Camping World Trucks - Crafton Atlanta Preview

PICKING FAVORITES: Matt Crafton has frequently stated that Atlanta Motor Speedway is his favorite on the circuit, and the numbers add up. Crafton scored a top-five finish in his AMS debut in 2004, earning a fifth-place finish after starting sixth. In total, Crafton has three top fives and five top 10s, and he has completed 95.4-percent of scheduled laps at the track. He has led 10 laps at the 1.54-mile quad oval, and has an average finish of 13.0.

WHERE ARE WE NOW?: With 16 races in the books in 2011, Crafton has some impressive stats behind him. For the first time in career, Crafton has earned both a win (Iowa Speedway) and a pole (Michigan International Speedway) in the same season. He has three top-five and eight top-10 finishes, and has led 76 total laps. Crafton has an average start of 10.8, an average finish of 13.4, and has led the point standings for 3 of the last 16 weeks.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 37 this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is a brand-new chassis that will make its first laps when the Menards/Zecol team hits the track in Atlanta.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton and the No. 88 crew were poised for a comeback when a tire leak put the team two laps down at Bristol Motor Speedway. After battling a tight truck in the early laps, the team worked diligently to improve the handling, but a tire going down required Crafton to pit under green, ultimately resulting in a 21st-place finish despite being one of the fastest trucks on the track.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Matt Crafton

How do you feel about Atlanta Motor Speedway?

"I say over and over again that Atlanta is by far my favorite track we go to. The track is so fast, the banking is high, you can hold it wide open and the tires really wear so you slide around the track. It's got multiple grooves so you can run two and three-wide, I love the fact that you can drive anywhere from the white line up to the wall. It's a fun place to race, hands down my favorite."

How do you feel going into the last nine races?

"I'm glad the August races are behind us, that's for sure. Our last few races have been uncharacteristic in terms of finishes and we just had some really bad luck the last two races. We're going into a string of tracks that I really like, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to get another win before the season comes to a close."