Matt Crafton’s pit road crew works on his car during a pit stop in the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway, on Saturday, September 19, 2015. Photo – Daniel Peters/Suburban Journals of Chicago

Matt Crafton is contending for his third consecutive championship, a feat no other NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver has accomplished. Last year, Crafton was the first driver in series history to earn back-to-back championships, but he’s finding out that earning three-consecutive championships is not going to come easy.

Not only is the series competition level steeped with a younger generation of talent, including John Hunter Nemechek, the American Ethanol E15 225 winner at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday morning; Erik Jones, the series points leader by now ten points over another young driver Tyler Reddick, in second; (Crafton is now down by 12 points in third), but the race itself can present challenges that are difficult to over come.

During Saturday morning’s race, Matt Crafton’s No. 88 team found themselves a lap down after a call from a NASCAR Official over a pit road violation. Pleading their case, Crafton’s crew chief, Carl Joiner Jr, had a few words with a pit road official.

No. 88 crew chief, Carl Joiner Jr has a few words with the Pit Road Official calling a penalty on the team during the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, September 19, 2015 Photo – Daniel Peters/Suburban Journals of Chicago

Crafton’s Crew Chief, Carl Joiner Jr, pleaded his side to a NASCAR Official to no avail. Joiner obviously knows just how important, every race is for his driver – the team finished 14th. With just seven races remaining on the Camping World Truck Series schedule, Crafton has some ground to make up.

Now chasing the points lead from third-place and with a 12-point deficit is certainly do-able, but Crafton and his No. 88 team will need to avoid the pit falls of penalties on pit road to make history by the close of the 2015 season.