Sandusky, Ohio -May 10th, 2011 – Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Menards/Certainteed Chevrolet Silverado, makes his eleventh NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 13th for ThorSport Racing. With four top ten finishes and his best finish of fifth in 2008 for Crafton, currently third in driver points, he feels as ready as he’ll ever be to take on the “Monster Mile.”
“I’ve had concussions here, been life-flighted out of here, had good days and had bad days,” the driver said. “Welcome to the Monster Mile, it can eat you alive or give you the best ride you’ve ever driven. It’s one of my favorite racetracks, and I really mean that. It’s crazy to say at a place that’s beaten me up before, but that’s the beauty of Dover. You have to trust your instincts and not make any mistakes. We’re ready this year from all fronts to attack.”
Doing “double driver duty,” Crafton will fly directly from the Truck Series race to compete in the ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 in a Kimmel Racing-fielded entry, the No. 88 Menards Ford Fusion.
“Speaking” for Autism in Dover
The No. 88 Menards/Certainteed Chevy will also don the Autism Speaks Puzzle logo for the Dover Lucas Oil 200 on Friday as a tribute to children with autism. “This is the second year in a row that we’ve supported Autism Speaks, and it’s a great way that we can raise awareness for a group doing good things across the country,” Crafton continued.
Adopting Servicemembers for the No. 88
The No. 88 pit stall will have three extra “honorary pit crew” on Dover weekend, as the ThorSport Racing team supports members of the Dover Air Force Base. Staff Sergeant Erik Chittick, the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron Crew Chief; Technical Sergeant Heather Michaud, the 436th Civil Engineer Squad Fire Inspector; and Technical Sergeant James Ellis of the 9th Airlift Squadron; will all get to “catch tires” with Mechanixwear gloves alongside the No. 88 crew.
“It’s really neat to have any kind of military members with us at any race, but Dover is very special,” said Crafton. “They do so much at Dover AFB and are usually not recognized, to include the ‘honor flights’ of our fallen service men and women. These are folks who quietly serve, and it’s an amazing facility that I’ve toured before. I’m glad we can show them a fun day of racing and being part of our team.”
Carrier Joins Forces with TSR to “Keep Racing Cool”
Carrier, the world leader in air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems, has joined forces as the Official HVAC provider for ThorSport Racing. As part of the partnership, Carrier will provide heating and cooling systems for ThorSport Racing’s new 100,000-square foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio – opening to the public in August 2011. For more information on Carrier, visit www.Carrier.com.
Getting “CSI” on the “ISO” at Dover AFB
As a “thank you” from the Dover AFB staff, the ThorSport Racing No. 88 and No. 13 teams will be touring the C17 Flight Line and the C5 ISO-Chronical Inspection on Thursday night alongside Max & Tati Papis; and crew members from Red Horse Racing. Well known as the “CSI” of Dover AFB, the crew will be touring wings and tails of planes – watch out drivers, no wing walking!
Race Stats:
Dover Chassis: 33
Crew Chief: Bud Haefele
Starts: 10
Top 10: 4 Top 5: 1
Current Driver Points Standing: 3rd
Lucas Oil 200
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Race Broadcast: 8pm (NCWTS Setup Show on SPEED); 8:30pm Race on SPEED, MRN & Sirius NASCAR 90
Find Matt:
Website: www.ThorSport.com
Facebook: ThorSport Racing
Twitter: @thorsportracing or @mattcrafton
