Stats:
Started: 3rd
Finished: 5th
Laps: 200/200
Status: Running
Driver Points: 1st (+11)
Owner Points: 1st
Dover, DE (May 30, 2015) – Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Rip It®/Menards Toyota Tundra, recovered from a pit road penalty late in Friday’s Lucas Oil 200 at Dover (DE) International Speedway to finish fifth, the ThorSport Racing driver’s fourth top-five finish in 15 starts at the one-mile concrete oval.
Starting third, Crafton maintained a top-five position through the races first 100 laps, bringing his Toyota Tundra to pit road at laps 34 and 75, respectively, for four tires and fuel. As the laps started winding down, pit strategy started to play out for the 32-truck field. While some trucks opted to make their final pit stop under the lap 106 caution, crew chief Carl “Junior” Joiner decided to keep the Menards driver out on track, and Crafton would lead the field for the sixth time this season from laps 107 to 109, until losing the lead to eventual race winner, Tyler Reddick.
Crafton, scored second, made his final pit stop of the day at lap 137, for four tires and fuel. Unfortunately, the NCWTS point leader would suffer a pit road penalty for “too fast exiting,” and be forced to start from the tail end of the longest line, in the 14th position for the lap 142 restart.
By lap 144, the defending series champion was scored seventh and with only 10 laps remaining, Crafton had worked his way into the fifth position, which is where he crossed the stripe at lap 200.
The solid run was Crafton’s fifth top-five of season and allowed the ThorSport Racing driver to retain the NCWTS point lead following the sixth race of the season.
Quote:
“Track position was everything. I messed up and sped on pit road and gave it away. I felt if we wouldn’t have sped on pit road, we would have had a shot at the thing – driver error for sure. It’s frustrating. You can’t pass. You just try to get everything you can, when you can. I hate it for these guys, for me making mistakes like that. We’ll go get em’ at Texas.”
Notes:
- Matt Crafton finished fifth in the Lucas Oil 200 on Friday at Dover International Speedway
The top-five result was Crafton’s fourth top-five finish in 15 starts at the “Monster Mile”
The ThorSport Racing driver led one time for three of the 200 laps
Crafton has led 219 laps this season, leading at least one lap in the first six races of the season
Crafton had an Average Running Position of 4.8, and a Driver Rating of 113.2 following the 200-lap event - Crafton remains the NCWTS point leader following the Lucas Oil 200, 11 points ahead of second-place Tyler Reddick
- In 2015, Crafton has two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes – he is the only NCWTS driver with a top-10 finish in all six starts this season
- In 344 career NCWTS starts, Crafton has seven wins, 81 top-five and 198 top-10 finishes
Tyler Reddick won the Lucas Oil 200 followed by Daniel Suarez (second), Erik Jones (third), Daniel Hemric (fourth), and Crafton rounded out the top-five. ThorSport Racing teammates Johnny Sauter and Cameron Hayley finished ninth and 21st, respectively - Up next: The WinStar World Casino 400k at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on Friday, June 5
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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.
