at the Michigan International Speedway Saturday, July 26. Crafton finished 25th in the event, which was won by Brendan Gaughan. The engine malady ended a run which opened with great promise. Making his 60th career truck start, Crafton charged from the 16th starting position to eighth before a pit stop on lap 29. He remained in the top-10 after the stop, which came during the only caution period of the race, and raced there for several more laps before starting to fade. "The engine starting laying down right before that first caution," Crafton said. "It was still good enough to run with the leaders for a few more laps, but it kept getting weaker and weaker. It finally just blew up." The Sears 200 marked the third time in 13 races this season that Crafton has experienced engine failure in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado. He slipped to 12th in the series point standings."We were running pretty well there early on," Crafton said. "We were pretty much the class of the Chevrolets for the first 30 laps or so. On tracks like this, it's all Dodge and a little Ford. It's hard to be a Chevy and be competitive right now." Gaughan drove to victory in a Dodge, leading a sweep of the top-four positions by the make. Two Chevrolets cracked the top-10, led by Travis Kvapil in seventh position. A Chevrolet has won only twice in the season's first 13 races, both on short tracks. The brand hasn't posted a finish of better than third on tracks one mile or larger since Kvapil took runner-up honors at the season-opening event in Daytona Beach, Fla. The circuit continues with a race at the Indianapolis Raceway Park short track on Friday, August 1. "I'm excited about going to Indy next," Crafton said. "We've run well there the last two years, and it's a short track. You can throw all this aero stuff away, put the driver in the seat and race. I'm looking forward to that." July 25, 2003 CRAFTON 16TH IN MICHIGAN TRUCK LINEUP BROOKLYN, Mich. - Matt Crafton will make his 60th career NASCAR Truck Series start from the 16th position in the Sears 200. Crafton earned that slot in qualifying for the race at the Michigan International Speedway Friday, July 25. Jason Leffler won the pole for the event, which is slated for Saturday, July 26. Crafton's fastest lap around the two-mile oval in the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado was 41.988 seconds (171.478 miles per hour). Leffler established a new track record at 40.441/178.037. "We're a second-and-a-half slower than the pole, and that lap was about as good as we could be" Crafton lamented. "This reminds me of one of those sports car races where you run more than one class on the track at the same time. The Dodges and the Fords are in one race. We Chevies are in a different class that's a whole lot slower." Only one Chevrolet cracked the lineup's top-10, David Starr in eighth. None were in the top-10 of the first practice session. Starr and Travis Kvapil were ninth and 10th in the final practice of the day. "I don't like it when guys complain about their truck having a disadvantage just for the sake of trying to get concessions," Crafton said. "I think it should be obvious that Chevrolets are at a disadvantage here and all the big tracks." A Chevrolet has won only twice in the season's first 12 races, both on short tracks. In fact, the brand hasn't posted a finish of better than third on tracks one mile or larger since Kvapil took runner-up honors at the season-opening event in Daytona Beach, Fla. "The rule change that took the kickout off the 2002 nose really hurt all the Chevies," Crafton said. "We made some changes in Happy Hour that allowed us to run better in the draft. I'm confident that we'll make more changes before tomorrow that will make us better. "Still, I get in the pack with a Dodge or a Ford and see what they can do. Our Chevy can't do the same things, like cut in to the bottom in the center of the corner. That's not mechanical. It's aero, and I highly doubt there's any way we'll be able to overcome that in this race. If we can get out of here with a top-10 finish, it will be like a win for us." The Sears 200 is slated to take the green flag at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 26. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. July 19, 2003 CRAFTON 10TH AT GATEWAY DESPITE HANDLING WOES MADISON, Ill. Despite a handling malady that made it difficult to drive his truck through the center of the corners, Matt Crafton earned 10th position in the Ram Tough 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Gateway International Raceway Saturday, July 19. It was his sixth top-10 finish in the last eight truck events. We missed the handle tonight, Crafton said. ìWe were so tight. The guys did a good job on pit road and made some adjustments that helped, but we just didn't have anything better than a 10th-place truck tonight. Crafton, who started 12th, raced inside the top-10 throughout much of the event. He was eighth in the early laps and returned to that position as the laps waned, but yielded a pair of positions in the final 13 laps of the 160-lap event at the 1.25-mile oval. We were trying to play the track position game late in the race, Crafton said. Thought we might be able to hold some of them off in that short run at the end, but it just didn't work out. We missed the set up and still got a top-10. I guess itís a good sign of how things are coming together for us. We used to be happy finishing 10th. Tonight, we're disappointed with it. The performance kept Crafton to 12th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a July 26 event in Brooklyn, Mich. July 18, 2003 RAIN PUTS CRAFTON 12TH IN GATEWAY TRUCK LINEUP MADISON, Ill. Heavy thunderstorms followed by steady rain forced the cancellation of qualifying and left Matt Crafton 12th in the starting lineup for the Ram Tough 200 at the Gateway International Raceway Friday, July 18. The lineup was set by NASCAR Truck Series rulebook procedures with a majority of the positions established by the current owner's point standings for the circuit. ThorSport Racing's No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado ranks 12th in those standings, hence the starting position. We might have been able to be better than 12th if we got to qualify, but weíll take 12th and work from there Crafton said. We came here with a setup similar to what we ran at Milwaukee. We ran well there and I'm confident we can run well here, too. The Ram Tough 200 is slated to start at 9 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 19. