As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) heads into the second half of the 2014 season, Matt Crafton finds himself in the thick of the championshSitting second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver point standings, Matt Crafton visits Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (BMS) searching for his first win at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile”. Crafton is no stranger to short track success, as his first win of 2014 came on the half-mile paperclip of Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April. His first of two career short track triumphs came in 2011 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, which was his second career NCWTS victory.
Much like his 2014 season, the Great Lakes Wood Floors/Menards driver has been a model of consistency at “Thunder Valley”. In four of the last five races at BMS, Crafton has posted top-10 finishes, and has completed 99.7% of the laps attempted in his 11 career starts. Crafton has excelled at all three short track races this season, posting a third-place finish at Iowa, ninth at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, and a win at Martinsville. Leading into the 13th event on the NCWTS schedule, the defending champion has moved within nine points of the leader and has tallied four top-10 finishes in the last five races.
Sounding off – Matt Crafton:
“Bristol definitely is the coliseum of racing; it’s a very cool racetrack. There’s no other track on the schedule that races the way Bristol does. We’ve been close to winning there a few times, and with as many second-place finishes as we’ve had this season, we’re ready to get back to victory lane. We’ve been good on short tracks this year, especially winning at Martinsville, so we’re ready to unload a fast Menards Toyota Tundra and stay up front all night, because track position will be key.”
Crafton’s Bristol Stats:
• 11 starts
• 2212 of 2219 laps completed (89.9%)
• 0 laps led
• Two top-five finishes
• six top-10 finishes
• Best start: 5th (2003)
• Best finish: 2nd (2009)
• Avg. start: 17.2
• Avg. finish: 10.7
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Crafton ranks:
º Fourth in Laps in the Top 15: 1013
º Third in Fastest Laps Run: 52
º 12th in Driver Rating: 83.4
º 16th in Average Running Position: 14.737
NCWTS Results at Bristol:
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| Date | Start | Finish | Laps | Status | Led |
| 8/20/2003 | 5 | 6 | 200/200 | Running | 0 |
| 8/25/2004 | 10 | 3 | 206/206 | Running | 0 |
| 8/24/2005 | 33 | 12 | 200/200 | Running | 0 |
| 8/23/2006 | 25 | 12 | 200/200 | Running | 0 |
| 8/22/2007 | 20 | 12 | 200/200 | Running | 0 |
| 8/20/2008 | 29 | 21 | 198/203 | Running | 0 |
| 8/19/2009 | 18 | 2 | 200/200 | Running | 0 |
| 8/18/2010 | 18 | 10 | 206/206 | Running | 0 |
| 8/24/2011 | 18 | 21 | 198/200 | Running | 0 |
| 8/22/2012 | 7 | 9 | 204/204 | Running | 0 |
| 8/21/2013 | 6 | 10 | 200/200 | Running | 0 |
Matt Crafton 2014:
• After a second-place finish in the Careers for Veterans 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Crafton is second in the NCWTS driver point standings, nine points behind ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter
• Has been victorious twice – Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
• The first season in 14 years in the NCWTS that the ThorSport Racing driver has won multiple races in one season
• Has posted six top-five and eight top-10 finishes
• Has led 230 laps
• Recorded a season-best second-place start three times; Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
• Has completed 1767 of 1848 laps attempted (95.6%)
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Crafton ranks:
º First in Laps in the Top-15: 1612
º Second in Average Running Position: 7.286
º Third in Driver Rating: 102.7
º Third in Laps Led: 223
º Fourth in Fastest Laps Run:120
Crafton’s Career Truck Series Stats:
• 328 starts since 2000
• Five wins
• 69 top-five finishes
• 183 top-10 finishes
• Seven poles
• 51,261 laps completed
• 850 laps led
• Average start: 13.5
• Average finish: 12.0
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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.
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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.comfor more information.
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 run in the Truck Series since 1996, in 2014 will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by 2013 drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff/Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 Carolina Nut Co. Toyota Tundra driven by Jeb Burton in the Truck Series and the No. 13 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.