Stats:
Started: 9th
Finished: 3rd
Laps: 139/139
Status: Running
Driver Points: 1st (+16)
Owner Points: 1st
Concord, NC (May 16, 2015) – Matt Crafton piloted his No. 88 Great Lakes/Menards Toyota Tundra to a third-place finish in Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (CMS). The solid run was the ThorSport Racing driver’s fifth top-five finish in 13 starts at the 1.5-mile track.
Starting ninth, Crafton showed his strength early in the 134-lap event when he took over the race lead at lap five, leading 18 of the ensuing laps. Complaining of a Toyota Tundra that was, “free,” the Menards driver fell back to second following a restart at lap 25, but continued to put pressure on the leader. Crew chief Carl “Junior” Joiner called the two-time NCWTS champion down pit road for scheduled stops at laps 21, 64 and 106 for four tires and fuel. Crafton would fall back as far as fourth in the closing laps, but a green-white-checker flag finish saw the No. 88 Tundra cross the stripe third in the 13th annual NCWTS race at CMS. The solid run was Crafton’s fourth top-five finish this season.
The defending series champion continues to lead the NCWTS point standings by 16 over second-place Erik Jones after five races this season.
Quote:
“It was alright, just so aero sensitive – track position was key. I felt we had the second best truck when we were running second, but we didn’t have anything for the 4 (Erik Jones) – he definitely had a little bit more speed than us, but all in all not a bad day. We kept working on it and made it better and better all night. Not bad.”
Notes:
- Matt Crafton finished third in the NC Education Lottery 200 on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- The third-place result was Crafton’s fifth top-five finish in 13 starts at CMS
- The ThorSport Racing driver led three times for 24 of the 134 laps Friday night
- Crafton has led 216 laps this season, leading at least one lap in the first five races of the season
- Crafton had an Average Running Position of 2.25, and a Driver Rating of 126.5 following the NC Education Lottery 200
- The two-time champion remains the NCWTS point leader following the 13th annual NCWTS race at CMS with a 16 point lead over second-place Erik Jones
- In 2015, Crafton has two wins, four top-five and five top-10 finishes – he is the only NCWTS driver with a top-10 finish in all five starts this season
- In 343 career NCWTS starts, Crafton has seven wins, 80 top-five and 197 top-10 finishes
- Kasey Kahne won the NC Education Lottery 200 at CMS followed by Erik Jones, Crafton, Tyler Reddick and Brad Keselowski. ThorSport Racing driver’s Cameron Hayley and Johnny Sauter finished 14th and 15th, respectively
- Up next: Lucas Oil 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway
ABOUT GREAT LAKES WOOD FLOORS:
Great Lakes hardwood flooring captures the true, natural beauty of the great outdoors, yet it also quiets the soul with its warmth and richness. With nearly 40 products available in prefinished solids and engineered selections, our floors offer that rare, sought-after blend of strength, beauty and affordability – all rolled into one. Visit www.greatlakeswoodfloors.com for more information.
ABOUT MENARDS:
With 287 stores in 14 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.
ABOUT THORSPORT RACING:
ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff/Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter, and the No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra driven by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, Cameron Hayley in 2015.
