Matt Crafton Bio
Matthew Justin Crafton (born June 11, 1976) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 88 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. A long-time veteran of the series, Crafton is a three-time Truck Series champion, winning titles in 2013, 2014, and 2019, and is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in Truck Series history.
Standing 180 centimeters tall and weighing 73 kilograms, Crafton spent his entire Truck Series career with ThorSport Racing, with the exception of the 2004 season. Sponsored largely by Menards, he holds the record for most consecutive Truck Series starts with 591. Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Crafton stepped down from full-time competition in favor of running a limited schedule.
Early Life and Background
Crafton was born in Tulare, California, on June 11, 1976, to Danny Crafton, who also raced stock cars. Growing up around his father’s career gave Crafton an early connection to motorsports, and he developed a love for racing as a young child in the San Joaquin Valley.
He began his go-kart career at the age of seven after receiving a kart as a graduation present from kindergarten. Crafton won multiple national and regional karting championships before moving to midgets at the age of fifteen, where he captured twenty main events. These early achievements laid the foundation for his transition to stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
Crafton joined the Featherlite Southwest Series in 1996 as a substitute for his injured father, Danny Crafton, driving the No. 46 entry for the final three races of the season. He took over the car full-time in 1997, and his career went national when he competed in the 1998 Winter Heat Series shown on ESPN at Tucson Raceway Park, racing against drivers such as Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ron Hornaday.
After four full seasons in the Featherlite Southwest Series, Crafton won the 2000 championship on the strength of four wins that year. His success in that series earned him an invitation to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut for SealMaster Racing later in 2000.
Matt Crafton Career
Early Career (2000-2004)
Crafton made his Truck Series debut in 2000 at the season finale held at California Speedway. Driving the PickupTruck.com Chevy for ThorSport Racing, he qualified seventeenth and finished ninth. In 2001, he piloted the No. 88 for ThorSport full-time with sponsorship from Fast Track Delivery Sealer and XE Sighting System, posting eleven top-ten finishes and ending the season twelfth in the championship standings. He finished eleventh in 2003, then signed with Kevin Harvick Incorporated to drive the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Silverado in 2004, where he posted a best finish of third and ended the season fifth in points before being released.
Menards first joined as an associate sponsor in 2002, beginning a long partnership that would define Crafton’s career. Despite the strong statistics during his single season at KHI, he returned to ThorSport Racing for the 2005 season, where he won his first career pole at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2008-2019)
Crafton’s first NASCAR win came at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 16, 2008, in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. It was his 178th start, the record for most starts before a driver’s first Truck Series victory. He ran for the championship in 2009, finishing second to Ron Hornaday with two poles and twenty-one top-ten finishes. In 2013, he won at Kansas in April, took the points lead, and held it through the finale at Homestead to clinch his first Truck Series championship, becoming the first driver to complete every lap of a Truck Series season.
Crafton successfully defended his title in 2014, scoring wins at Martinsville and Texas Motor Speedway to become the first back-to-back champion in Truck Series history. He added a third championship in 2019, finishing second to Austin Hill at Homestead to clinch the title ahead of Ross Chastain. Across his career, he set the all-time record for most consecutive Truck Series starts with 591 and became the all-time leader in Truck Series top-ten finishes.
ThorSport Racing Era (2005-Present)
Since returning to ThorSport in 2005, Crafton has been the organization’s most recognizable driver. Between 2015 and 2017, he tallied multiple wins, including victories at Atlanta, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Martinsville, Dover, Charlotte, and Eldora, reaching double digits in career Truck Series victories. Although he went winless from 2018 through 2019, he returned to victory lane at Kansas Speedway on July 25, 2020, breaking a 67-race winless streak.
He made the Championship 4 again in 2021 at Martinsville, finishing fourth in points. In 2022, he narrowly held off Derek Kraus for the final playoff spot but was eliminated in the first round. After making the playoffs again in 2023, Crafton failed to qualify for the postseason in 2024 for the first time since the playoff format was introduced in 2016. On August 18, 2025, it was announced that he would retire from full-time competition following the 2025 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Crafton is known for smooth, conservative race craft that keeps his truck clean across long runs. His ability to manage fuel and tires made him a threat on intermediate tracks, and he has built strong results at Kansas, Texas, and Martinsville. His consistency allowed him to compile the most consecutive Truck Series starts in series history.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature wins include his first career victory at Charlotte in 2008 after 178 starts, his 2013 title-clinching run at Homestead, his back-to-back Texas wins in 2014 and 2015, and his record-tying sixth win of 2015 at Homestead-Miami. He also made select NASCAR Cup Series starts, including the 2015 Daytona 500 substituting for Kyle Busch, finishing eighteenth after starting forty-third.
Matt Crafton Career Wins
Across his long Truck Series career, Crafton earned more than a dozen victories, three championships, and the all-time consecutive starts record. His wins span ovals across the country, from short tracks like Martinsville to intermediates like Kansas and Texas.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Crafton’s first Truck Series win came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008, followed by a victory at Iowa Speedway in 2011. He added multiple wins in 2013, 2014, and 2015, reaching a career-best six victories in 2015 alone. Later wins included Dover in 2016, Charlotte in 2016, Eldora in 2017, and Kansas in 2020. He captured championships in 2013, 2014, and 2019, becoming the first back-to-back Truck Series champion.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Crafton captured the 2000 Featherlite Southwest Series championship with four wins. He also made occasional starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Richard Childress Racing and competed in select off-road and stock car events in support of various charitable causes.
Matt Crafton Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Crafton was raised by his father, Danny Crafton, a stock car racer whose own career influenced Matt’s path into motorsports. Matt took over his father’s No. 46 entry in the Featherlite Southwest Series in 1996 as a substitute and later ran the car full-time.
Personal Life
Crafton is married to Lauren Crafton. The couple has a daughter named Elladee and a son named Matthew. He was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2023.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Crafton’s twenty-fifth full-time year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Driving the No. 88 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing with longtime sponsor Menards, he continued his record-setting consecutive starts streak. On August 18, 2025, it was announced that Crafton would retire from full-time competition at the end of the season.
Throughout the year he served as a veteran presence in the ThorSport garage alongside younger teammates, sharing insights from more than two decades of Truck Series racing. His consistency kept the No. 88 truck competitive on intermediate tracks, where his fuel-mileage and tire-management skills remained an asset.
Crafton finishes his full-time career as a three-time Truck Series champion and the all-time leader in consecutive starts with 591. His legacy as one of the most durable and successful drivers in series history is secure, and he has indicated plans to run a limited schedule in future seasons.