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. July 12, 2003 CRAFTON SEASON-BEST SEVENTH AT KENTUCKY SPARTA, Ky. - Matt Crafton posted a season-best finish, earning seventh "We keep knocking on the door for a top-five finish," Crafton said. "For a Crafton, who started eighth, raced inside the top-10 throughout much of the A series of cautions bunched the field and allowed trucks to catch Crafton. The performance moved Crafton to 11th in the series point standings. The July 11, 2003 CRAFTON EIGHTH IN KENTUCKY LINEUP; MATCHES CAREER-BEST START SPARTA, Ky. - Some Thursday night midnight oil paid off Friday evening at the "I really have to thank the guys at Menard Engine Development and all the "The Menard guys got this engine ready and brought it to us at the shop at 7 Crafton's fastest lap around the 1.5-mile oval was 32.205 seconds (167.676 "It was a good lap, about as good as we could do," Crafton said. "We're the The performance marked the fourth time Crafton has earned the eighth-starting The Built Ford Tough 225 is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday, July July 5, 2003 ENGINE FAILURE THWARTS TOP-FIVE RUN FOR CRAFTON KANSAS CITY, Kansas. - Engine failure in the final 20 laps ended a potential top-five run and left Matt Crafton 19th in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at the Kansas Speedway Saturday, July 5. Jon Wood won "We're really disappointed with this one," Crafton said. "Probably the best we've been since the Mesa Crafton, who started 10th, raced as high as third in the 167-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval. He was sixth and working to pass fifth-place Robert Pressley when the engine lost power with 18 laps remaining. Crafton nursed his No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet into the final five laps, still running ninth, before the engine exploded entering the third turn. Despite the finish, Crafton remains 12th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a race in Sparta, Ky. Saturday, July 12. July 4, 2003 To Start 10th in Kansas Truck Race KANSAS CITY, Kansas. Matt Crafton equaled a season-best qualifying performance, earning the 10th starting position for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at the Kansas Speedway Friday, July 4. Chad Chaffin won the pole for the race, slated for Saturday, July 5. About where we thought we would be. We were 10th and 11th in the two practice sessions, Crafton said. When we came in, we thought we might end up further back. I guess the track got greasy and slowed some guys down. We are confident we can race forward from 10th come tomorrow. The O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 is the ninth consecutive race for which Crafton has qualified in the top-20. That equals a career-best qualifying streak set last season. We've gotten pretty consistent with our qualifying, Crafton said. We aren't challenging for the top-five yet, but we have been getting ourselves into the front half of the field. It's a lot easier to stay on the lead lap and Crafton's fastest lap around the 1.5-mile moderately-banked oval was 33.212 seconds (162.592 miles per hour). Chaffin claimed the pole at 32.467/166.323, a new track record. The O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. EDT. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. June 28, 2003 Ninth in Milwaukee Truck Race WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Matt Crafton charged to a ninth-place finish, matching a season-best performance, in the GNC Live Well 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday, June 28 at the Milwaukee Mile. Brendan Gaughan won the event. The finish was Crafton's fourth top-10 in the last five races. He matched the ninth-place finish he posted in Concord, N.C. in May for the best finish of the season. "It's another top-10, which is what you have to do in this series," Crafton said. "We were tight early and tight late. In the middle, we were pretty darned good. We got a caution when we needed it to stay on the lead lap. "We're leaving here without a mark on the truck. We got another top-10. It was a good points day. All in all, we're happy." Crafton started 13th in the 36-truck field. He raced between 12th and 14th throughout much of the first 150 laps around the flat one-mile oval. A caution on lap 133, the lone such period of the event, helped Crafton close the gap on the leaders. It also allowed the ThorSport Racing crew to fix the exhaust pipes on the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado. After the restart on lap 138, Crafton charged past Carl Edwards and Rich Bickle to move from 12th to 10th place. He eventually chased down Jon Wood and passed for ninth position as the laps waned. The performance allowed Crafton to move to a tie for 11th position in the series point standings. The series continues with a race in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday, July 5. June 27, 2003 CRAFTON TO START 13TH IN MILWAUKEE TRUCK RACE WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Matt Crafton earned the 13th starting position in qualifying for the GNC Live Well 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race held Friday, June 27 at the Milwaukee Mile. Terry Cook won the pole. The effort will result in Crafton's eighth straight start in the top-20, including four consecutive in the top-15. Still, the California native wasn't happy with the effort. "We were fifth in the first practice and eighth in the second, so qualifying 13th was a disappointment," Crafton said. "The good news is we have a good race truck. We made a change right at the end of the final practice that really got us going. I think we'll have a good race truck tomorrow." Crafton's fastest lap around the flat one-mile oval was 30.371 seconds (118.534 miles per hour). Cook won the pole at 30.001/119.996). The GNC Live Well 200 takes the green flag at 3 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 28. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. June 21, 2003 Third Top-10 in Last Four Races MILLINGTON, Tenn. - For the third time in four races, Matt Crafton earned a top-10 finish, taking 10th place in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 at the Memphis Motorsports Park Saturday, June 21. Ted Musgrave won the race. Crafton, who started 12th, raced outside the top-10 for much of the first 120 of the 200 laps that made up the race around the 0.75-mile oval. Good pit strategy gave him the lead inside the final 70 laps, but the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado wasn't able to stay among the leaders. "We were a 10th-place truck most of the day, so I guess we finished about where we should," Crafton said. "(Crew chief) Jerry Cook made a great call on the pit stops and got us the lead there for a few laps, but we didn't have what we needed to stay out front." According to Crafton, straightaway speed was the key. "We had a great handling truck, but we were getting beat in the straights," Crafton said. "Guess we missed it on gear or something." Contact with the truck driven by Jay Sherston nearly ruined Crafton's day within the first 50 laps. Crafton and Sherston got together in turn two. Sherton nearly spun and the right front fender on Crafton's truck was caved in on the tire. A caution on lap 55 later helped save the day. "The guys did a great job on that pit stop. They knocked the fender back out and we still only lost a couple of positions," Crafton said. "We've added some new guys the last few weeks. They are really good guys and really know their stuff. "I can see that this team is gelling. Getting three top-10's in four starts is just the beginning. I know we can run in the top five soon." The Memphis performance vaulted Crafton from 15th to 12th in the series point standings. The circuit continues with a