MATT CRAFTON SCORES NASCAR SOUTHWEST SERIES WIN AT PIR AND PROVES THAT YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN.

Source: Dave Grayson
Date: 01/24/2006

AVONDALE, Arizona -- Tulare, California's Matt Crafton took some time off from his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series duties to revisit some familiar territory and proved that you can go home again. Crafton was the big winner of the January 22nd Southwest Series 100 at the Phoenix International Raceway. The 2000 series champion took the lead of the race for good on lap 73 and led NASCAR Nextel Cup veteran Ken Schrader under the checkers in a very close finish. The NASCAR Autozone Elite Division, Southwest Series event was part of the raceway's 29th annual October Classic.

This event had more than its fair share of intriguing moments which eventually caused officials to shorten the race to 85 laps due to time constraints. There were two major crashes, two red flags and a rather large brush fire, across the highway from the track, before 20 laps were put on the scoreboard.

During qualifying, Tim Schendel's Chevrolet ripped off the fast lap, 132.563 MPH, around the Phoenix International Raceway's one mile oval to earn the right to lead the 43 starters under the initial green flag. The race barely made one lap before a five car pile up erupted in turn one that included the cars of Bobby Latham III, Todd Hansen, Brandon Loverock, Ron Hawley and John Dillon. Officials ordered the red flag to be displayed, which brought the field to complete stop, so officials could perform the track clean up duties.

Just like the official race start, the restart only lasted one lap before the yellow was back out again. This time the problem was a front stretch crash that involved the cars driven by Dave Finley and Stan Silva Jr. There was a massive amount of fluids and sheet metal debris on the track that prompted officials to, once again, order the red flag.

It was also at the point that huge billows of black smoke were observed in the Phoenix skyline directly above the main grandstand due to the aforementioned brush fire. It prompted many veteran series observers to believe that this was going to be the most bizarre Southwest Series season opener in its 20 year history.

On the ensuing restart, the event finally developed something it needed badly: race rhythm. Schendel paced the field to lap 27 when Eric Holmes took the point. Ken Schrader passed for the lead, on lap 34, and held it for a lap before the yellow came out again due to Don Campbell's turn three crash.

On the restart Holmes snookered the field and reclaimed the lead holding it to lap 53 before Schrader ran him down to take the point again. At lap 70, NASCAR officials sent the word out that the race was going to be shortened to 85 laps due to time constraints. This surprise announcement turned the race's intensity level to brand new heights. With time running out, Crafton made quick work of charging through the top five and passed Schrader for, what turned out to be, the winning move of the race.

However, this race still had one more major intriguing moment left and it came on the final white flag lap. The leaders were running down the backstretch when they approached the cars driven by Greg Voigt and Eric Richardson who were going into turn three while racing hard for the 15th position. Richardson, not realizing the leader had pulled up behind him, dived low to pass Voigt. Crafton lightly tapped Richardson's bumper which made him loose. At the same time Voigt, precariously close to the wall, tried to ease his car down the track and made some contact with Richardson whose car spun and hit the wall. Crafton and Schrader dived to the bottom of the turn to avoid the race ending disaster and, ironically, that was the little bit of extra edge Crafton needed to lead Schrader under the checkers. Holmes, Schendel and Rip Michaels completed the top five.

The win completed a happy homecoming for Crafton. Not only did he get an opportunity to visit family and friends in his native Tulare, he also got to drive a family owned car prepared by his Dad, series veteran Danny Crafton. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo had the same color and number, red #46, just like the one Crafton drove to his 2000 series championship that launched his present NASCAR career and he made the homecoming even sweeter by winning the race in Phoenix.

See Also .:

• Matt Crafton Driver Card
• Phoenix International Raceway Track Page

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