Matt Crafton Turning Into ‘Mr. Consistency’ In 2009
TruckSeries.com Report
In NASCAR two things bring success in a career as a driver: winning and consistency.
Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) is proving that the latter can take you to the top of the series standings. Crafton has posted a series-leading eight top-10 finishes in nine starts this season.
Crafton took the lead in the standings after Texas two weeks ago, and now leads standings by 39 points over veteran Ron Hornaday Jr. (second).
Crafton finished second to Johnny Benson last season at Milwaukee. He has made eight starts at Milwaukee, posting one top five and five top 10s.
NASCAR Season-To-Date Loop Data shows why Crafton is having such early success in 2009. He is ranked first in Laps In Top 15 with 88.6% of his laps completed in the top 15. He is ranked fourth in Driver Rating with (103.2).Crafton takes the Truck Series lead to Milwaukee
Nine-year vet hasn't finished worse than 11th this season
By Sporting News Wire Service
June 19, 2009
10:13 AM EDT
Despite his inexperience as the front runner in the Camping World Truck Series, Matt Crafton is not allowing his No. 1 status to enter his thoughts going into the Copart 200 on Friday night at the Milwaukee Mile.
"I'm racing [Milwaukee] just like it was my first race this year," Crafton said. "I'm out there to run up front, to win races and collect the most points at the end of the day. Everybody made a lot more out of me leading the points than I have.
"I've won championships in other things that I've raced, and if you sit there and put it in your head and worry about it, you're going to beat yourself. You just have to go out there and do what you're paid to do and drive and win races."
Milwaukee Mile
Crafton, in his ninth full season in the series, took the lead two races ago at Texas and extended it to 39 points in front of Ron Hornaday by finishing fourth at Michigan. Crafton has been sixth or better in the past four races and leads the series with eight top-10s in nine races. Crafton's worst finish in 2009 is 11th.
Crafton should be strong at Milwaukee, too. He finished second last season, his first top-five in eight races at the legendary Mile.CRAFTON: Continues Charge At Milwaukee
TruckSeries.com Report
Matt Crafton has been a model of consistency throughout his career, and this season has been no exception. He has collected 3 top-5 finishes in his last 4 races, and has finished outside the top-10 only once thus far in '09. In 8 career starts at Milwaukee, Crafton has finished in the top-10 five times. He finished 2nd there last season.
Crafton seeks wins each time out, and, while he isn’t a big believer in moral victories, can nonetheless see the bigger championship picture.
“We’re racing our rear-ends off each week, expecting to take our No. 88 Menards Silverado to Victory Lane,” he said. “We’ve had awesome trucks all season, and I’m thankful to Bud (crew chief Haefele) and the guys for the great work they do. We feel like we should’ve been in Victory Lane multiple times this season so far, but we haven’t closed the deal. But as I’ve always said, you have to first put yourself in position to have a shot, and we’ve done a good job of that. We’ve continued to learn and find ways to get better, and that’s what you have to do.”
Championship talk has swirled around Crafton for some time, and has intensified in recent weeks. He and the No. 88 team remain focused on each week’s task.
“We’re focused on the things we can control,” he said. “There’s so much that can happen week to week out here, because this series is so competitive. If you start looking behind or ahead, you’re in trouble. We know what we’re capable of, and we’re a long way from where we want to be. The only way to get there is to keep working hard. Our guys have always done that, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
Crafton looks forward to the change of racing pace that Milwaukee’s flat mile provides.
“I always enjoy racing at Milwaukee,” he said. “The racing is always good. It’s a place where driver skill figures into the equation a bit more, and I always like that.”
Crafton and ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter have forged a formidable partnership in a short period of time, based on a steady flow of information give-and-take. Crafton is inspired by Sauter’s track record of success at Milwaukee, and believes it bodes well for both teams.
“Johnny is a Wisconsin guy, and has won a race and had some great runs here,” Crafton said. “That just adds more fun to the race. Hopefully, he can continue what he’s done here, and we can be strong again, and one of us will end up in Victory Lane."