June 28 race in West Allis, Wis. June 20, 2003 CRAFTON TO START 12TH IN MEMPHIS O'REILLY 200 MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Matt Crafton earned the 12th starting position in qualifying for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Memphis Motorsports Park Friday, June 20. Jon Wood won the pole for the race, which is slated for Saturday, June 21. "I thought we could get a top-10, so I'm a little disappointed," Crafton said. "We were tight in the center of the corner. I had so much wheel to it in three and four, when it finally caught, it snapped loose. Had to get out of the gas for a split second to catch it, and that was the difference between top-10 and 12th." Crafton's fastest lap around the 3&Mac218;4-mile oval was 23.418 seconds (115.296 miles per hour). Wood's pole effort was 22.997/117.407. The performance was the second-best of the season for Crafton, who started 10th in a race in Bakersfield, Calif. in March. Crafton was buoyed by the performance of the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado in a final practice session after qualifying. Crafton was seventh in that session. "(Crew chief) Jerry Cook made a super call during Happy Hour," Crafton said. "We'd been chasing that tight condition all day, and he solved it in the final practice. I think we can go out tomorrow and have a good run." The O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. EDT. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. June 6, 2003 CRAFTON MATS IT TO TEXAS 10TH FORT WORTH, Texas - Compensating for a lack of speed down the straightaways, Matt Crafton kept his foot on the floor all night and found a way to finish in the top-10 of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway Friday, June 6. Crafton claimed 10th in the event, which was won by Brendan Gaughan. "I think I'm going to need a foot massage tonight. I was pushing so hard on the gas pedal all night I thought I might snap it in two," Crafton said. "We were at Texas, but I felt like I was running Daytona: wide open all the way around, keep your momentum up and chase the draft." After starting 15th in the 36-truck field, Crafton sagged to 17th in the early laps. He steadily moved forward and was running 13th when the race went under the caution flag for the first time on lap 55 of the 167 laps that made up the 250-mile race. Crafton raced into the top-10 for the first time as the race neared the mid-point. He eventually moved the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado as high as sixth during a caution period during laps 121-124. He settled back to 10th on the subsequent restart and remained there throughout the balance of the race. The performance kept Crafton 15th in the series point standings. He's in a tight pack, 10 points from 12th position. The series continues with a race in Millington, Tenn. on Saturday, June 21. June 5, 2003 RAIN (AGAIN) SETS TRUCK LINEUP; CRAFTON 15TH AT TEXAS FORT WORTH, Texas - For the third time in seven races this season, rain forced the cancellation of qualifying for a NASCAR Truck Series race. As a result, the field for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 400 at the Texas Motor Speedway was set by rule book procedures, meaning Matt Crafton will start 15th. Bobby Hamilton is slated to start from the pole in the 36-truck field which will see the green flag Friday, June 6. Rains abated long enough in the afternoon to allow a brief practice. Crafton got four laps in that session before more rain suspended activities. "We need some more laps out there," Crafton said. "The Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado was tight off the corners. We need to work on that. "We're hoping that the rain will stop long enough to get another session sometime tonight so we can work to make our truck better. If not, we'll do our best with our notes and get ready to race from that." Crafton finished seventh in this race last season, his best performance in the 2002 campaign. The O'Reilly Auto Parts 400 is slated to start at 9 p.m. EDT Friday, June 6. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. May 30, 2003 Monster Mile Bites Again DOVER, Del. - For the second consecutive year, Matt Crafton suffered a grinding crash coming off turn four in the NASCAR Truck Series race at the Dover International Speedway. This year, the accident left him 22nd in the MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 Friday, May 30. "We didn't have to leave in the ambulance like last season, so I guess that's better," Crafton said. "But it was still another hard hit and another wrecked race truck. We said we were coming here to get a bite the Monster Mile back. We tried, but it got the better of us again." The Monster Mile was getting the better of Crafton from the start. When the field rolled off pit road to start the race, the engine in his Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado stalled. By the time the ThorSport crew could get the truck re-fired, Crafton was forced to the rear of the 33-truck field at the start of the 200-lap event at the one-mile oval. Crafton charged from the back to 19th position in the first six laps. He raced as high as ninth. He was running 12th at the time of his crash, which came on lap 130 and was caused by suspension failure. Last season, a cut right front tire after 96 laps put him into the retaining wall at virtually the same location exiting the fourth turn. He suffered a concusssion in that accident. This season, he escaped without major injury. "I'm a little more bruised up this year, I think," Crafton said. "The seat really took a beating, but it did it's job. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow, but we'll be ready for Texas next week and go them there. It's a shame this happened because we had a good truck, one capable of getting a top-10 finish." The performance left Crafton 14th in the NASCAR Truck Series point standings. The circuit continues June 6 with a race in Fort Worth, Texas. RAIN PUTS CRAFTON 14TH IN DOVER TRUCK LINEUP DOVER, Del. - Rain, predicted for late afternoon, arrived early at the Dover International Speedway Thursday, May 29, resulting in the cancellation of qualifying for the MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 NASCAR Truck Series race. As a result, Matt Crafton will start 14th in the 33-truck field that is scheduled to race Friday, May 30. "I'm disappointed that qualifying was washed out, but what can you do about the weather?" Crafton said. "We were a top-10 truck in both practice sessions and I'm sure we would have been a top-10 truck in qualifying. "We have a super truck here this week. I'm confident we can race in the top-10 tomorrow." Crafton was 10th in Thursday's first practice session at the high-banked concrete mile oval. He was eighth in the second, ultimately final, session. Overall, his fastest time was eighth. Crafton's best lap was 24.001 seconds (149.994 miles per hour). Jon Wood posted the fastest lap of the day (23.653/152.207). "The truck was good right off the trailer this morning," Crafton said. "Jerry Cook and Dave Fuge Jr. did a great job getting us in the ballpark from the first run. We haven't had that day