We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Matthew Justin Crafton (born June 11, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. After this win, Crafton picked up the points lead and held it for the rest of the season. Crafton has no shortage of success in the Craftsman Truck Series. Crafton went full-time in 2001 and has since started every race in his Truck Series career. "But it's way, way more than I ever, ever thought it could possibly be. Crafton made his Truck Series debut in 2000 at the season finale at California Speedway. The win moved him into the top five in points for 2008. He is a three-time champion of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He joined the Featherlite Southwest Series as a substitute for his injured father, Danny Crafton, in 1996, filling in as the driver of the No. However, Crafton struggled more noticeably with consistency than in the previous two seasons. Crafton had another strong season in 2010, earning one pole at Texas Motor Speedway, 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, resulting in a season-ending rank of fourth. He has a pure loving kind heart personality. Although Crafton still won no races throughout 2019, he made his 2nd-ever Championship 4 appearance. Early career [ edit] Crafton was born in Tulare, California. Matt Crafton born June 11, 1976, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He will use the race to continue a historic partnership with Menards. USA -Nov 14: Matt Crafton celebrates with wife Ashley and daughter Elladee in victory lane after winning the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship following the Ford EcoBoost 200 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, FL. 6 GM Goodwrench Silverado owned by Kevin Harvick Incorporated. 292 talking about this. Matt met Jocelyn Janusiewicz in his hometown of Tulare, Calif., in March of 1999. He would get swept up in a third wreck at Talladega with Stanton Barrett after being penalized for speeding on pit road, and while racing eventual series champion Erik Jones for the win at Phoenix would wreck out one final time, all of which eventually consigned him to third in points behind Jones and Tyler Reddick. On February 28, 2015, Crafton scored his sixth career Truck victory in the revived Atlanta race. ThorSport Racing confirmed Craftons return on November 11. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. GettyTruck Series drivers race at World Wide Technology Raceway. 18 after Busch suffered a compound leg fracture in the previous day's Xfinity Series race. Junior fans get a (non)response from this Kasey Kahne is gay, so says the scribbler of this NASCAR: Can female drivers be competitive in this? "She's already so spoiled," Crafton said of his daughter's birth 10 days ago, on April 26. Crafton was called in to substitute for Menard's No. Jocelyn Crafton is the wife of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Matt Crafton, who returns to the Kevin Harvick, Inc. #6 truck in 2006. Jennifer Menard remained in North Carolina . His career went national when he became involved in the 1998 Winter Heat Series shown on ESPN at Tucson Raceway Park, during which he raced against other current NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ron Hornaday. While he has the most Truck Series starts by far, Crafton is not at the top of the list in terms of wins. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' championship leader Matt Crafton has some serious work to do between now and May 16, . It was also the first time he led more than 100 laps in a race. In March 2019, Crafton participated in the Michelin Pilot Challenge sports car race at Sebring International Raceway, driving a Ford for Multimatic Motorsports alongside ThorSport Racing teammates Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, and Myatt Snider. The birth of the Craftons' first child had them overflowing with anticipation. At Kansas, an emotional Joiner had told of how important the number "26" was in his family's racing history, as Crafton's win came in Joiner's 26th race as his crew chief. He had eleven top-tens and finished twelfth in the championship standings, third behind Ricky Hendrick and Travis Kvapil for Rookie of the Year. Copyright 2010 - 2023 STS Motorsports Inc. All Rights Reserved. "I told you that was a magic number. Although Crafton still won no races throughout 2019, he made his 2nd-ever Championship 4 appearance. Cars, Net Worth, Salary, Age & Wife. They were married in Shoreline Park on Lake Erie on Oct. 25, 2002. ), * Season still in progress1 Ineligible for series points, "With Homestead start, Matt Crafton clinches Trucks title", "Matt Crafton Wins NASCAR Truck Series Championship", "Matt Crafton Wins Rain Delayed Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway", "NASCAR truck race marred by two crashes; no injuries reported", "Matt Crafton holds off Eckes to win at Kansas Speedway | NASCAR", "ThorSport's Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes Just Miss Out on Championship 4", "Richard Childress Racing cars top the charts at Preseason Thunder", "AUSTIN DILLON SETS PACE AT PRESEASON THUNDER", "Report: Matt Crafton on standby this weekend for Paul Menard in Las Vegas", "Matt Kenseth wins pole for Auto Club 400 at Fontana", "Matt Crafton on standby to relieve Paul Menard at Talladega", "Rain Gives Team An Additional Day To Strategize At Talladega", "Ryan Blaney wins rain-postponed 1000Bulbs.com 500 in photo finish", "Kevin Harvick wins 4th pole of 2014, sets Brickyard 400 track record", "MATT CRAFTON TO SUB FOR KYLE BUSCH IN DAYTONA 500", "Tifft released from hospital; Crafton to drive Front Row No. Tweets by Matt. He and his wife, Krist, have four children. During the NC Education Lottery 200, Matt Crafton had a horrible day and finished in the back half of the field. USA -Nov 14: Matt Crafton celebrates with wife Ashley and daughter Elladee in victory lane after winning the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship following the Ford EcoBoost 200 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, FL. After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy, Matt started his career as a civil engineer in the U.S. Air Force where he managed the design and construction of many projects for Air Force missions around the world, serving in both Operation DESERT STORM and Operation RESTORE HOPE (Somalia). He clinched his first Truck Series championship with his start in that race, and was able to stay on the lead lap despite late crash damage to become the first driver to complete every lap of the season in the Truck Series. He would get swept up in a third wreck at Talladega with Stanton Barrett after being penalized for speeding on pit road, and while racing eventual series champion Erik Jones for the win at Phoenix would wreck out one final time, all of which eventually consigned him to third in points behind Jones and Tyler Reddick. 98 Toyota, and he achieved success on multiple occasions. Crafton ran his first Cup race in the 2015 Daytona 500, substituting for Kyle Busch in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. He would add one more win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami, marking his first career victory from the pole; his season total of six wins are more than in his entire career prior to 2015. Wiki Biography & Celebrity Profiles as wikipedia. Eight days later, he scored his second career victory at Charlotte, marking the first back-to-back victories in his career. He won his third career race at Kansas in April. Matthew Justin Crafton (born June 11, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. Top 3 Results for Matt Crafton. On March 30, 2014, Crafton scored his fourth career Truck win at Martinsville. Crafton laughed when he described his current state of mind as "good, though maybe a little sleep-deprived -- but it's all good." [18], Crafton ran his first Cup race in the 2015 Daytona 500, substituting for Kyle Busch in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. Craftons performance in those races led Danny to hang up his helmet and step out of his familiar No. Who Is Matt Crafton's Wife? "Everybody tells you how it feels, how you're going to feel and how much you'll love having a child of your own," Crafton said. Elladee's birth on April 26th was icing on the cake for Joiner. 88 for ThorSport full-time with sponsorship from Fast Track Delivery Sealer and XE Sighting System. He would add one more win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami, marking his first career victory from the pole; his season total of six wins are more than in his entire career prior to 2015. And he laughed again when he was asked how he thought things would level-off when the Truck Series gets back to racing. Majeski and Rhodes both won races while reaching the championship four. He is also the first driver to win two Truck races at Kansas. Truck Series champion Matt Crafton will be on standby at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for Paul Menard, who awaits the birth of his first child. Matt Crafton's income source is mostly from being a successful Driver. On May 13, 2016, Crafton scored his twelfth career Truck victory at Dover. