Matt Crafton seeks a return to the familiar territory of top-5 finishes in the Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350 on Saturday. Crafton, who prides himself on consistency, has shown it in spades for most of the season. In the last four races, however, the driver of the No. 88 Menards Silverado has found himself on the outside of the top-5 looking in.
"We're doing the same things now that we've done all season, in terms of preparation and focus," Crafton said. "This sport is crazy that way. You can get on the streaks of top-5 finishes, and it's almost as easy to find the flip-side, where you're doing the same things but just have circumstances that you can't control. That seems to have been the case for us lately. We have good trucks each week, but some things just haven't gone our way in the last few races. So we'll keep doing what we know how to do, and things have a way of turning around."
That said, Crafton remains within striking distance of his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. He is in 3rd place in the NCTS standings.
"I love coming back to Las Vegas," said Crafton, a native of Tulare, CA. "I always enjoy coming back to the West Coast. I'll have lots of friends and family in the grandstands on Saturday, and their support means a great deal to me."
In 7 NCTS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Crafton has never finished in the top-5. He has a lone top-10 finish.
"I love racing here, and we've always had good trucks here, but we just haven't had the results to show for it," he said. "In terms of the facility as a whole, this is one of the nicest we visit. It's awesome. The track itself is improving, but it's still a bit tough to race side-by-side. We're ready for a strong day on Saturday, and hopefully we can come out of here with a top-5 finish.'
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