CRAFTON: Martinsville a Return To Roots
03-25-2009 4:32 pm

Matt Crafton seeks victory at one of NASCAR'S venerable tracks in Saturday's NCWTS Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

Crafton finished 2nd in last year's spring race at Martinsville, and owns a pair of top-5 and 6 top-10 finishes in 14 career starts at the half-mile track.

"Martinsville is a return to the roots of racing, a symbol of the Saturday Night short-track races so many drivers appreciate," Crafton said. "The track has been around for a long time, and has such a cool history. It would be really special to get to Victory Lane here."

Races at Martinsville are notorious slam-bang affairs that oftentimes push truck performance, and driver tempers, to the limit. Crafton knows patience will be at a premium on a cramped, crowded track.

"You have to stay patient here, and that's tough to do with everything that's going on around you," he said. "You can get caught up in somebody else's mess real easy, and if you get impatient you can ruin a good day in a hurry. You have to stay focused on your own situation, and try to stay out of trouble and put yourself in position to have a shot at the end."

Martinsville is a track that harkens to racing staples like setup and handling instead of aero and horsepower.

"Track position is key here, because if you get shuffled to the back of the pack, it's difficult to work your way back up front," said Crafton. "Obviously, qualifying takes on added importance here for that reason. You can make things much easier for yourself by qualifying well."

Crafton believes the softer Goodyear tire to be used at Martinsville will add another element of uncertainty to the affair.

"It should add a lot to the race," he said. "Now guys will have to race harder, and you can't afford to just play the fuel-mileage game. You have to be extra strong in the pits if you hope to win at Martinsville, too, because the difference from the fastest car to the slowest may be a couple of tenths of a second. The smallest things can make the biggest difference, so there's no margin for error."

Saturday's nationalbroadcast coverage of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 begins at 2pm EST on FOX.