NASCAR WCUP: Craven Ready for New Season with New Team
5 January 1999
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Craven, the pride of New England after being born and raised in Maine, debuted with his new team at the '98 NASCAR Thunder Special in Japan. An accident on a restart caused some front-end damage which forced Craven to the garage area and an eventual 22nd-place finish.
Other than gaining his new ride, Craven would just as soon forget about 1998. After starting the first four races, he post-concussion syndrome and missed the next 12 events while recuperating. He made a triumphant return in front of his hometown fans in July at Loudon by winning the pole, but competed in only three more events before his relationship with Hendrick ended.
After running some selected Busch Grand National races, Craven returned to Winston Cup at Daytona for the Pepsi 400 as a relief driver for Ernie Irvan. He jumped in the No. 36 Skittles Pontiac on lap 13 in last place, but by the end of the night moved all the way up to eighth. He drove the final three events of '98 as a substitute for Irvan at Phoenix, Rockingham and Atlanta with his best finish coming in the season-finale -- a 25th-place performance in the rain-shortened NAPA 500.
Craven began his NASCAR Winston Cup career in 1995 with car owner Larry Hedrick and edged out Robert Pressley for rookie of the year honors. After two seasons with that team he moved on to Hendrick, where he made an immediate impression by finishing third in the 1997 Daytona 500. Craven finished fifth the following race at Rockingham, but his season turned when he was involved in an accident during practice at Texas. He missed one race with a broken shoulder blade and broken ribs before returning and making it to victory lane in The Winston Open. He ended up 19th in the '97 standings, which remains his best season-ending finish.
Has been successful at every stop in his professional racing career. He won the 1991 NASCAR Busch North championship, which also coincided with him being named that series' most popular driver in 1990 and '91. Craven finished second to David Green in the 1994 Busch Grand National standings after winning twice that season (Hickory and Nazareth) and posting 16 top-10 finishes in 28 events.
Off the track Craven is involved in a number of charity fund-raisers each season. He was nominated for the True Value Man of the Year in 1996 for his work with Multiple Sclerosis, Make-A-Wish and paralyzed hockey player and friend Travis Roy.
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