Matt Crafton

BIOGRAPHY

Matt Crafton, of Tulare, California, has raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since the final race of the 2000 season at California Speedway. Since then, Crafton has yet to miss a single series start and going into the 2010 season has the longest active consecutive starts streak in the series at 222 entering the 2010 season opener at Daytona.

Crafton came to the upper levels of NASCAR racing with a strong short track racing background. His father Danny was a longtime late model ace on the West Coast, and when Danny was injured with three races to go in the 1996 season Matt stepped in as the substitute. After watching Matt perform above expectations in those three races, Danny decided to hang up his goggles and stepout of his familiar No. 46 for good. After learning to race in go-karts, mini sprints, and midgets, and then following in his father's footsteps in late models, the younger Crafton was able to do what his father was never able to – win the NASCAR Southwest Tour championship, picking up the title on the strength of four wins in 2000.

It was that title run that put him on the radar for teams in the upper levels of the sport. Crafton got the call to drive for ThorSport Racing in the 2000 NCWTS finale at California and finished an impressive ninth. From then, Crafton and ThorSport have formed a formidable combination.

In 197 starts in a ThorSport-prepared truck (in 2004 Crafton drove for Kevin Harvick, Inc.) he has scored one win (Charlotte, 2008), 27 top-five finishes, 92 top-ten finishes, three poles, and four top-ten finishes in the season championship standings. The team hit its stride in 2009 – although they weren't able to visit victory lane (due largely to circumstances out of their control more than performance on the racetrack) they combined for eleven top-fives, 21 top-tens, two poles, and second place in the final standings – all career-best numbers.

Crafton will return to the seat of ThorSport Racing's No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado for the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, marking his tenth full season of competition and ninth with ThorSport. Also returning for the fifth season is Crafton's crew chief Vance "Bud" Haefele, along with the core of his team – many of which have been together since the mid 1990s at the now defunct Liberty Racing team. Crafton will race alongside ThorSport Racing teammate, and 2009 NCWTS Rookie of the Year, Johnny Sauter. Sauter returns to the team in 2010 to drive the No. 13 FunSand/Curb Records Chevrolet.

Crafton now resides in Mooresville, North Carolina. Off the track he enjoys golfing and building and driving his sand rail.