Catchfence

Matt Crafton looks to rebound from last week’s subpar showing at Milwaukee with a return to top-5 finish territory in the MemphisTravel.com 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts on Saturday.

As championship-contenders must, Crafton quickly put his performance at Milwaukee behind him.

“It just wasn’t a good night for us,” said Crafton, who finished 16th. “That’s the simplest way to put it. It wasn’t the performance we expected, and we weren’t happy about it. But good races or bad, you don’t have time to dwell on it. We’re focused on Memphis, on what we need to do there to put ourselves in position to win the race.”

Memphis would appear to be a welcome sight for Crafton. He thrives on short-track racing, where skill at the wheel comes to the fore. Crafton has finished 3rd in two of his last three starts at the ¾ mi. oval. In eight career starts there, he has finished in the top-10 seven times.

“Memphis is one of my favorite tracks,” said Crafton. “I’ve always felt comfortable there. The track will test you, and it’ll eat your tires, which makes handling a priority. Handling and driver skill are a big part of the equation at Memphis, and that’s a nod to the roots of racing. It’s tough to pass there, so track position takes on added importance. Racing at Memphis is always a good show for the fans.”

Crafton is second in the NCWTS standings after a few weeks at the top, and a special battle to the championship wire appears to be brewing.

“We’re taking each race as it comes, and all of our energy is spent on finding ways to get better,” he said. “The points race is nice for other people to look at, I guess, but it’s not our focus. We know this deal is a marathon, not a sprint, and as long as we bring our best each week, we’ll be in a good position when it matters most.”

Crafton expects the No. 88 Menards Silverado to again be among those battling for victory at Memphis.

“I think we’ll be really strong again,” he said. “We know what we need to do at Memphis to be successful, and hopefully we can take our Menards Chevy to Victory Lane.”

**note: Crafton’s start at Milwaukee last week marked the 300th for ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 truck. The No. 88 truck also made its first start for ThorSport at Milwaukee in ’96.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release