TruckSeries.com Report
In NASCAR two things bring success in a career as a driver: winning and consistency.
Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) is proving that the latter can take you to the top of the series standings. Crafton has posted a series-leading eight top-10 finishes in nine starts this season.
Crafton took the lead in the standings after Texas two weeks ago, and now leads standings by 39 points over veteran Ron Hornaday Jr. (second).
Crafton finished second to Johnny Benson last season at Milwaukee. He has made eight starts at Milwaukee, posting one top five and five top 10s.
NASCAR Season-To-Date Loop Data shows why Crafton is having such early success in 2009. He is ranked first in Laps In Top 15 with 88.6% of his laps completed in the top 15. He is ranked fourth in Driver Rating with (103.2).Crafton takes the Truck Series lead to Milwaukee
Nine-year vet hasn't finished worse than 11th this season
By Sporting News Wire Service
June 19, 2009
10:13 AM EDT
Despite his inexperience as the front runner in the Camping World Truck Series, Matt Crafton is not allowing his No. 1 status to enter his thoughts going into the Copart 200 on Friday night at the Milwaukee Mile.
"I'm racing [Milwaukee] just like it was my first race this year," Crafton said. "I'm out there to run up front, to win races and collect the most points at the end of the day. Everybody made a lot more out of me leading the points than I have.
"I've won championships in other things that I've raced, and if you sit there and put it in your head and worry about it, you're going to beat yourself. You just have to go out there and do what you're paid to do and drive and win races."
Milwaukee Mile
Crafton, in his ninth full season in the series, took the lead two races ago at Texas and extended it to 39 points in front of Ron Hornaday by finishing fourth at Michigan. Crafton has been sixth or better in the past four races and leads the series with eight top-10s in nine races. Crafton's worst finish in 2009 is 11th.
Crafton should be strong at Milwaukee, too. He finished second last season, his first top-five in eight races at the legendary Mile.CRAFTON: Continues Charge At Milwaukee
TruckSeries.com Report
Matt Crafton has been a model of consistency throughout his career, and this season has been no exception. He has collected 3 top-5 finishes in his last 4 races, and has finished outside the top-10 only once thus far in '09. In 8 career starts at Milwaukee, Crafton has finished in the top-10 five times. He finished 2nd there last season.
Crafton seeks wins each time out, and, while he isn’t a big believer in moral victories, can nonetheless see the bigger championship picture.
“We’re racing our rear-ends off each week, expecting to take our No. 88 Menards Silverado to Victory Lane,” he said. “We’ve had awesome trucks all season, and I’m thankful to Bud (crew chief Haefele) and the guys for the great work they do. We feel like we should’ve been in Victory Lane multiple times this season so far, but we haven’t closed the deal. But as I’ve always said, you have to first put yourself in position to have a shot, and we’ve done a good job of that. We’ve continued to learn and find ways to get better, and that’s what you have to do.”
Championship talk has swirled around Crafton for some time, and has intensified in recent weeks. He and the No. 88 team remain focused on each week’s task.
“We’re focused on the things we can control,” he said. “There’s so much that can happen week to week out here, because this series is so competitive. If you start looking behind or ahead, you’re in trouble. We know what we’re capable of, and we’re a long way from where we want to be. The only way to get there is to keep working hard. Our guys have always done that, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
Crafton looks forward to the change of racing pace that Milwaukee’s flat mile provides.
“I always enjoy racing at Milwaukee,” he said. “The racing is always good. It’s a place where driver skill figures into the equation a bit more, and I always like that.”
Crafton and ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter have forged a formidable partnership in a short period of time, based on a steady flow of information give-and-take. Crafton is inspired by Sauter’s track record of success at Milwaukee, and believes it bodes well for both teams.
“Johnny is a Wisconsin guy, and has won a race and had some great runs here,” Crafton said. “That just adds more fun to the race. Hopefully, he can continue what he’s done here, and we can be strong again, and one of us will end up in Victory Lane."
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