Matt Crafton, No. 88 Rip It®/Menards Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Dover International Speedway – Lucas Oil 200
Race No. 6 of 23
Team Information:
2015 Driver Point Standings: 1st (+16)
2015 Owner Point Standings: 1st
Crew Chief: Carl “Junior” Joiner
POINTS LEADER, MATT CRAFTON HOPES TO “RIP” INTO VICTORY LANE AT DOVER ON FRIDAY
Sandusky, Ohio (May 26, 2015) – Dover (Del.) International Speedway is known as the “Monster Mile,” and “Miles,” the tracks iconic mascot, has had his share of victims in the 15-year tenure that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) has been racing at the one-mile concrete oval. In fact, Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Rip It®/Menards Toyota Tundra, fell victim to the “Monster” in 2014, ending a 47-race streak of no DNF’s and eliminating the Menards driver from the top spot in the NCWTS driver point standings.
Starting second, his track-best start in 14 races at the Delaware track, Crafton led 46 laps and battled with Sprint Cup Series regular, Kyle Busch, for position before a right front tire blew on lap 156 of 200, sending the ThorSport Racing driver hard into the wall and relegating the No. 88 machine to a 23rd-place finish.
Not only did Crafton recover the point’s lead after losing it at Dover, he won his second consecutive championship in 2014, becoming the first driver in series’ history to win back-to-back titles. With more starts at Dover than any other driver entered in the 16th annual event, the veteran driver hopes to use his experience to scare the competition and “Rip” into victory lane on Friday night in the Lucas Oil 200.
Sounding off – Matt Crafton:
“There is a tremendous elevation change at Dover from the straightaway to the bottom of the corner. It’s definitely one of my top-three favorite race tracks to go to each and every year. The groove moves around a lot, the place lays down a lot of rubber, and it’s always great racing.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 88 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 37 forFriday’s Lucas Oil 200. This chassis was last seen at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2014. Crafton started 11th and finished fourth.
- Follow the Leader… Crafton has led 216 laps this season, leading at least one lap in the series’ first five races this season.
- Consistent Crafton Continues… In 2015, Crafton has two wins, four top-five and five top-10 finishes. The two-time champion is the only driver with a top-10 finish in all five starts this season.
- Previous Race Recap… Starting ninth, Crafton piloted his Great Lakes/Menards Toyota Tundra to a third-place finish in the NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (NC) Motor Speedway. The solid run was Crafton’s fourth top-five finish of the season and allowed the defending series champion to keep a tight grip on his lead in the NCWTS driver point standings following the fifth race of the season
Crafton’s NCWTS stats at Dover:
- 14 starts since 2001
- Three top-five finishes
- Eight top-10 finishes
- 2375 of 2751 laps completed (86.3%)
- 72 laps led
- Average start: 15.6
- Average finish: 13.6
- According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Crafton ranks:
- Sixth in Average Running Position (10.4)
- Fourth in Driver Rating (96.7)
- First in Laps In the Top 15: 1495
- First in Laps Led: 69
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:
- 343 starts since 2000
- Seven wins
- 80 top-five finishes
- 197 top-10 finishes
- Seven poles
- 53,497 laps completed
- 1134 laps led
- Average start: 13.3
- Average finish: 11.6
Race Information:
Date: Friday, May 29, 2015
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Track Details: 1-mile oval
Distance: 200 laps/200 miles
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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.
