MATT CRAFTON LUCAS OIL RACEWAY PREVIEW
Driver of the No. 88 Menards/Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES * AAA Insurance 200* Lucas Oil Raceway
No. 88 Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 13 of 25 – Lucas Oil Raceway
SEEING DOUBLE: This weekend, Matt Crafton will be pulling double duty when he heads to Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition to piloting the No. 88 Menards/ Ideal Door machine in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Crafton will be making his second ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start of the 2011 season, the fourth of his career. Crafton will get behind the wheel of the No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management/Menards Ford from Kimmel Racing. This is the first appearance at Lucas Oil Raceway for ARCA since 1985.
PERFECT RECORD: In his ten previous starts at Lucas Oil Raceway, Crafton has completed 100 percent of all scheduled laps, making 2001 circuits around the 0.686-mile oval. That is a total of 1372.686 miles around the 50-year-old facility, the equivalent of travelling from the ThorSport Racing facility in Sandusky, Ohio to Indianapolis five times.
PASTRANA-MANIA: This weekend, Motorcross/Supercross/X Games superstar Travis Pastrana will make his much-anticipated NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Lucas Oil Raceway. Matt Crafton has served as driver coach for Pastrana in preparation for his debut, testing with him and coaching him throughout the beginning of the 2011 season.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 34 this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway. Crafton most recently raced this chassis to an 11th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in April. Crafton also drove this truck to a seventh-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton battled the handling of the No. 88 Menards/Goof Off Chevrolet Silverado for the duration of the Lucas Deep Clean 200 before following up last week’s win at Iowa Speedway with a top-15 finish. With long green flag runs and few cautions to make adjustments, Crafton fought hard to bring home an 11th-place finish.
THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Matt Crafton
How do you feel about Lucas Oil Raceway?
“Lucas Oil Raceway is one of my favorite short tracks that the Truck Series travels to. It has that Friday night, short track racing feel, and it always provides a lot of hard, side-by-side racing. It’s a fun track to drive and it always puts on a good show for the fans.”
What is different about a double duty weekend?
“It can get busy when you’re doing two races in one weekend, but it’s always fun to race in a different series. It gives you the chance to get some seat time on the track with a different group of guys and just have fun because you’re not racing for points. I think that doing the ARCA race can do nothing but help me in terms of the track, and hopefully I can earn two wins in one weekend.”
What do you think about Travis Pastrana making his NASCAR debut this weekend?
“I’m excited to see what he can do out on the track. It has been a great experience working with him this season and prepping him for this race. He’s a legend in the Motorcross and X Games world, so it will be interesting to see him begin his NASCAR career. I really enjoy working with rookies and coaching young drivers, so to work with guys like Travis is always fun.”
Race Info:
July 29, 2011
Lucas Oil Raceway
0.686-Mile Oval
AAA Insurance 200
200 Laps/137.2 Miles
Broadcast Info:
TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 7:30 p.m. EST
Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 7:15 p.m. EST
Team Facts:
Current Point Standings: 6th
Crew Chief: Bud Haefele
Chassis: 34
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)
Find Matt Crafton on Social Media
Facebook: ThorSport Racing Matt Crafton Official Fan Page
Twitter: @ThorSportRacing @Matt_Crafton
YouTube: ThorSport Racing
About Menards:
With 263 stores in 13 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.
About Ideal Door
Since 1963, Ideal Door has been an industry leader in sectional garage doors and the preferred choice of home owners, architects and builders for their current and future door needs. For more information, visit www.idealdoors.com.
