Crafton eyeing another win at Martinsville

When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) takes the green flag at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Saturday afternoon for the Kroger 250, it will have been exactly one month since the series last raced at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. It will also have been exactly one month since Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Hormel® Pepperoni/Menards Toyota Tundra, was in victory lane, and just one year ago, the two-time NCWTS champion was in victory lane at Martinsville.

 

In March 2014, the ThorSport Racing driver started 10th, led a track-high 47 laps, and held off fellow Toyota Racing driver, Darrell Wallace, Jr., during a second attempt at a green-white-checker flag finish to claim his first victory at the half-mile paperclip. Crafton, who has more starts (26) than any other driver entered in Saturday’s 250-lap event, is tied with Timothy Peters for the most top-five finishes (six), has the most top-10 finishes (14), and has completed the most laps (5752) around the.526-mile track – a combination that could have the two-time champion “Clocking-In” to victory lane on Saturday.

 

Sounding off – Matt Crafton:

“Martinsville is a race where track position means everything. It’s important to qualify in the front, and it’s key to maintain that position. Everyone likes to run on the bottom, and that makes it difficult to make moves and pass. Last year when we won, we didn’t start the race off great, in fact we were terrible. The truck was really, really tight from the center of the corner off. We made a couple track bar adjustments, and an air pressure adjustment on the first two runs and we finally got going – these guys just never gave up. You can’t give up at Martinsville; you just have to muscle for everything you’ve got.”

 
Thorsport PR