Michigan International Speedway – Corrigan Oil 200
Race No. 15 of 23
Team Info/Stats:
Crew Chief: Carl “Junior” Joiner, Jr.
Driver Point Standings: 6th
Owner Point Standings: 8th
Playoff Position: 8th
Spotter: Stevie Reeves
News and Notes:
- This Week’s No. 88 Hormel Black Label Bacon/Menards Ford F-150… The No. 88 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 54 for Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Debuting at Kansas Speedway in 2016, the chassis has one win (Charlotte Motor Speedway – 2016) and three runner-up finishes (Kansas – 2016, Texas Motor Speedway 1 – 2016, Texas 2 – 2016), in addition to seven top-10 finishes and 275 laps led in three seasons.
- Fast Facts: Michigan Edition… Matt Crafton will make his 16th career start in the “Wolverine State” this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Leading 42 laps en route to one runner-up (2016), three top-five (2006, 2009 and 2014) and seven top-10 finishes, Crafton has three poles (2011, 2015 and 2016) and an average starting position of 9.94 at a track whose average race winner starts 6.94.
- Two to Go… Two races remain before the 2018 NCWTS Playoffs begin. Crafton and the No. 88 Menards team currently sit on the bubble in eighth-place with 94 points separating them from ninth. Working to secure his position in the Playoffs, Crafton is the only driver in the ThorSport Racing stable to earn a berth in each of the last three Playoffs. Winning at Michigan this weekend, or Bristol Motor Speedway next, Crafton could secure a spot in the Playoffs, however Crafton could also “point” the team in by finishing eighth in the point standings when the checkers fall at Bristol.
- Race Rewind: Michigan 2017…. Besting the field with a fastest lap of 184.256 mph, Crafton starting 2017’s LTi Printing 200 from pole position. Leading the first 10 laps of the race, Crafton finished third in Stage 1 and fourth in Stage 2 on his way to finishing sixth when the checkers fell.
- 2018 In Review… In 14 starts this season, Crafton has led 35 laps en route to five top-five and seven top-10 finishes, in addition to a season-best start of second (Atlanta and Martinsville), and a season-best finish of second (Dover).
Chatting with Matt Crafton…
“Michigan is a home track for Ford Performance, and somewhat of a home track for ThorSport Racing being two hours from the team’s shop. I like going to Michigan because it is so close to the shop, and we get to see a lot of the guys and families who work for the race team. Drafting partners and working with teammates will be key this weekend, and we’ve been pretty strong there in past. We’re working to get a win, not only locking us into the Playoffs, but also for Ford at their home track.”