yet where people look at us and go 'wow, you've really got it going', but we're getting darned close to that day." Due to the cancellation of qualifying, the lineup for the MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 was set by NASCAR Truck Series rulebook procedures. Series point leader Bobby Hamilton earned the pole position. The race is slated to start at 4:30 p.m. EDT Friday. It will be telecast live on Speed Channel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. May 16, 2003 CRAFTON CRACKS TOP 10 IN INAUGURAL HARDEE'S 200 CONCORD, N.C. - Matt Crafton overcame a problem with a set of tires and a pit road penalty to earn a ninth-place finish in the inaugural Hardee's 200 NASCAR Truck Series race Friday, May 16. Ted Musgrave won the event at the 1.5-mile oval in suburban Charlotte. "We had a heck of a truck tonight," Crafton said. "It's a top-10, and we always want to get top 10's, but we had a truck that was capable of a lot more. Something was off on one set of tires, and that really cost us. Without that, I think we could have run in the top-five." Crafton started 19th in the 36-truck field. He charged to eighth in the first three laps and raced as high as sixth during the night. "The truck was awesome at the start," Crafton said. "We jumped up in to the outside groove and were able to just drive right by some people. Jerry Cook and Dave Fuge Jr. did a great job getting the truck tuned up at the start." As the first segment of the race played out, the handling of Crafton's Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado started to wane. He was ninth when the field headed to pit road after a caution on lap 38. "The guys did a great job on that pit stop," Crafton remembered. "They did a great job on all our pit stops tonight. We ended up making five pit stops and the guys nailed every one of them "But something was off on the set of tires we got on that stop. We backed up pretty quick and got lucky to get a caution to let us change them within a few laps." On that subsequent another pit stop to change tires, Crafton was tagged with a 15-second penalty for a pit road infraction. As a result, he restarted the race outside the top-20. Crafton eventually raced back to sixth place before coming to pit road again. After a pair of pit stops late in the race, he advanced from 14th to ninth at the checkered flag. The performance moved Crafton to a tie for 12th position in the NASCAR Truck Series point standings. The circuit continues with a race in Dover, Del. on Friday, May 30. May 15, 2003 CRAFTON FIRING FROM 19TH POSITION IN HARDEE'S 200 CONCORD, N.C. - Matt Crafton earned the 19th starting position for the Hardee's 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in qualifying held Thursday, May 15. Bill Lester won the pole, the inaugural truck event at the 1.5-mile oval in suburban Charlotte. Crafton's fastest lap was 31.516 seconds (171.342 miles per hour). Lester's lap was 30.753/175.593. "What a great deal for Bill Lester," Crafton said. "I'm happy for him and all the guys on that team. Bill's been close to the pole a couple of times. I'm glad to see he got one tonight." Qualifying was in doubt to the very end of the session. Threatening skies, which loomed throughout the day, opened into a drizzle after 12 of 38 trucks posted times and forced a brief delay. The shower passed and allowed qualifying to resume, but sprinkles returned with a few trucks remaining to qualify. The rain remained light enough to allow for the completion of qualifying. A steady rain immediately after time trials forced the cancellation of a final practice. Crafton is prepared to take to the track for the 134-lap race without any additional laps. "The Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado handled really well in qualifying," Crafton said. "We had some problems bottoming out on the bumps in turn three in practice. We made some changes for qualifying and the truck reacted well. I think we have found something that will make us be pretty good in the race tomorrow night." The Hardee's 200 starts at 8 p.m. EDT Friday, May 16. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. May 13, 2003 CHANGES AFOOT FOR NO. 88 TRUCK TEAM SANDUSKY, Ohio - It's been nearly five weeks since the last time the No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado was in competition, but there have been plenty of changes around the team which fields the truck. The team name has been changed and there's a successful new member of the management team. Owned by Duke and Rhonda Thorson, the team has operated as SealMaster Racing since it was founded in 1996. Effective immediately, that name is being replaced with ThorSport. "We've felt for some time that we needed to create a new identity," Duke Thorson said. "The SealMaster name is something that we need to reserve for our pavement maintenance products company. "The race team and the pavement company aren't the same. As long as they had the same name, we never could make it clear that they were separate. By creating ThorSport, we can make that distinction more clear." When ThorSport returns to action this week, it will do so with a new face in management. Dave Fuge Jr. has joined the group as a consultant. Fuge Jr. comes to ThorSport after a successful stint with Xpress Motorsports, the team which won the 2002 NASCAR Truck Series championship. "We're delighted to have Dave Fuge Jr. join ThorSport," Thorson said. "He's a winner, a guy we think can help us improve ourselves on the race track immediately." Matt Crafton, currently 15th in the series point standings, continues as the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet. Jerry Cook remains as the crew chief. The NASCAR truck circuit returns to action with the Hardee's 200 in Concord, N.C. Friday, May 16. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. April 30, 2003 TRUCKS ON BREAK, BUT CRAFTON BUSY SANDUSKY, Ohio - The NASCAR Truck Series might be in the midst of a five-week break, but Matt Crafton is anything but idle. "I think I've been busier the last couple of weeks than if we were racing," said Crafton, the driver of the No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado. Last weekend, Crafton split his time between serving as a crew chief for one racing effort and as the spotter for another. On Saturday, April 26, he served as crew chief for his wife, Jocelyn, as she raced in the hobby stock class at Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway. She finished fourth in her heat race and was running fourth in the feature event before transmission problems slowed her. She eventually retired from the event due to transmission failure. "She really did well," Crafton said. "This was only the second time she's raced. We're not sure yet when she'll race again. Hopefully she'll get to run again in a couple of weeks. The way she's progressing, I think she has a chance to win a race soon." On Sunday, April 27, Crafton worked as the spotter for Paul Menard in the ARCA RE/Max Series race at the Salem (Ind.) Speedway. Menard finished fourth in the event, his series debut. "Paul did great," Crafton said. "He qualified second and led some of the early laps. He was in the top-five all day and finished fourth. He was the only guy in the top five that had never raced at Salem before." Crafton returns to the driver's seat May 5-6 as the NASCAR Truck Series participates in a test session in Concord, N.C. The circuit makes its debut at the Charlotte-area track with the Hardee's 200 Friday, May 16. April 12, 2003 CRAFTON BATTLES TO 13TH IN MARTINSVILLE TRUCK RACE MARTINSVILLE, Va. Fighting a truck that simply wouldn't turn in the center of the corners, Matt Crafton soldiered to a 13th-place finish in the Advance Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Martinsville Speedway Saturday, April 12. Dennis Setzer won the event. We tried everything we could think of to get this truck to turn, but it didn't react to anything, Crafton said. We were tight all weekend. The guys did everything they could to get us better, but we never got there. I think we would have been better on a long run. Once the other guys starting using up their tires and getting loose, we could use the outside groove to get around them. But after the first couple of segments, we never got any long runs. That hurt us. Crafton, who started 14th, raced between the 12th and 20th positions throughout the 250-lap run at the 0.526-mile oval. In the final laps, he was in a tight battle for a top-10 finish. Crafton passed Ken Schrader exiting the final corner of the final lap to earn the 13th spot. Despite the performance, Crafton slipped to 15th in the series point standings. The NASCAR Truck Series is idle until a May 16 event in Concord, N.C. April 11, 2003 Best In Three Tries at Track MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Matt Crafton earned the 14th starting position for the Advance Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Martinsville Speedway Friday, April 11. The performance was his best qualifying effort at the track in three career races. The Advance Auto Parts 250 is slated for Saturday, April 12. "We came here expecting a top-10 qualifying run, so I'm disappointed," Crafton said. "I know that 14th is better than we've qualified the last two years, but we wanted more." Crafton's fastest lap around the flat half-mile was 20.947 seconds (90.400 miles per hour) in the No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Sivlerado. Ted Musgrave won the pole (20.741/91.297). Crafton posted his fast time on the first of two laps. Virtually every other driver in the field was faster on the second lap. "We had been tight all morning in practice," Crafton explained. "I kept dialing rear brake in it trying to free the truck up. We made a lot of changes before qualifying, and those changes freed the truck up. I didn't adjust the brakes. On the second lap, we about came close to spinning in turn one." Crafton posted a career-best sixth-place finish in the 2001 Advance Auto Parts 250. He started that race 22nd. He raced as high as second in the race in 2002 before contact with a lapped truck resulted in a three-lap penalty. Crafton started 29th in that race. "We've had two really good race trucks here the last two years," Crafton said. "We haven't gotten to the same point this year, but I'm confident that the Rick Ren, Jerry Cook and the crew will come up with a set up that will work." Ren, a veteran crew chief, is working his second race with the Menards/Enzyme Magic team. He joins forces with Cook, who has served as crew chief since 1999, to five Crafton access to a pair of experienced leaders. The Advance Auto Parts 250 is slated to start a 1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT on Saturday, April 12. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and broadcast live on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. April 3, 2003 CRAFTON TO SPOT FOR SOUZA IN EL CAJON SANDUSKY, Ohio - Idle time won't lead to idle hands for Matt Crafton. While it's still more than a week until he returns to the track as a driver, Crafton will be participating in a NASCAR race this weekend. He's headed to El Cajon, Calif. to work as the spotter for driver Todd Souza in the Coors Light 125 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series (NFSS) race at the Cajon Speedway Saturday, April 5. Crafton is the 2000 champion of the NFSS. "I worked with Todd as his spotter in the last race at Mesa Marin," Crafton said. "He drove a smart race and ended up fifth, his best finish there." The Crafton/Souza relationship isn't new. While Crafton was winning the series championship in 2000, Souza earned the circuit's rookie of the year award. Crafton's team helped maintain Souza's Central Coast Cabinets Ford during that campaign. "It's become more than just racing," Crafton said. "We've become friends. Todd and his wife, Kelly, were in our wedding last year when Jocelyn and I got married. "It will be neat to go to El Cajon this weekend and be with them again. Todd has a shot at having a good run there, another top five." Crafton knows what it takes to succeed at the Cajon Speedway. His first career NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series victory came at the track in 1998. Crafton is in his third season as the driver of the No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Truck Series. He's currently 14th in the series point standings. The NASCAR Truck Series continues with a race in Martinsville, Va. on Saturday, April 12. March 23, 2003 ENGINE FAILURE RUINS CRAFTON'S CALIFORNIA CHARGE BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - After losing a lap early due to one engine problem, engine failure ruined Matt Crafton's charge through the field at the Lucas Oil 250 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Mesa Marin Raceway Sunday, March 23. The engine in Crafton's Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado failed after 236 laps, relegating him to 29th position. Dennis Setzer won the race. "What a shame," Crafton said. "We had a great truck but no luck. "We started by having a problem with the spark plug wires. We ended by blowing up. In the middle, we had a lot of fun." A misfire in the engine at the start of the race quickly dropped Crafton from 10th starting position outside the top-20. A pair of pit stops left him 32nd and a lap behind the leader less than 40 laps into the 250-lap race around the high-banked half mile. But repairs on the second stop got the engine running full-song. A subsequent stop a few laps later allowed Crafton's crew to make a chassis adjustment. From there, the charge was on. "(Crew chief) Jerry Cook made a great call on an air pressure adjustment on that second stop," Crafton said. "From that point on, we had a super little hot rod. It was just a matter of being patient and letting the truck do its work and get us to the front." Crafton earned his lap back, passing leader Carl Edwards and driving away from the pack. He quickly moved through the field, taking the lead from Robert Pressley on lap 180. Crafton led four laps before Jason Leffler passed him. A few laps later, the engine again started giving problems. This time, the malady proved fatal. "I was hoping we'd be able to nurse it home," Crafton said. "We were still going to be able to get maybe a 15th-place finish, but it just