No. 88 Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 10 of 25 – Kentucky Speedway
MATT CRAFTON TEXAS PREVIEW
Driver of the No. 88 Menards/Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES * UNOH 225 * Kentucky Speedway
No. 88 Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 10 of 25 – Kentucky Speedwa
BLUEGRASS BOUND: Returning from the longest break of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Matt Crafton heads to the “Bluegrass State” to take on the D-shaped oval of Kentucky Speedway. Crafton has a decade of experience and success at 1.5-mile track, earning three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 10 previous starts. Crafton has been running at the finish of each of his past 10 starts, and has completed 98.9% of the scheduled laps in those events. With an average finish of 9.5, it’s likely that Crafton will bring home another top-10 finish in the Thursday night race.
BUILT LIKE FORT KNOX: Crafton and his ThorSport Racing teammates Johnny Sauter and Dakoda Armstrong are making a special stop during their trip to Kentucky. The three drivers are scheduled to visit Fort Knox for a hands-on day of training and meeting with military members at the U.S. Army post.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 041 this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. This is a brand-new chassis which will make its first laps when it hits the track in Kentucky.
THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Matt Crafton
How do you feel going into the race in Kentucky?
“I love going to Kentucky, It’s one of the places I’m always looking forward to. The fans there are just awesome, and the Truck Series has always drawn a good crowd here. Everyone always wants to talk about the ‘cookie cutter’ mile and a half racetracks, but Kentucky is so, so different. Some of these mile and a half tracks you can hold it wide open so long and whoever has the most horsepower and the best body is going to go fastest that day. But a place like Kentucky, where there’s so much character and a lot less banking, we really have to drive the truck a lot more. You have to lift through the corners and the bumps make it a real challenge, so you need the entire package when it comes to good handling.”
You’re bringing a brand new chassis to Kentucky Speedway. Do you prefer to bring a new truck versus a chassis you’ve raced in the past?
“New trucks have always been good to us in the past. Each and every time ThorSport brings something new to the racetrack, they show just how much they improve. It’s nice to bring something to the track that you know you’re familiar with, but when we bring something to the track that’s new, 9 times out of 10 it’s better than anything we’ve raced in the past. We’re hoping our batting average stays the same with the new truck this weekend.”
Did you do anything exciting during our longest break of the season?
“In our time off, I went up to the shop, checked out the new building and hung out with the guys, which is always fun. I also spent a lot of time at home getting all my spring cleaning done. Getting stuff done around the house was the biggest thing I did in these last three weeks.”
Are you looking forward to spending some time at Fort Knox with the military?
“Our trip to Fort Knox is going to be great, I’m looking forward to that, without a doubt. You can’t thank those people in the military enough for what they do for us. Without them, we don’t have jobs and we don’t have a free country, so it’s always special to spend time with those people and show how grateful you are.”
Race Info:
July 7, 2011
Kentucky Speedway
1.5-Mile D-Shaped Oval
UNOH 225
150 Laps/225 Miles
Broadcast Info:
TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. EST
Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 7:45 p.m. EST
Team Facts:
Current Point Standings: 5th
Crew Chief: Bud Haefele
Chassis: 41
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)
Matt Crafton
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Kentucky Speedway:
Starts: 10
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Top 5: 3
Top 10: 7
Laps Led: 9
Average Start: 12.4
Average Finish: 9.5
Find Matt Crafton on Social Media
Facebook:
ThorSport Racing
Matt Crafton Official Fan Page
Twitter:
@ThorSportRacing
@Matt_Crafton
YouTube:
ThorSport Racing
