No. 88 Craftsman Truck Driver
Sandusky, Ohio (January 29, 2001) - Matt Crafton may have stepped up in the racing world, but the trail of dust he left behind is still visible. On Sunday, February 4th Crafton will revisit Phoenix International Raceway and compete as the reigning champion of the Featherlite Southwest Series.
"I'm looking forward to getting back to Phoenix. I feel like the place owes me a little. The last time we raced there, we had an awesome car. We won the pole and led by as much as eight seconds. I mean, we had them covered! But, we broke a gear in the rear end and didn't finish," stated Matt Crafton.
Since clinching the championship, Crafton has moved on to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for SealMaster Racing.
"I'm not running the Southwest Series for points this year. We'll probably run a few of the races when we can around the truck schedule. Without the pressure of the points, we can go to Phoenix with one thing on our minds - getting the win."
Crafton made his first appearance in SMR's #88 Chevrolet Silverado, finishing ninth at the Motorola 200 at California Speedway October 28.
"It will be good to get in a race car and run a race before we start the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. We've been on the track plenty in the last couple of months. We've tested the truck at Darlington, Las Vegas and Daytona. But nothing gets you ready for the season like running a race. I'm glad I'll be able to race at Phoenix before we go to Daytona to open the trucks season."
Crafton's next race is on February 16 at Daytona International Speedway in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race. This 250 mile, 100 lap race will be televised live on ESPN starting at 11:00 a.m. Qualifying takes place at 3:30 p.m. February 13th.