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado for ThorSport Racing, and the fact that he is engaged to be married to Ashley Greer in just a few months, but let me introduce you to Ashley and the love story between her and Matt. [4] On July 19, he scored his fourteenth career victory at Eldora. "I'm proud of Matt and Ashley, and I know they'll raise her to be a good little girl," Joiner said. Joiner said last week, shaking his head and smiling -- coincidentally even as his wife walked around the corner of the finish fabrication area carrying their infant son. Allison Thorson, the Advisor and Spokesperson for ThorSport Racing, made an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and revealed that both Crafton and reigning champion Ben Rhodes will return to the organization in 2022. For the first time since 2012, Crafton went winless in 2018 with a season's best finish of 2nd at the fifth race of the season at Dover and went on to finish 6th in the final point standings despite being eliminated after the Round of 6. Which he competes full-time, driving the No. Including the Charlotte event on May 17 the series has four races in the space of seven weeks. He is a three-time champion of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2013, 2014, 2019), in which he competes full-time, driving the No. His fourth win of the season came at Kentucky after the race was cut short due to damage to the catch fence from Ben Kennedy's crash. In 2009, although he did not win a race that season, Crafton scored two poles (Chicagoland Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway), 11 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes, ultimately finishing second in the point standings behind champion Ron Hornaday. Personal touch and engage with his followers. He finished 2nd at Homestead to Austin Hill and 2 spots ahead of Ross Chastain to claim his 3rd career Truck Series Championship. [3] On June 6, he won on fuel strategy at Texas Motor Speedway to win two races in a season for the first time in his career. Matt Craftons income source is mostly from being a successful Driver. 29 at the Brickyard 400, but failed to qualify. "The only place she really likes to sleep is on my chest, so we're trying to wean her off that.". Despite strong statistics in 2004, he was released from KHI and returned to ThorSport for the 2005 season, where he won his first career pole at New Hampshire International Speedway, earning two top fives and 10 top 10s and finishing ninth in the standings. When Matt called and told me it was 'go time,' I told him it was the 26th -- what else did he expect? They were friends at first but after hanging out for a few months (and Matt became available) they took a shot at a relationship. On May 13, 2016, Crafton scored his twelfth career Truck victory at Dover. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford while Menard was dealing with neck pain; Crafton practiced the car on Friday. He is actually 10th overall with 15 trips to Victory Lane, a number that he hit during the 2020 season by winning at Kansas Speedway. Deegan will replace Christian Eckes, who moves over to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to drive the No. Later that season, Crafton filled in for Robby Gordon in practice and qualified for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Homestead because Gordon was at the final off-road race of the season. 18 after Busch suffered a compound leg fracture in the previous days Xfinity Series race. On June 6, he won on fuel strategy at Texas Motor Speedway to win two races in a season for the first time in his career. In 2012, Crafton, supported by Travis Pastrana, competed in the TORC: The Off-Road Championship series' PRO 2WD truck race at Chicagoland, finishing third. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' championship leader Matt Crafton has some serious work to do between now and May 16, the opening day of practice for the next series race, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' championship leader Matt Crafton has some serious work to do between now and May 16, the opening day of practice for the next series race, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Crafton is the only Truck Series driver to make 400 starts, and he will become the only one to reach 500. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Matt Crafton rumors, news and videos from the best sources on the web. Crafton had another strong season in 2010, earning one pole at Texas Motor Speedway, 10 top-five, and 20 top-10 finishes, resulting in a season-ending rank of fourth. Jocelyn was born in Anchorage, Alaska on Mar. She has also done commercials and voice over work and has participated in several modeling and acting workshops. 5. Crafton finished 4th in points.[7]. The part-time driver made 10 starts for the organization in the No. Despite crashing out at Dover and Gateway, his first DNFs in over two years, Crafton would ultimately go on to become the first back-to-back champion in the Truck Series. Matt Crafton Race Car Driver #155422 Most Popular Boost Birthday June 11, 1976 Birthplace California Age 46 years old Birth Sign Gemini About American race car driver who began his NASCAR career in 2000. Ron Hornaday Jr. is the second driver on the list with 360 career starts in the Truck Series. After four full-time seasons in the Featherlite Southwest Series, Crafton won the championship in 2000 on the strength of four wins that year. Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton poses for a photo with his wife Ashley and daughter Elladee at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Banquet at the Trump. