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WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 08: Matt Crafton, driver of the #88 Repel/Menards Ford, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Mission 176 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 08, 2025 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Since the year 2001, there has been one driver to compete in every NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series earning three championships along the way. As of next year, his streak will come to end.
Matt Crafton will step back from full-time driving in the No. 88 for Thor Sport Racing, a team he has been with since he started full time in 2001. It is the longest tenured team/driver combination in the NCTS. His primary sponsor, Menards, has been with him for 23 of those years.
Ty Majeski, who is Crafton’s teammate at Thor Sport, will take his place.
“Three-time series champion Matt Crafton will conclude his full-time driving career after the 2025 season,” said the team release.” His 23-year partnership with Menards stands as the longest-running driver/primary sponsor relationship in NASCAR history.
“Beginning in 2026, teammate and 2024 series champion Ty Majeski will take the wheel of the No. 88 full time.”
Matt Has Some Stats
Currently 16th in Driver Points, Crafton has put up some impressive numbers during his storied career. Through 585 starts, the 49-year-old native of Tulare, CA has earned 15 wins, 135 top fives, 331 top-10 finishes and 16 Pole Awards.
He won the Series’ championship in 2013, 2014 and 2019. Crafton has also made three NASCAR Cup and four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, mainly on a fill-in basis.
Majeski Brings Championship Cred
The 31-year-old native of Seymour, WI is currently sixth in points and will be competing for this second NCTS championship. Throughout his 107 starts, Majeski has six wins, 33 top-fives, 59 top-10 finishes and 11 Pole Awards.
Prior to fill time Truck Series racing, he won five ARCA Midwest Tour Championships, the 2023 ASA Championship and is a two-time winner of the prestigious Snowball Derby.
The NCTS Playoff begin Saturday, August 30 at Darlington Raceway.
Tim Packman Tim Packman is a journalist for Heavy.com covering NASCAR. He grew up around the short tracks of Western New York watching his dad, stepdad and step brother race. His uncle was the head starter at many area tracks and member of the FOAR Score Hall of Fame.
Tim’s passion for racing took him to the announcer’s tower and writing program stores for multiple tracks in the area. In 2000, he moved to Mooresville, NC to become an award-winning journalist for NASCAR.com. He took a job with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. as the team’s Communications Director and was part of two Daytona 500 wins and two NASCAR Championships.
The announcing experience led to becoming a Pit Reporter and News Director for MRN Radio. A return to the team side at Richard Childress Racing as the Director of Corporate Communications took place, which also included another Championship.
From 2015 to 2018, Tim returned to where his career began in 1994 – Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway – as the Track President. He earned Short Track Promoter of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017.
Upon returning to NC, he joined The Garage Shop as Communications Director and host of it’s Podcast and MAV-TV docuseries “Legacy of Speed” talking about Land Speed Racing at Bonneville, and other places.
Tim has hosted two other Podcasts, namely “Pub Table Racers,” and wrote three books. One was with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison titled, “Bobby Allison, a Racer’s Racer” and two Children’s books, “Funny Dan the Race Car Man” and “Petey the Pace Car.”
He also served in the US Navy. More about Tim Packman
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