Matt Crafton: No mulligans in Round of 6

HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 28: Matt Crafton, driver of the #88 Fisher Nuts/Menards Toyota, climbs into his truck prior to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 on February 28, 2015 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Matt Crafton (Getty Images)
Matt Crafton (Getty Images)
Matt Crafton (Getty Images)

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Small wonder Martinsville is Matt Crafton’s favorite race track.

In the past five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at the .526-mile paper-clip-shaped short track, Crafton has won twice and finished second, third and seventh.

With six drivers left in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, and with the next-to-last round set to begin with Saturday’s Texas Roadhouse 200 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1), Crafton acknowledges there’s no room for error at his favorite venue.

“I don’t think you’re going to be able to have a mulligan this weekend and get onto the final round,” said Crafton, who was 12th fastest in Friday’s final practice and third fastest over a 10-lap average. “Without a doubt, you have to have a good run leaving this place – if it’s a top-10 worst case – to go into the next two to go into the final four.

“I love coming here, and if it’s meant to be, it will be. I say that each and every week, and that’s what I live and die by.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.