Crafton's disappointing finish at Atlanta last week dropped him into a tie for 4th place in the NCTS standings with three races remaining.  He hopes to recoup valuable points at Texas.

"Last week was a tough one to swallow, coming to Atlanta 3rd in points and leaving after a horrible day," Crafton said.  "But you'll have days like that in racing; it's part of the game.  Fortunately for us, we hadn't had a day like that all season.  Unfortunately for us, it came at a critical time.  There's nothing you can do except try to put it behind you, and we've done a great job of that this week.  Our focus is completely on Texas, and we know we have to be mistake-free to put ourselves in contention for a win or top-5 finish."

If familiarity breeds success, good things may be indeed be in store for Crafton on Friday.  He has started 15 races at Texas, more than any other track on the circuit, and has finished in the top-10 seven times.  He has finished 7th in each of his last three visits to TMS.  His lone top-5 finish there came in '05.

"I always enjoy racing at Texas," said Crafton.  "The asphalt is old, and we can run in multiple grooves, which makes for some good two-and-three-wide racing.  It's always an exciting race for the fans and drivers alike.  We'll give it our best, and I'm confident that will translate to a strong finish for us.  We have a few races to go, and a lot can still happen, points-wise.  It seems like something dramatic happens every week in this series."