MADISON, Ill. (September 13, 2009) – Mike Skinner and the No. 5 Randy Moss Motorsports team didn’t dominate the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race this weekend like they did one week ago at Iowa Speedway, but Skinner was able to lead the most important lap – the last one – to score his third win of the 2009 campaign in the Copart 200 at Gateway International Raceway Saturday afternoon.
Skinner was the quickest of 39 trucks in the final practice session Friday evening and was the 23rd truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Saturday morning. Skinner battled a loose race truck during his run, but posted a speed of 132.534 miles per hour around the 1.25-mile track, which was quick enough to earn the PC*MILER Navigator Toyota Tundra ninth place on the starting grid.
Skinner took the green flag for the start of the 160-lap event and drove his way into the top five by the time the first caution flag flew on lap eight. At the tail end of a four-truck breakaway, the veteran driver made his first scheduled pit stop during a caution period on lap 42. The crew bolted on four fresh tires and made a track bar adjustment before sending him back to the track for the restart.
Near the lap-75 mark, Skinner communicated to the crew that his Randy Moss Motorsports entry was tight, and a yellow flag on lap 77 enabled Phillips to make an air pressure adjustment during the ensuing pit stop. The team was running in the 10th position when the truck driven by Colin Braun spun in front of the No. 5. Skinner narrowly avoided disaster, maneuvering his PC*MILER Navigator Toyota Tundra around Braun’s spinning truck.
Things began to get interesting with three laps left in the event. Running in the fourth spot, Skinner watched as the trucks running first and second got together, sending leader Ron Hornaday spinning up the track. NASCAR officials made the decision that Matt Crafton, who had been running second and had been involved in several altercations throughout the race, would be penalized for aggressive driving. Hornaday’s accident and Crafton’s penalty moved Skinner into the lead with the race extending extra laps for a green/white/checkered flag finish. Skinner was able to hold off a hard-charging Johnny Sauter to score his third victory of the season and the 28th of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career.
"I don’t believe it,” said Skinner after the race. “I’m usually end on the short side of that call with the 13 (Johnny Sauter) there. I was better than he was and he was doing his job. He did a good job. I guess we got by him on the wreck. I have to applaud NASCAR. Sometime we gotta stop being able to wreck the leader to win these races. Pretty soon, the last 20 laps, it’s going to be the next guy wrecking the next guy. I chose not to wreck Ron (Hornaday) twice this year when I had the opportunity and I think today it came back and paid dividends."
Earning his 12th top-10 finish of the year, Skinner was able to maintain third place position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver point standings. He now stands 213 points behind series leader Ron Hornaday and only 16 markers out of second place.
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 Randy Moss Motorsports team will return to action next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in hopes of scoring their third victory in a row. The Heluva Good® 200 will be broadcast live at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, September 19.
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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.