didn't' make it." Crafton, who grew up in nearby Tulare, Calif., raced in front of a crowd of approximately 100 people from his hometown who cheered his every move. "It really was neat to have so many people come here to see us run," Crafton said. "I want to thank them all. I couldn't believe the cheer when they introduced me. "This is such a neat race track. I'm glad the trucks came back here this year. I hope we keep coming back year after year." The NASCAR Truck Series continues with a race in Martinsville, Va. on Saturday, April 12. March 22, 2003 CRAFTON STARTS 10TH IN 50TH CAREER TRUCK START MESA MARIN, Calif. - Matt Crafton will make his 50th career start in the NASCAR Truck Series from the 10th position in the Lucas Oil 250 at the Mesa Marin Raceway on Sunday, March 23. "I think the Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet Silverado is better than a 10th-place truck, but I'm not going to complain," Crafton said. "We're happy with a top-10 start. We were a little loose getting into the corners in qualifying. We hadn't had that happen all day. "I think it's probably because we qualified at night. We practiced during the day and we'll race during the day. This truck's been really good in the daylight." Crafton, who grew up in nearby Tulare, Calif., ran among the top-10 in both practice sessions. He was eighth in the first practice and fourth in the second. "I'm really pleased with how the truck ran in the second practice," Crafton said. "We got to where we could really cut through the center of the corner." Crafton's qualifying lap at the high-banked half-mile was 19.548 seconds (92.08 miles per hour). Ted Musgrave won the pole (19.294/93.29). The Lucas Oil 250 is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. EST/2 p.m. PST. The race will be telecast live on SpeedChannel and the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. March 17, 2003 CRAFTON READY TO PLAY AGAIN ON MESA MARIN BANKS To hear him tell it, Matt Crafton has enjoyed playing on the banks at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif. just about all his life. "I remember coming there as a little kid when my dad was racing," Crafton remembered. "I always loved going to the end of the grandstands and playing on those hills. I'd go to the hill down in turn one and slide down the hill all day. "There was nothing else I could do. I'd go to the track with my parents and they wouldn't let me in the pits." Crafton doesn't have problems getting in the Mesa Marin pit area any more, but he still enjoys playing on the banks there. Only now, it's on the race track. "Mesa Marin is one of my favorite tracks," he said. "It's really a driver's race track. The banking is just perfect for a race track. The asphalt's older. Grip's hard. You have to be really smart and manage your tires to do well there." The Bakersfield half-mile oval is less than an hour's drive from the home in Tulare, Calif. where Crafton grew up. He went to the track scores of times as a kid, watching his father, Danny, race stock cars. He was there the day Danny was seriously injured in a crash. "I was in my grandparents motorhome, parked on the back straight way," Crafton remember. "It was in 1985, I think. He got hooked in the right rear quarter panel going into turn one. That turned him straight into the wall. It was big hit. It split the wall in half, even with all that dirt behind it. "He was laid up for about nine months. He broke his back, his ankle. It bruised his heart. He was in intensive care for two weeks. He didn't get back to race for a year, but when he did it was for the same race at Mesa Marin." It was at Mesa Marin that the younger Crafton first turned laps in a stock car, his dad's NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series entry. "Dad had gotten hurt again," Crafton said. "He wanted me to be able to practice and qualify the car at Sears Point. We went to Mesa Marin to get me some seat time. It was quite a change from the micro-midgets and mini-sprints I had been racing on dirt. I ended up spinning out a few times and finally wrecked. "But we went on to Sears Point and I practiced. I qualified the car and then he told me he wanted me to race, too. That was it. I started driving and he became the crew chief." The Crafton family team stayed together and won together. The younger Crafton claimed the NASCAR Southwest Series title in 2000 with two wins and four poles. Overall, he has four Southwest victories in his career. The championship provided an opportunity for Crafton to move up the NASCAR ladder. In October, 2000, he started racing for SealMaster Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His next trip to Mesa Marin is for the March 23 Lucas Oil 250, a NASCAR truck event. It will be his 50th career start in the series. "It's hard to believe that we've been racing in the trucks that long," he said. "I think we have some things put together this year that will help us have the kind of season we haven't been able to have the last two years. "I'm excited about getting to Mesa Marin. We struggled there the last time. I want to go back and have a top-10, top-five day." Crafton finished 30th in the last truck event at Mesa Marin, the product of handling problems in qualifying and brake problems in the race. He comes into the Lucas Oil 250 eighth in series points, a career high, after opening the season with a 12th-place finish at Dayton and an 11th-place performance at Darlington. Practice and qualifying for the Lucas Oil 250 is Saturday, March 22. The race is slated to start at 5 p.m. EST/2 p.m. PST Sunday, March 23. The Lucas Oil 250 is scheduled for live telecast on SpeedChannel and broadcast on the radio affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. March 14, 2003 CRAFTON 11TH IN DARLINGTON TRUCK RACE DARLINGTON, S.C. - A steady and consistent performance ended with Matt Crafton in 11th position in the Craftsman 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Darlington Raceway Friday, March 14. Bobby Hamilton won the race. Crafton, who started 13th, raced inside the top-10 throughout much of the latter stages of the 147-lap race around the quirky 1.366-mile oval. "We had a truck that was better than an 11th-place truck," Crafton said. "We had a couple of problems on pit road, but the thing that really did us in was the deal down in turn four when the 15 truck cut a tire and crashed." Crafton was running 10th and trailing a pack that included Jason Leffler, Robert Pressley and Andy Houston when a rear tire on Houston's truck was cut. As Houston spun, Leffler, Pressley and Crafton took evasive action. Crafton ended up hitting the outside retaining wall, which damaged the right front suspension on his Menards/Enzyme Solutions Chevrolet. The performance moved Crafton to eighth in the series point standings. The NASCAR Truck Series continues with the Lucas Oil 250 at the Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif. Sunday, March 23. March 13, 2003 CRAFTON 13TH IN DARLINGTON TRUCK LINEUP DARLINGTON, S.C. - Persistent rain washed away qualifying and left Matt Crafton with the 13th starting position for the Craftsman 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at the