Matt Crafton Goes “Nuts” Over Atlanta

Feb 24, 2015

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2015-Matt-Crafton

Team Information:

2015 Driver Point Standings: 6th

2015 Owner Point Standings: 8th

Crew Chief: Carl “Junior” Joiner

Sandusky, Ohio (February 24, 2015) – For the first time in two years, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will head back to Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway (AMS) for the 14th annual Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Matt Crafton, who will pilot the No. 88 Fisher® Nuts/Menards Toyota Tundra, has raced in every NCWTS event at the 1.54-mile quad oval. In fact, the ThorSport Racing driver has the most starts (13), has completed the most laps (1622), and has more lead lap finishes (10) than any other driver entered in the 14th annual event – a combination that could land the two-time champion in victory lane at his favorite race track on Saturday.

Sounding off – Matt Crafton:

“I say over and over again that Atlanta is by far my favorite track. It’s so fast, the banking is high, you can hold it wide open and the tires really wear, so you slide around the track. It’s got multiple grooves so you can run two and three-wide. I love the fact that you can drive anywhere from the white line up to the wall. It’s a fun place to race, hands down my favorite.”

News & Notes:

Chassis Chatter… The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 48 this weekend at AMS. It’s most recent appearance was in the 2014 NCWTS finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, where Crafton started sixth and finished ninth.
Calling the Shots… Carl “Junior” Joiner enters his fourth season as crew chief for Matt Crafton and the No. 88 team. The California native has 67 career NCWTS starts to his resume, including one start with Matt Crafton at AMS in 2012. The duo started 10th and finished ninth.
Fisher Nuts… Fisher® Nuts will make its 2015 debut with Matt Crafton on board the No. 88 Toyota Tundra at AMS. Fisher® Nuts is a brand owned by John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (NASDAQ: JBSS), a company founded in 1922 that’s a leading processor, marketer and distributor of baking nuts, snack nuts and nut-based products that are sold in multiple distribution channels. Its products can be found under the Fisher®, Orchard Valley Harvest™ and Sunshine Country® brand names and a variety of private labels.
Previous Race Recap… Crafton started the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway from the 31st position, led one lap, and finished eighth.

Crafton’s NCWTS stats at Atlanta Motor Speedway::

13 starts since 2001
0 wins
Three top-five finishes
Seven top-10 finishes
1622 of 1703 laps completed (95.2%)
10 laps led (2010)
Best start: 3rd (2010)
Best finish: 3rd (2010)
Average start: 15.1
Average finish: 12.2

Crafton’s Atlanta Motor Speedway NCWTS Performance Profile:

Date	Started	Finished	Laps	Status	Led
March, 2004	6	5	133/133	Running	0
March, 2005	27	14	135/135	Running	0
October, 2005	35	22	129/130	Running	0
March, 2006	26	9	135/135	Running	0
October, 2006	22	12	130/130	Running	0
March, 2007	17	3	130/130	Running	0
October, 2007	12	7	130/130	Running	0
March, 2008	15	4	130/130	Running	0
October, 2008	4	29	85/130	Running	0
March, 2009	12	11	130/130	Running	0
March, 2010	3	27	95/130	Running	0
September, 2011	7	7	130/130	Running	0
August, 2012	10	9	130/130	Running	0

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: