Matt Crafton has been in the NASCAR Truck Series game for 26 years. Now at the age of 49, he is ready to call time on a full-time NASCAR Cup career. During his long tenure, he has clinched three Truck Series championships and established his legacy in the sport. However, his longevity in the Truck Series has also seen him witness a variety of changes, and in his opinion, not for the better.

His frustration came to a head after the Phoenix Raceway finale, where he finished 13th. Part of his anger stems from a difficult campaign with his long-time team, ThorSport Racing. For the first time in 22 years, Crafton failed to finish in the Top 5 all year. His best finish was at Michigan, where he finished 6th fastest, and his last Top 5 was in 2024 at Bristol.

Matt Crafton refused to blame the team for the shortcomings

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Crafton vented his frustrations.“It’s been pretty pathetic. The whole organisation has been really good this year. I don’t think we’ve won one race, the whole organisation. It sucks to see what it used to be and what it is right now. Hopefully I can still stay a part of it and try to make it better, because it’s been really, really sad to see. We used to win a lot more races and be a lot more competitive. I know that Duke and Ronda, they give us all the tools to do it. We just need to be able to make it better.”

Crafton is not wrong because none of the ThorSport Racing drivers have won a single race. Even Championship 4 contender Ty Majeski only made it that far on the strength of points finishes. Majeski was the runner-up behind eventual champion Corey Heim, both in the race and in the championship. Crafton bemoaned how things used to be, when the team was still successful. Frankly, it is a sad state of affairs for an organisation that had clinched 6 Truck titles and was the defending champion.

Unfortunately, things have taken their toll on Crafton, and after 26 years, who can blame him? So what lies ahead for the three-time Truck champion in 2026? Fortunately for the fans, this will not be the last time they see Crafton behind the wheel of a NASCAR Truck. He confirmed that the tentative plan is to get into part-time racing. Beyond that, he is understandably starting to miss his family, and he would also love to revive his competitive spirit with some dirt racing.

Where does this leave ThorSport Racing?

It is a massive blow to lose a driver of Crafton’s calibre and experience. However, teammate Ty Majeski is moving laterally to take his place in the #88 Truck. Though there is no word on the other three Trucks that ThorSport fielded in 2025. In other words, Jake Garcia and Ben Rhodes’ futures are up in the air until they sign new contracts and get new sponsors.

Frankly, despite his loyalty to the team, Matt Crafton has not been the same as he was in his prime. So maybe it was the right time to call time on a full-time Truck Series career. Crafton has not won a single race since 2020, but he is confident that he can still be competitive in the right machinery. A lot of his criticisms have also been aimed at NASCAR, specifically how the Trucks have been constantly tweaked with each passing year. Crafton’s gripes have to do with the addition of too much downforce, and turning down the motor, and NASCAR isn’t listening to the drivers.