PHOTO: Motorsport.com |
Read the title again. Jimmie Johnson did not have that many impressive statistics the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
In fact, he has only one statistic, for running only one race in the series in 2008. He led 29 laps in the race, but finished 34th. He started 9th in the race.
But, look at his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series statistics. Six championships, two DAYTONA 500's, and as of the 2014 season, has 70 wins in the series.
Any NASCAR fan knows that Johnson's first five championships came in a row (2006-10), but no one has ever had consecutive championships in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Except, Matt Crafton.
Crafton won his second consecutive championship in the series in November of 2014.
Since the Tulare, CA driver started racing in the series in 2000, it took him thirteen seasons to win his first championship, the first of the two consecutive being in 2013.
In 2014, he had two wins, something he had never done before in the series. He always went with at least one win in a season, or even went winless. That's a fifteen year career in the famed NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Everyone seems to look up to famous drivers these days. Cole Whitt was involved in a wreck at Watkins Glen in the Sprint Cup race the track held in 2014. It was similar to Jimmie Johnson's 2000 crash in the same spot at the track.
"The last person to do that won six championships" Whitt said, referencing the El Cajon, CA driver (Johnson).
Crafton is a driver who seems to have the guts to move on to the NASCAR XFINITY Series with a permanent ride for at least one season, right?
Look at these stats.
Crafton has only ran four NXS races, one in 2014, and 3 in 2013. Only two of the races resulted in top 5's, and both those races were in 2013.
But, the main question is can the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series have a new face of the series in their hands, and can Crafton move on through the ranks of the NASCAR circuit?
No comments:
Post a Comment