ThorSport Racing's Matt Crafton hopes to turn runner-up Truck finish into 2010 challenge

By Rea White - Associate Editor

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

ThorSport Racing's Matt Crafton talks about his runner-up finish in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with awards banquet co-host Rick Allen.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

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For a while this season, it looked as if this just might be Matt Crafton's year.

The 33-year-old NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver was a regular top-10 finisher and had taken the early points lead. He held it for two races before falling into the clutches of Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Ron Hornaday. After that, he never took the lead again, though he held onto the second spot for all but one of the remaining 15 weeks of the season.

In the moments after finishing as the series’ runner-up, Crafton's competitive nature might have caused him to struggle to fully embrace the top points finish of his nine-year Truck career as he failed to earn a win this season. Still, he seemed pleased with the achievement of his ThorSport Racing team and a year in which he earned 21 top-10 finishes in 25 races, 11 of them top-fives. He did finish second five times, including twice in the final three races.

“I wanted that championship bad, but gosh darn it, I wanted to win," Crafton said after finishing second once more in the season finale.

In retrospect, Crafton may look at this year for all the chances that got away from him, but he also sees the learning experience it offered.

While acknowledging "we were the bridesmaids a lot this year," Crafton has reason for optimism for future races because of those close calls. He sees races where he was beaten on fuel mileage or pit stops, but a new rule for next season that will once more allow teams to take fuel and tires on the same stop could play into his hands.

The way he sees it, his team is going to be one to watch next season.

Can he turn his runner-up run into a championship next season?

"We know we can," he said. "We've got a great group of guys. I know I can do it, and they know they can do it now. … Crawl before you can walk and run, really. We've proved that we can do that."

Driver: Matt Crafton
Age: 33
Team: ThorSport Racing
Finishing position: Second
2009 stats: 11 top-fives, 21 top-10s, two poles
Years in Trucks: 9
Career stats: In 221 starts, has one win, 33 top-five finishes, 109 top-10 finishes and a top points finish of second this season. Crafton has finished in the top-10 in the standings five times.