A NASCAR Champion’s Ex-Wife Was Just Arrested On A Felony Larceny Charge In North Carolina

Lauren Beth Crafton — ex-wife of three-time NASCAR Truck Series champion Matt Crafton — was arrested in Iredell County, North Carolina, around February 20, 2026, on a felony larceny charge. Booking records list the charge under North Carolina General Statute 14-72(a), with bond set at $2,500 and a mugshot released as part of the public record.

Here’s what that charge means. In North Carolina, felony larceny generally kicks in when the value of the allegedly stolen property tops $1,000, or when certain aggravating factors are in play. It’s a Class H felony, which can carry prison time on conviction. Beyond that, officials haven’t said much — no details on what was allegedly taken, and nothing more released about the investigation.

The arrest got noticed fast in racing circles, and the reason is the name. Matt Crafton spent decades driving for ThorSport Racing and remains a fixture in the Truck Series. The two divorced back in 2008, and authorities have given no indication the case touches his career or anything he’s doing now.

Booking images made the rounds online and got picked up by several motorsports outlets, which pushed the story wider. So far, no court dates or additional filings have been made public. Crafton was released on bond, the investigation is ongoing, and more should surface as the case moves through the North Carolina courts.

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Shawn Henry has spent years writing about cars, and it shows—not in a resume kind of way, but in how he talks about them. He's the type who'll notice the weird trim option nobody remembers and actually know why it mattered. At Backfire News, he covers pretty much the whole spectrum: off-road trucks and trail builds, performance cars, racing, and the collector market. He's comfortable getting into the technical weeds, but he never forgets that most people read about cars because cars are fun, not because they want a spec sheet. His beat runs from classic and collector vehicles to overlanding culture, modified performance builds, new automotive tech, and the industry news that actually affects what ends up in your driveway. Mostly, though, Shawn thinks the best car stories are about people—the builds they pour money into, the road trips, the communities that form around a shared obsession. That's the stuff he likes writing about, and it's what you'll find in his work here.

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