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. In 2004, Crafton signed on to drive the No. Elladee's birth on April 26th was icing on the cake for Joiner. Because of Crafton's sponsorship with Menards, he has made spot duty with Menards' Cup teams, including taking over for Paul Menard on occasion. [10] Crafton practiced and qualified for Menard at the Auto Club 400,[11] qualifying 30th. Although Crafton still won no races throughout 2019, he made his 2nd-ever Championship 4 appearance. Select this result to view Matt Sean Crafton's phone number, address, and . Crafton took over the No. Jocelyn has also taken her turn behind the wheel, debuting in a hobby stock car for SealMaster's Employee Appreciation Night at Sandusky Speedway on Sept. 7, 2002. When Matt got the offer to drive the NCTS #88 with SealMaster Racing in Sandusky, Ohio for the 2001 season, Jocelyn made the move with him. Also find out how he got rich at the age of 45. Grandpa's looking out for us this year, (26) was his number, it was the day I was born and my dad's number when he drove, so it was all pretty neat.". They have also lived in Cumming, GA and Scott City, MO. The veteran driver finished out the 2021 season with 498 total starts in the Truck Series. March 03, 2023 at 12:06 pm EST. (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. 88 for ThorSport full-time with sponsorship from Fast Track Delivery Sealer and XE Sighting System. And the whipped cream on that cake for Joiner was Crafton's picture with Elladee, which was widely circulated among his teammates shortly after the child's birth. 2011 saw the second win of Crafton's career at Iowa Speedway, in addition to poles at Michigan International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, where he broke the track qualifying record. In March, with Menard on paternity leave, he was on stand-by to relief drive for Paul Menard at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Kobalt 400, due to Menard and his wife expecting their first child. 29 at the Brickyard 400, but failed to qualify. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra will make NASCAR history once again during the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Crafton had another strong season in 2010, earning one pole at Texas Motor Speedway, 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, resulting in a season-ending rank of fourth. Matt entered the career as Racecar driver In his early life after completing his formal education.. "She's already so spoiled," Crafton. His fourth win of the season came at Kentucky after the race was cut short due to damage to the catchfence from Ben Kennedy's crash. The first took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008 while the most recent was at Kansas Speedway in 2020. On July 19, he scored his fourteenth career victory at Eldora. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. READ NEXT: Joe Gibbs Racing Can Reach a Major Milestone in 2022, Matt Crafton Will Make History Once Again in 2022, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Rhodes, Crafton, and Sauter finished right behind him during the playoff race to cap off a historic night for the organization. Getty Matt Crafton has joined the Black Rifle Coffee Company family. He is a three-time champion of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2013, 2014, 2019), which he competes full-time in, driving the No. When Matt called and told me it was 'go time,' I told him it was the 26, "The only thing that would've been cooler would have been if my son was born on December 26. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. During the race, he had this meltdown. 2022 Matt Crafton. "I told you that was a magic number. A three-time champion of the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (2013, 2014, 2019), he currently races full-time in the series, in which he drives the No. In 2015 Crafton started third and quickly made his way to the front of the pack before retiring from the race with brake failure, ultimately finishing 21st. The veteran driver finished out the 2021 season with 498 total starts in the Truck Series. Las Vegas. Matthew Justin Crafton (born June 11, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. Her hobbies include reading (she's read every one of Patricia Cornwell's forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta series books), scuba diving and swimming. has a passion for music, NASCAR, the internet & all things pop culture, as well as an insatiable appetite for news and random information. He would get swept up in a third wreck at Talladega with Stanton Barrett after being penalized for speeding on pit road, and while racing eventual series champion Erik Jones for the win at Phoenix would wreck out one final time, all of which eventually consigned him to third in points behind Jones and Tyler Reddick. Despite crashing out at Dover and Gateway, his first DNFs in over two years, Crafton would ultimately go on to become the first back-to-back champion in the Truck Series. 