Matt Crafton returns to Charlotte for Friday's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 hoping he's again holding the winning race ticket.
Crafton captured a thrilling victory here last season, and the significance of winning in the cradle of NASCAR is not lost on him.
"Getting to Victory Lane at Charlotte last year was special," he said. "It meant so much to me, to do it for (ThorSport Racing owners) Duke and Rhonda Thorson, because we've all been in this together for a long time and they've provided this team with whatever it has taken over the years to help us succeed. I'm grateful for that. It was great to win for Menards, too, and for everyone involved with ThorSport Racing. But we know that race has nothing to do with what happens on Friday, so we have to be ready to go."
It may have more bearing on Friday's race than Crafton admits. Crafton has 6 career starts at Charlotte, and has finished in the top-10 each time. In a sport where consistency is key, Crafton has shown it in spades, particularly at Charlotte.
"I've always loved racing at Charlotte," he said. "Even after they repaved the track, we've been able to have great side-by-side racing here. They obviously did it right. We should be really good when we roll off the trailer. But as I've said, you have to be lucky and good to have a chance to win. Things have to go your way, and hopefully that will be the case for us on Friday."
Possible repeat victory at Charlotte would be ultimate testament to Crafton's focus on the aforementioned consistency.
"This series is so competitive, and we only have 25 races, so you have to make each race count," he said. "It's important to make the absolute most out of your situation each week, and the biggest part of that is finishing races, obviously. You can't challenge for wins if you're not there at the end, if you're not in position. We're heading into the meat of our schedule now, and this is where contenders will start to separate themselves from the pack a bit. Sometimes, you have an awesome truck and maybe don't have a strong finish to show for it, and other times you're fortunate to finish well when you don't have your best truck. The bottom line with all of it is staying focused on what it takes to be successful each week, on the things we can control. That's what will get us to where we want to be."
