Matt Crafton (Ronda Greer Photo)

Matt Crafton charged to an 8th place finish in the No. 88 Menards/Energizer Chevrolet in the Quaker Steak & Lube 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Friday, and into the top 10 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings for the first time this season.

Crafton secured his fourth consecutive top 10 finish at the 1.5 mile superspeedway, the longest active streak among NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers, and has collected three top 10 finishes in his last 4 races, fueling his rise in the standings.

"I'm real proud of the way we finished at Charlotte," Crafton said.  "The guys keep working hard and they're putting good trucks underneath me, and we're getting stronger.  Unfortunately, we've made some mistakes in the pits that have cost us some valuable spots, and we've got to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them.  This Series is so tough as it is, and you've got to make the most of your opportunities."

While he never threatened the leaders at Charlotte, Crafton avoided any major problems and ran comfortably in the top 15 throughout the race.  Crafton is within 40 points of the top 5 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings as he heads for the City of Mansfield 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway on Saturday.

"Mansfield is the home track for ThorSport Racing, and that's added incentive for us to run well there," said Crafton.  "We tested well there last year, but missed the setup during the race.  We had a top 10 truck, but cut a tire late in the race and fell out of contention.  It's a great environment, with the short track and the fans going crazy.  We want to bring home a top 5 finish for ThorSport Racing.  I'm happy to be racing every week now, and I'm confident that we can keep our momentum going."

Saturday will mark Crafton's third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Mansfield.  He finished 10th in '04.