A Femmefan Exclusive

For NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (CWTS) Series racer Rick Crawford, the drive to compete and win has never been stronger. This veteran of the NASCAR truck series fiercely competes with a burning desire which has never abated. This lanky, laid-back Alabama native has raced full-time in the CWTS since 1997 and is the only driver in the series to have over 300 starts ¾ a milestone reached this past March at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In April 2009, a long-time dream of quite another kind was achieved when Crawford took a ride as a celebrity guest for a fly-along in one of the legendary Blue Angels' F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets on a supersonic ride at 11,00 MPH. Having wanted to take such a flight for nearly 20 years, Rick said it was well worth the wait and words were not adequate to describe the experience. ‘I haven't found the right adjective yet,' he noted afterwards. ‘You can say, Wow. You can say, One heck of a ride. But when we finished, I thought, I've accomplished about everything now. I don't have anything left on the list…How do you top that? Do you ride on the (space) shuttle?'

Crawford is close to realizing another goal to become a licensed pilot, and is looking forward to owning and flying his own small plane, as well.

Currently 9 th in driver's points, Rick is within 50 points of 5 th place after 10 races this season. The CWTS runs a 25 race season with a majority of events taking place as companion events along with NASCAR Cup or Nationwide racing weekends.

Rick's son, Adam, is working on the crew for the Circle Bar race teams this year, learning the mechanics of race engines. Adam, a talented young driver in his own right who has raced competitively at short tracks in Alabama, understands the importance of being able to work on the truck (or car), rather than simply be a jockey in the driver's seat. Much like his father, Adam is a quiet, determined racer who realizes that in order to succeed one has to be a master at their craft. Adam currently plans to resume racing in the future, but for now learning by working on the trucks is his priority. Trust that Rick will make sure his son is well-grounded in the essentials. Crawford is thoughtful, eloquent at speaking with the media and supporting his sponsors, and sees the big picture in addition to the week-to-week concerns of racing professionally.

In addition to Rick's #14 Power Stroke Diesel-sponsored Ford, Circle Bar also fields the #10 International MaxxForce Ford driven by rookie driver James Buescher. At the team's shop in Concord, NC, Rick assumes the role of a general manager, taking care of business for Circle Bar's owner, Tom Mitchell, who resides in Ozono, TX. Mitchell and Crawford's strong, solid relationship goes back to 1991 and is based on mutual respect, understanding and goals. (There is a terrific article at (insert hyperlink: Family-like Bond of Loyalty, Trust Keeps Circle Bar Going (http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/features/04/21/enterprise.circle.bar.racing.rcrawford/index.html) which gives an in-depth look at Crawford and Mitchell's long, familial relationship.)

On May 30, Femmefan caught up with Rick at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware as the teams prepared to qualify for the CWTS race later that afternoon. It was a humid, cloudy day, with intermittent rain storms. Truck qualifying went off as scheduled, but thunderstorms set in that afternoon just as the truck race was ready to begin and the event was postponed until the next day. Always gracious, Rick took the time to chat with us before qualifying. And, Circle Bar's hospitality was much appreciated on this hot afternoon.

Last summer, Rick pursued an interest in purchasing his Montgomery Motor Speedway in Alabama, but some of the folks in the community were opposed to the dormant track re-opening and Crawford withdrew his offer. Rick said that he is still interested in possibly owning a racetrack one day, but it is not a priority at this time. When that time comes, you can bet that any track associated with Rick Crawford's name will be a top-notch, well-run facility.

Crawford also hosts his own show on Sirius NASCAR radio (channel 128). His admiration of Elvis Pressley is well-known among the racing crowd, and trips to Memphis for the CWTS races have included, for Rick, a private tour of Graceland. Like Elvis, Rick puts the fans first and understands the importance of fan support for racers.

Ford's Iron Man of the CWTS still has goals to reach, and a championship is still a distinct possibility for Rick Crawford. Whether or not that happens, you can be sure that Rick will continue to race to win and be one of the Truck Series' finest ambassadors for the sport.