Matt Crafton (Photo: Robert Laberge/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton will take over the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Sprint Cup Series car for Sunday’s Daytona 500, in place of Kyle Busch, according to a statement from Joe Gibbs Racing.
Busch was injured in a crash during Saturday’s Xfinity Series event at Daytona International Speedway.
Crafton won Camping World Truck Series titles in 2013 and 2014.
Joe Gibbs Racing official released the statement below concerning the situation Saturday evening:
“Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 54 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), sustained a compound fracture of the right lower leg in an accident during Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Additionally, Busch suffered a mid-foot fracture of his left foot in the accident.
Busch was transported to a local hospital for treatment immediately following the accident and is currently undergoing surgery on his right leg.
Busch’s injuries will sideline him for an undetermined period of time. Veteran Matt Crafton will serve as the interim driver for Busch’s No. 18 Toyota during Sunday’s 57th Daytona 500. An interim driver has not been determined for the following race March 1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, or for any future races.”
That’s good to hear. I’m happy to hear that he is okay. That was a nasty crash.
But I hope this makes future Sprint Cup drivers think twice racing in Trucks and Xfinity. Knowing you take more of a chance to crashing and getting hurt. It’s happened in the past and it happened tonight and it will happen in the future. It sucks when it happens. But 1/4 of the filed should not be full of Sprint cup drivers.
I was happy to see Ryan Reed win. I love it when a Xfinity regular driver wins and beats those Sprint Cup Drivers.