In the fabled world of motorsport racing, a healthy win column is seen as the ultimate measure of success. Echoing the same sentiment, Matt Crafton proved in 2019 that a precise and consistent strategy could be a powerful tool to achieve the same. Securing his third NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship, Crafton achieved something extraordinary—he won the title without a single victory all season. Let that sink in: not one trip to Victory Lane, yet he walked away with the biggest prize.

The finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Ford EcoBoost 200, was where Crafton sealed the deal. He didn’t need to win the race—finishing second was enough to leave his Championship 4 rivals in the dust. Sure, he crossed the line 1.569 seconds behind the race winner, Austin Hill, but more importantly, he was miles ahead (figuratively, at least) of the other title contenders.

When the news about Matt Crafton’s unique 2019 Truck Series championship resurfaced on Reddit in 2024, it naturally sparked a lively debate among fans. The Reddit post was captioned, “Five years ago today, Matt Crafton won the 2019 Gander Outdoors Truck Series title by doing absolutely nothing.” 

Some celebrated the ingenuity of his victory, while others weren’t shy about roasting the achievement—or the playoff system itself. Let’s break down what the fans had to say about this.

Fans talk about the format that let Matt Crafton win a title without winning a race

“You’re right, he had an absolutely mediocre season and got rewarded for randomly having decent runs in arbitrary races ‘aNd ShOwiNg uP wHeN iT mAttErEd!!!!'” This sarcastic comment sets the tone for the criticism. The fan felt Crafton’s season didn’t deserve championship recognition, emphasizing how “mediocre” his year was.

By mocking the playoff mantra of “showing up when it mattered,” they explained the frustration with a system that lets a driver with no wins clinch the title. To them, it wasn’t about skill or dominance—it was about Crafton benefitting from the system’s quirks.

“Something tells me he did more than ‘absolutely nothing'” Here, a fan subtly fired back at the harsh critiques. While not an outright defense, the comment pushes back against the idea that Crafton did “absolutely nothing.” It reminds others that while his winless season wasn’t glamorous, staying consistent and playoff-relevant takes effort. This fan seemed to argue that Crafton earned his spot by doing more than critics were willing to admit.

“Showed up for like 4 races and j–ked off in his truck for the rest,” said another fan. Not mincing words, this fan painted a picture of Crafton putting in minimal effort throughout the season, joking that he “showed up for like 4 races” and phoned it in for the rest. While the exaggeration is obvious, it underscores the criticism of his perceived lack of dominance. For fans who prize race wins as the ultimate measure of a champion, Crafton’s success in the playoffs seemed somewhat uncanny.

“He’s probably the only person in the Playoffs era who has or will ever win a championship in this format. It seems almost impossible to see this occur in Cup. Maybe Xfinity is something similar to Matt Kenseth’s 2003.” This fan took a more thoughtful approach, noting how rare Crafton’s accomplishment truly was. They argued that it’s nearly impossible to imagine such a scenario happening in the Cup Series, where competition is much tougher. Drawing parallels to Matt Kenseth’s consistent 2003 Cup title, they placed Crafton’s championship in a broader historical context, suggesting it might remain a one-of-a-kind achievement in NASCAR’s Playoff era.

“Funny to think that Matt Crafton has as many wins in the last seven years as he does championships.” By pointing out that Crafton had “as many wins in the last seven years as he does championships,” this fan hilariously summed up the irony of his career. It’s a pointed jab at how bizarre it is for a three-time champion to have so few recent victories, underscoring the quirks of NASCAR’s modern championship format.

That being said, what do you think of the playoff format? Does it need a change or was Matt Crafton’s title justified according to you? Tell us in the comment section below!