Legendary NASCAR Truck Driver Set to Retire After 2025 Season
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ThorSport Racing announced the retirement of Matt Crafton, the driver of the No. 88 Craftsman Truck Series entry, who has been behind the wheel for his 26th year.
Crafton will finish the 2025 season and step aside for the following campaign, allowing his current teammate and defending champion, Ty Majesk, to take over the No. 88.
"ThorSport Racing today announced a new chapter for its storied No. 88 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry," ThorSport Racing said in a statement.
"Three-time series champion Matt Crafton will conclude his full-time driving career after the 2025 season. Beginning in 2026, teammate and 2024 series champion Ty Majeski will take the wheel of the No. 88 full-time."
Matt Crafton, driver of the #88 Chi Chis/Menards Ford, speaks to a crew member during practice for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025...
Matt Crafton, driver of the #88 Chi Chis/Menards Ford, speaks to a crew member during practice for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. More
Photo byAs the longest-running driver in truck series history, Crafton has accomplished a lot in the sport - winning titles in 2013, 2014, and 2019 - sitting second all-time in series championships.
He is also the only driver in the Craftsman Truck Series to win back-to-back titles.
His 23-year partnership with Menards is the longest driver/sponsor relationship in NASCAR history.
By the end of the season, he is projected to have more than 560 consecutive career starts.
Crafton is at the top of series history in wins with 15, 328 top-10 finishes, 16 poles, and 2,716laps led.
He isn't done yet - the truck series legend qualified for the 2025 playoffs and can add to a storied career so far.
Who is Ty Majeski?
As the driver of the No. 98 car, Majeski has climbed up the ranks as a driver and has established himself in the upper echelon.
He won the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title after breaking into the racing series back in 2022.
In 2024, he closed the season on an impressive run of results, which landed him the title.
"This is so much fun racing with this group," Majeski said after his championship win.
"So proud to have the opportunity to drive these great race trucks. There's a lot of times in my career where this looks like a far dream, and [team owners] Duke and Rhonda [Thorson] really gave me my third opportunity after I had two opportunities that failed. I can't thank them enough.
"It's been a long road here. These people behind me, everybody at Ford, really gave me another opportunity when my career looked like it could have ended, and they brought me on as an engineer in 2021 with a few races and turned into a full-time deal.
"We made our first Championship 4 in '22, and now we're sitting here as champions."
Now, Majeski steps into some big shoes with the No. 88 car.
For more NASCAR news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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