{"id":1864,"date":"2017-07-20T04:44:04","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T08:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=1864"},"modified":"2017-07-20T04:44:04","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T08:44:04","slug":"dirt-work-pays-off-matt-crafton-wins-at-eldora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2017\/07\/20\/dirt-work-pays-off-matt-crafton-wins-at-eldora\/","title":{"rendered":"Dirt work pays off, Matt Crafton wins at Eldora"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Matt Crafton<\/strong> was preparing for the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series<\/strong> season, there were two races that stood above others in his mind.<\/p>\n

Daytona and Eldora Speedway.<\/p>\n

He had never won at either track, until Wednesday when Crafton parked the No. 88 Menards car in victory lane in Ohio.<\/p>\n

Dirt work pays off, Matt Crafton wins at Eldora<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before the season started, Crafton bought his own dirt modified car.<\/p>\n

\u201cI drove for other people\u2019s cars for the last few years, and it\u2019s been hit or miss,\u201d Crafton told Kickin The Tires. \u201cYou never know what you\u2019re getting into. But this winter I found a car, and I knew it was a good car. It won a race last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Crafton did what he had to do.<\/p>\n

Him and his dad spent the winter building the modified in a 40×50-foot shop in his dad\u2019s back yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe worked for the last two months, tore it all the way apart, put it all back together and we had a blast,\u201d Crafton added.<\/p>\n

Crafton would compete in Volusia\u2019s DIRTCar Nationals during Daytona Speedweeks, practicing the craft that is dirt racing.<\/p>\n

He would go on to finish second in the final night of the modified event, and it proved to launch him into some momentum away from the pavement.<\/p>\n

Crafton\u2019s win at Eldora on Wednesday broke a 27-race winless streak, stretching back to his win at Charlotte in May of 2016.<\/p>\n

He made his winning pass with 20 laps to go, getting by Stewart Friesen<\/strong> to take the lead.<\/p>\n

Friesen, who had maybe the fastest car on the track all night, took second place. Chase Briscoe, Grant Enfinger<\/strong>, and John Hunter Nemecheck<\/strong> would round out the top five.<\/p>\n

Playoff Outlook<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series <\/strong>
\nPlayoff Standings<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Position<\/strong><\/td>\nDriver<\/strong><\/td>\nWins<\/strong><\/td>\nPoints<\/strong><\/td>\nCut<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nChristoher Bell<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n471<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nJohn Hunter Nemechek<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n354<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nJohnny Sauter<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n478<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nMatt Crafton<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n427<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nKaz Grala<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n272<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nChase Briscoe<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n431<\/td>\n95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nGrant Enfinger<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n356<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nBen Rhodes<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n337<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
–<\/strong><\/td>\nPlayoff Cutoff<\/strong><\/td>\n–<\/strong><\/td>\n–<\/strong><\/td>\n–<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nRyan Truex<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n336<\/td>\n-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nNoah Gragson<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n329<\/td>\n-8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\nAustin Cindric<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n292<\/td>\n-45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\nJustin Haley<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n258<\/td>\n-79<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Races Remaining before the Playoffs: 5
\nUpcoming Schedule
\nJuly 29:\u00a0<\/strong>Pocono Raceway
\nAugust 12:\u00a0<\/strong>Michigan International Speedway
\nAugust 16:\u00a0<\/strong>Bristol Motor Speedway
\nSeptember 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
\nSeptember 15:\u00a0<\/strong>Chicagoland Speedway
\nMain Photo<\/p>\n

\n
Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n