88 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. Back at the ThorSport Racing shops in Sandusky, Crafton's crew chief "Junior" Joiner grinned even wider than normal, recently, when he thought about the circumstances of Elladee's birth. He performed well in all 3 races, finishing 3rd at both Kentucky races and 10th at Chicagoland.[2]. He crashed out at Gateway for the second year in a row after tangling with John Hunter Nemechek, and a few weeks later crashed out at Pocono after getting hit by Brad Keselowski. Matt Crafton: The easiest way to think about it is to consider a wine cellar as a separate, temperature-controlled space just like a home office or guest house. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. The best result we found for your search is Matt Sean Crafton age 30s in Amarillo, TX. 18 after Busch suffered a compound leg fracture in the previous day's Xfinity Series race. Would love your thoughts, please comment. He became the first in Series history to claim a Championship despite finishing a season winless and the second to pull off the feat in any Series since, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 04:20. [27], (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. In 2006, he had four top-five finishes, 10 top-10 finishes and finished fourteenth in points. Her family moved around a lot and finally settled in Tulare, Calif. An aspiring model and performer from an early age, Jocelyn's first role was as Goldilocks in the fifth grade and in the sixth, she was first runner up in a local "Model of the Year" contest. Crafton was born in Tulare, California. The win moved him into the top five in points for 2008. It's indescribable, really". He is a deacon at First Baptist Church of Rogers, serves on several local nonprofit boards, and retired from the Air Force Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The driver of the No. He also made his Nationwide debut that year, running the No. But for the driver who assumed the Truck Series' points lead less than two weeks ago after a combination of Crafton's win in the series' last race, at Kansas Speedway and a penalty to his ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter that reversed their first and second positions in the standings, the reality of having a child is mind-boggling. He failed to make the Championship 4. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 88 Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing. The race at Daytona International Speedway will be the first opportunity for Crafton, Rhodes, Majeski, and Deegan to pursue this goal. On June 5, he won at Texas, successfully defending his win from the year before, another career first. Discover Matt Crafton's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. [19] He finished 18th after starting 43rd. 88 is only 10th on the all-time wins list, he is second in a more important category. Official Fan Page of Matt Crafton, Three-Time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion and ThorSport Racing Driver. Getty Matt Crafton is an American professional stock car racing driver. 88 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. In 2015 Crafton started third and quickly made his way to the front of the pack before retiring from the race with brake failure, ultimately finishing 21st. Before turning to NASCAR racing in 2000, he raced go-karts, midgets, and mini sprints. [24] Crafton sat on the pole for the 2014 edition of the race, and wound up finishing 10th, one lap down. Crafton practiced and qualified for Menard at the Auto Club 400, qualifying 30th. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet twice in 2014; first at January Daytona testing after a pipe burst in Menard's house,[8] and Crafton was third fastest with a speed of 194.342 miles per hour (312.763km/h). He crashed out at Gateway for the second year in a row after tangling with John Hunter Nemechek, and a few weeks later crashed out at Pocono after getting hit by Brad Keselowski. Crafton holds the record for the most consecutive Truck Series starts by an active driver. Jocelyn Crafton is the wife of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Matt Crafton, who returns to the Kevin Harvick, Inc. #6 truck in 2006. Before turning to NASCAR racing in 2000, he raced go-karts, midgets, and mini sprints. Joiner said last week, shaking his head and smiling -- coincidentally even as his wife walked around the corner of the finish fabrication area carrying their infant son. He sits in a tie with Sprague while Hornaday tops the list with four Truck Series championships. Crafton scored his fifth victory of the season at Martinsville on October 31, marking his second win at Martinsville, and the deepest into the season he had ever won a race to that point. It's indescribable, really". Grandpa's looking out for us this year, (26) was his number, it was the day I was born and my dad's number when he drove, so it was all pretty neat.".