Darlington Raceway Friday, March 14. The lineup was set by truck series rules. Crafton earned the 13th position based on the circuit's 2002 final owners' point standings. The rainy weather subsided in time to allow a pair of practice sessions at the quirky 1.366-mile oval. Crafton was 11th in each session. "I think we have a pretty good truck," Crafton said. "The Menards/Enzyme Solutions Chevrolet seems pretty consistent over a long run, and that's a key here. This track is hard on tires. You have to stay up on the wheel, adjust as the tires go away and race the track as much as you race other trucks." Crafton's best lap in the opening session was 31.364 seconds (156.791 miles per hour). Bobby Hamilton, the 2001 race winner, posted the best lap (30.608/160.664). In the second session, Crafton turned a 31.570/155.768 lap. Rick Crawford went 30.917/159.058 to pace the pack. The Craftsman 200 is slated to begin at 4 p.m. EST and will be telecast live on SpeedChannel. It will also be broadcast live on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. February 14, 2003 DAMAGE DENTS CRAFTON'S DAYTONA DREAMS DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Despite picking up damage in three separate incidents, Matt Crafton soldiered to a 12th-place finish in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Truck Series season-opener at the Daytona International Speedway Friday, February 14. Rick Crawford won the race which saw the top 11 finishers within a half second at the checkered flag. "I guess it was a great finish," Crafton said. "I hate it that we weren't in that pack and battling for a top-10. We should have been, but we got taken out in somebody else's wreck over there off two." Crafton, who started 21st in the 36-truck field, raced among the top-10 throughout much of the latter stages of the 100-lap race around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. He was racing in a pack that included the top-10 when a truck a lap down slammed into him exiting the second turn on lap 93. The same truck collected another, which spun into Crafton's path. By the time the accident ended, the nose of Crafton's No. 88 Menards/Enzyme Solutions Chevrolet was in tatters and his hopes of racing to win shot. "We had really been running a conservative pace," Crafton said. "We just tried to stay in the lead draft and keep them within sight. We were waiting for the final few laps. "When you look at the run down, you'll see that the guys that finished up front were the guys we raced with much of the day. Without that accident, I think we would have been right there with them." The 93rd lap wreck wasn't the only time Crafton was in peril. He twice had to take evasive action when accident occurred right in front of him. In both cases, the front valance of his truck suffered damage. "The guys did a great job getting us fixed on the pit stops and keeping us on the lead lap," Crafton said. "They earned that checkered flag today, our first at Daytona in three tries for me. It was great to finish this race. Now, I want to race to win it." The 2003 truck series campaign continues with a race at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Friday, March 14. February 13, 2003 HAPPY HOUR A GOOD TIME FOR CRAFTON AT DAYTONA DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Although he didn't crack the top-10 on overall speed, Matt Crafton was pleased with the performance of his Menards/Enzyme Solutions Chevrolet in the final practice for the NASCAR Truck Series at the Daytona International Speedway Thursday, February 13. Crafton's fastest lap around the 2.5-mile oval was 47.789 seconds (188.328 miles per hour), 11th-fastest in the practice session. Rick Crawford paced the field at 47.352/190.066. "I like how the truck is running in the draft," Crafton said. "I know we're starting outside the top-20 in the race, but we've been back there before and always gotten to the top-10. There's no reason we can't get to the front again this year. The Menards horsepower is great. I think we're right there. I'm happy with things." The 2003 truck series campaign begins at 1 p.m. EST Friday, February 14 with the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. The race will be telecast live on the SpeedChannel and broadcast on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. February 12, 2003 CRAFTON FAST IN DAYTONA TESTING DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - After struggling to get into the top-20 in practice and qualifying, Matt Crafton's SpeedWeeks' effort picked up the pace when drafting began at the Daytona International Speedway Wednesday, February 12. Crafton posted the fastest lap of the day's two test sessions for the NASCAR Truck Series entrants. Crafton's fastest lap around the 2.5-mile oval was 47.421 seconds (189.789 miles per hour). He turned in that performance in the opening session. He backed it with a 47.912/187.844 lap in the afternoon, 15th-quick in that session. "We got a pretty good tow from Ted Musgrave in that first session and ended up getting the fast time for the day," Crafton said. "The Menards/Enzyme Solutions Chevrolet likes the draft a lot better than it liked running alone. "We got pretty loose in the traffic in the second session. It's an aero issue, nothing mechanical. We'll work some more on it for tomorrow and see if we can make it better." Despite the good lap, Crafton was a little frustrated with the drafting sessions. "It's not like it was my first couple of years here," he said. "With the two-inch air hoses on the air cleaners, down from three-inches, we don't have as much horsepower as we used to. It's made it like restrictor plate racing. "You get in the draft and get a good run, but you don't have the horsepower to cut through the air and finish the pass. You end up running side-by-side like they do in the Cup and Busch cars with the restrictor plates. Hopefully we won't have the big crash in our race like they do sometimes in Cup and Busch." The 2003 truck series campaign begins Friday, February 14 with the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. The race will be telecast live on the SpeedChannel and broadcast on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. February 11, 2003 CRAFTON 21ST IN DAYTONA LINEUP DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Matt Crafton earned the 21st starting position in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. He earned the position in qualifying for the NASCAR Truck Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Tuesday, February 11. Crafton's fastest lap around the 2.5-mile oval was 50.306 seconds (178.905 miles per hour). Jason Leffler won the pole (49.182/182.994). "We're a little disappointed with that," Crafton said. "It's the best we've done in our three races here, but we wanted to do a lot more. We'll get ready for the drafting practice tomorrow and start working on our race package." The 2003 truck series campaign begins Friday, February 14 with the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. The race will be telecast live on the Speed Channel and broadcast on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. February 11, 2003 CONTACT: Tim Stephens - Phone: (440)725-5997 - E-Mail: LibertySports@aol.com ENZYME SOLUTIONS SIGNS TO SPONSOR CRAFTON AND SEALMASTER RACING TEAM AT DAYTONA DAYTONA BEACH, FL Enzyme Solutions, Incorporated has become a sponsor of the SealMaster Racing team, it was announced Tuesday. ESI, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a manufacturer and marketer of a unique line of all natural, non-toxic enzyme-based household, industrial, medical, and dental cleaning products. SealMaster Racing fields the #88 Menards Chevrolet for driver Matt Crafton in the NASCAR Truck Series. "We are so pleased to have the opportunity to work with a driver like Matt Crafton," said Enzyme Solutions' Senior Vice President Jared Hochstedler. "He is young and aggressive, just like our company. He has a winning background, and we look forward to being a part of the team as they work on getting to victory lane at Daytona." Team owner Duke Thorson enthusiastically welcomes ESI to the team for the Daytona event. "The entire SealMaster Racing team is happy to have Enzyme Solutions on board for Daytona," Thorson said. "Over the course of the past couple of weeks, we have had a chance to use some Enzyme Solutions products around the house and office. We have a Bull Mastiff, and like most dogs, we have accidents from time to time. Just the other day, we were outside rough-housing and she got a little cut on her leg. We didn't notice until she came in the house and we found some blood on our white carpet. We sprayed Oops! Away on it and the stain was gone, almost instantly. We are always happy to welcome a new sponsor on board, and even happier when we know the product and believe in it." Driver Matt Crafton is also excited about ESI joining the team for Daytona, site of the season-opening Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on Friday, February 14. "I have been looking forward to getting to Daytona all winter," Crafton said. "We finished off 2002 on such a high note with great runs at Phoenix and Homestead, and we have had a great feeling about coming to Daytona for the past two months. To have Enzyme Solutions joining us for Daytona is the great kind of omen we were looking for. Their support is very welcome, and I hope we can take them to the front of the pack during the race." Enzyme Solutions will join Menards as co-primary sponsor of the SealMaster Racing Team #88 for the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 and remain as an associate sponsor for the balance of the season. The ESI logos will be displayed on the hood, lower rear quarter panel, tonneau cover, and tailgate in the Daytona race. Menards, which joined SealMaster Racing at this event in 2002, is returning for its second year with the team in 2003. SealMaster Racing has competed in the NASCAR Truck Series since 1996, and has earned one win and two Bud Pole Awards. Driver Matt Crafton is the 2000 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series champion. *For More Information, Please Visit: February 10, 2003 CRAFTON 22ND IN OPENING DAYTONA PRACTICE DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Plagued by a vibration in the driveline, Matt Crafton posted the 22nd-fastest lap among 36 trucks that participated in a NASCAR Truck Series practice at the Daytona International Speedway Monday, February 10. The practice was shortened to one hour from its scheduled two-hours due to weather issues earlier in the day. Crafton's fastest lap around the 2.5-mil oval was 50.136 seconds (179.512 miles per hour). Robert Pressley turned the fastest lap of the day (49.378/182.267). "The vibration really set us back," Crafton said. "We didn't get to work much on our set up because we were chasing the vibration. We have another practice in the morning and then we qualify in the afternoon. We need to get a lot done in the practice." The 2003 NASCAR Truck Series campaign begins Friday, February 14 with the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. The race will be telecast live on the SpeedChannel and broadcast on the affiliates of the Motor Racing Network. January 12, 2003 CRAFTON SOLID IN DAYTONA TESTS DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The light of day was turning into hazy night as Matt Crafton gathered his helmet, gloves and ear plugs and began walking across the paddock at the Daytona International Speedway Sunday, January 12. Minutes earlier, Crafton had been driving the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet at more than 180 miles per hour around the 2.5-mile oval. By the time the darkness had set in, Crafton and the SealMaster Racing team would be heading back to its Ohio base to make more preparations for next month's 2003 NASCAR Truck Series season-opener at the Daytona track. "I'm ready now. Let's race!" Crafton said. "After sitting around a couple of months, it feels great to get out there, get in the draft and pass people. Wish we were racing later this week rather than next month." Crafton ended the day running the ninth-fastest lap among the truck participating in a drafting session. His best lap was 49.582 second (181.517 miles per hour). Rick Crawford ran the fastest lap of the session at (48.241/186.53). Although another day of testing remains, Crafton and the SealMaster team are returning to Ohio ready to act on knowledge gained in two days of testing. "We've learned about all we're going to learn this weekend with this truck," Crafton said. "We feel like we're better off getting back to the shop and spending an extra day working to make some changes before we go to Talladega in 10 days." Truck test sessions continue at the Daytona oval through Monday, January 13. The 2003 NASCAR Truck Series campaign begins Friday, February 14 with a race at the Daytona track. January 11, 2003 CRAFTON PLEASED WITH OPENING DAY OF DAYTONA TEST SESSIONS DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Matt Crafton finished among the top-10 in three NASCAR Truck Series test sessions at the Daytona International Speedway Saturday, January 11. Crafton finished seventh in both a morning and afternoon session that featured single- truck runs at the 2.5-mile oval. He was first in a final session that allowed mutli-truck drafting. "It was a good day for us," Crafton said. "We came here with a game plan. We've stuck with that plan and learned a lot." The test was Crafton's first time in the truck, which was acquired from Team Menard in December. "This is the truck that Bryan Reffner drove here in 2001 and finished eighth," Crafton said. "It is a great piece, and it feels great on the track. We know where we are down a little bit on horsepower. We're running an engine that has a race on it already. We hope to get our new engine program up before the test at Talladega in a couple of weeks and really be ready when we come back here next month." Crafton's fastest lap in the morning session was 50.475 seconds (178.306 miles per hour). He improved to 49.688/181.130 in the afternoon. Crafton and veteran Rick Crawford combined to run 10-laps in a two-truck draft in the final session. Crafton posted the fastest lap of that session and the day at 48.827/184.324. Crafton is preparing for this third season in the NAS |