Matt Crafton – an “Ideal” Candidate for Victory Lane at Texas

Team Information:

2015 Driver Point Standings: 1st (+11)

2015 Owner Point Standings: 1st

Crew Chief: Carl “Junior” Joiner

Sandusky, Ohio (June 1, 2015) – The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) has visited three intermediate tracks in six races this season. Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra, has won at two of the three stops – Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS. In dominating fashion, Crafton led 85 of the 130 laps in Atlanta, prevailing with an 8.752 second lead over second-place, as he took the checkered flag for the first time in 2015. The two-time champion claimed his second win of the season at Kansas, in similar fashion to his June 2014 win at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in Fort Worth, on fuel mileage.

With 28 career starts at Texas, Crafton has more starts at the Fort Worth track than any other active series driver entered in the 35th annual event. Furthermore, the ThorSport Racing driver has one win (June, 2014), two poles, 166 laps led, nine top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. Additionally, according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Crafton leads the field in Fastest Laps Run (209), and Laps in the Top-15 (2563) at TMS.

One year ago at TMS, Crafton and crew chief Carl “Junior” Joiner, stretched their fuel mileage in the final 61 laps to claim the ThorSport Racing driver’s fifth career win, and first at the “No Limits” track in 27 starts. Locked and loaded with the same chassis, No. 48, that Crafton was victorious with in Atlanta, the defending race winner hopes to continue his dominance on the mile-and-a-half tracks in Friday’s WinStar World Casino 400k.

Sounding off – Matt Crafton:

“I always love to come to Texas, and I think the trucks put on an awesome show. Last year I got to put on the cowboy hat in victory lane, and that was really cool. The track just keeps getting better and better with age. It’s widening out and there are multiple grooves. It’s a really fast track where handling is very important and historically, this team really excels there.”

News & Notes:

• Chassis Chatter… The No. 88 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 48 for Friday’s 167-lap race at TMS. This chassis was last seen at Atlanta Motor Speedway (March, 2015), dominating the field, leading 85 laps en route to victory lane.
• Follow the Leader… Crafton has led 219 laps this season, leading at least one lap in the series’ first six races this season.
• Consistent Crafton Continues… In 2015, Crafton has two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes. The two-time champion is the only driver with a top-10 finish in all six starts this season.
• Previous Race Recap… Starting third, Crafton ran consistently in the top-five, leading three laps due to pit strategy, before a late-race pit road penalty forced the Menards driver to restart 14th with 58 laps remaining. The ThorSport Racing driver would muscle his way to a fifth-place finish in the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

Crafton’s NCWTS stats at Texas:

• 28 starts since 2001
• 4271 of 4412 laps completed (96.8%)
• 166 laps led
• Nine top-five finishes
• 17 top-10 finishes
• Best start: First (November 2009 & 2010)
• Best finish: First (June, 2014)
• Average start: 14.4
• Average finish: 10.2
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Crafton ranks:
  • Sixth in Average Running Position: 10.07
  • Fourth in Driver Rating: 96.8
  • First in Fastest Laps Run: 209
  • First in Laps in the Top 15: 2563
  • Third in Laps Led: 166

Crafton’s Texas Motor Speedway NCWTS Performance Profile:

Matt Crafton’s 2014 Highlights:

• Won second consecutive NCWTS championship title to become the first driver in series history to win back-to-back titles
• First career multi-win season with victories at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
• 10th consecutive full season in second stint with ThorSport Racing
• Earned a series-leading 7.0 average finish
• Career-best 13 top-five finishes and 298 laps led

Crafton’s Career Truck Series Stats:

• 344 starts since 2000
• Seven wins
• 81 top-five finishes
• 198 top-10 finishes
• Seven poles
• 53,697 laps completed
• 1137 laps led
• Average start: 13.3
• Average finish: 11.6

Race Information:

Date: Friday, June 5, 2015

Time: 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

Track Details: 1.5-mile oval

Distance: 167 laps/250.5 miles

Team Website: www.ThorSport.com

Driver Website: www.MattCrafton.com

Sponsor Website: www.Menards.com

Twitter: @ThorSportRacing, @Matt_Crafton

ABOUT IDEAL DOOR:

Since 1963, Ideal Door has been an industry leader in sectional garage doors and the preferred choice of home owners, architects and builders for their current and future door needs. For more information, visit: www.idealdoorgaragedoors.com/