CRAFTON: Hoping 200th Truck Start is a Winner at Atlanta
03-04-2009 2:42 pm

Matt Crafton makes his 200th career (Camping World) Truck Series start in the American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, and hopes to make it an afternoon to remember.

"It's awesome to think about making my 200th start in this series, and to be doing it for ThorSport Racing and owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson," Crafton said. "Duke and Rhonda have always believed in me, have stuck with me thru thick and thin over the years, and I'm grateful for that. We've been together a long time, and we've focused on finding ways to make this team better each year, and we've done it. I expect us to put ourselves in position for a special win on Saturday."

Crafton made his first start for ThorSport in the final race of the 2000 season, and drove to a top-10 finish. With the exception of the '04 season, he has started every race since for ThorSport.

"Loyalty and communication have been the biggest keys to the steady improvement of our team," said Crafton. "We've gotten better each year because everybody has the same goals."

Crafton is off to a strong start this season. He is 3rd in the NCWTS standings, and finished in the top-10 at Daytona and California.

"We were more than capable of winning those races,' he said. "We had really good trucks at both races. They were new trucks and were really strong, which is a tribute to (crew chief) Bud Haefele and the guys on this No. 88 Menards team. They've built some great trucks for me, and their work in the pits has been awesome, making the trucks better during the race. We just ran into some unlucky circumstances, and never really got the best chance to show how good we could be."

Atlanta has long been Crafton's favorite stop on the NCWTS circuit.

"I love the place," he said. "We can run two and three-wide, and from the white line up to the fence. It's a really fast track, and you can hold it wide-open there, but handling is important because the tires wear out quickly. After about ten laps, the trucks are sliding all over the place, and the driver becomes a big part of the equation. The turns at Atlanta have almost as much banking as Daytona and Talladega, and you can carry some great speed into the straightaways."

In 9 career starts at Atlanta, Crafton owns 3 top-5 finishes, and has finished in the top-10 five times.

As he approaches his 200th Truck Series start, Crafton thrives on the ultra-competitive nature of the NCWTS.

"It's incredible how competitive this series has become," he said. "At one time, there might have been about ten teams capable of winning a race on a given day, and it's probably double that number now. If you're off even the slightest bit, it's tough to finish in the top-10. We have all the resources to win a championship at ThorSport, and that's a credit to Duke and Rhonda Thorson, and to Chevy. We've always said it's about putting yourselves in position to win, and that's all you can ask. We'll just keep getting better."