LAS VEGAS, Nev. (September 26, 2009) – Defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race winner Mike Skinner and his Randy Moss Motorsports team were hoping to get back to their winning ways this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After qualifying his PC*MILER Navigator Toyota Tundra in the middle of the pack and running as high as fifth during the event, Skinner finished the Las Vegas 350 in the seventh position.
Skinner was the 24th truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Saturday afternoon. The veteran driver was gunning for his 50th career truck series pole, but came up short this time around. Skinner posted a speed of 171.761 miles per hour around the 1.5-mile track, which earned him the 16th spot on the starting grid.
Following a brief delay with the start of the event due to malfunctioning lights in turn one, the field took the green flag for the start of the 146-lap event. Skinner patiently made his way past slower traffic in the early laps of the race and by lap 15, had driven his PC*MILER Navigator Toyota Tundra into the top 10. Crew chief Eric Phillips called his driver into the pits for fuel during the first caution period and Skinner returned to the track for the lap-29 restart in fifth place.
Skinner made his first scheduled pit stop for tires after the caution flag flew once again on lap 51. Phillips called for a four tire change and also made a track bar adjustment to the Toyota Tundra to remedy the tight handling condition that Skinner was battling. After a quick stop on pit road, the crew sent their driver back out to the track for the lap 55 restart in 13th.
Once again, Skinner was able to battle through traffic and worked his way into the sixth position by lap 62. Phillips made additional chassis adjustments during several pit stops in the final 35 laps of the race, and Skinner took the checkered flag in seventh place.
Earning his 14th top-10 finish of the year, Skinner was able to maintain third place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver point standings. He now stands 255 points behind series leader Ron Hornaday and only 58 markers out of second.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series takes a couple of weekends off before returning to action at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on October 24. The Kroger 200 will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, September 26. The event will mark a milestone in Skinner’s NCWTS career as he will make his 200th career start when the green flag flies for the start of the race.
ABOUT PC*MILER NAVIGATOR: PC*MILER Navigator is changing the way commercial truck drivers work, as it is the first GPS navigation system specifically designed for company drivers, owner operators, and leased operators and the only way to get industry standard PC*MILER directions in the cab. For more information about PC*MILER, please visit www.pcmnav.com.
ABOUT RANDY MOSS MOTORSPORTS: Randy Moss Motorsports ownership consists of Randy Moss, New England Patriots All-Pro Wide Receiver; and David Dollar, a long-time participant in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team fields the No. 81 Toyota Tundra and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. For more information about Randy Moss Motorsports, please visit www.randymossmotorsports.com.
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