FORT WORTH, Texas (November 6, 2009) – Qualifying for the WinStar World Casinos in the 13th position, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Mike Skinner battled a loose truck all weekend before taking the checkered flag in Friday evening’s event in eighth place.
Skinner posted top-10 speeds in both of the practice sessions leading up to qualifying Thursday evening. The No. 5 Exide Toyota Tundra was the 13th of 39 trucks to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run. His speed of 176.974 miles per hour earned him the 13th spot on the starting grid for Friday’s event.
Skinner took the green flag for the start of the WinStar World Casinos 350k and immediately let his Randy Moss Motorsports team know that the truck was still handling loose. Crew chief Eric Phillips called for a track bar adjustment during the first pit stop of the day, which took place at lap 20. Lining up in the fourth spot for the lap 23- restart, Skinner raced his way as high as second in the ensuing laps.
A caution flag on lap 56 of the 147-lap race enabled Phillips to make additional changes to the truck, including air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments, before sending his driver back to the track for the lap-60 restart in eighth. Skinner settled into fifth place and let his team know that those last set of changes had helped the handling in the middle of the corners a little bit, but that the truck was darting all over the track. A pit with 50 laps to go in the race enabled Phillips to make a track bar adjustment to the truck and Skinner returned to the track in eighth, where he remained for the rest of the event.
The 1995 series champion was able to maintain third place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver point standings. He now stands 355 points behind series leader Ron Hornaday and 158 markers out of second, with two events remaining on the 2009 schedule.
The series returns to action next weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. The Lucas Oil 150k will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Friday, November 13.
ABOUT EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES: Exide Technologies, with operations in more than 80 countries, is one of the world's largest producers and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. The Company's four global business groups – Transportation Americas, Transportation Europe and Rest of World, Industrial Energy Americas and Industrial Energy Europe and Rest of World – provide a comprehensive range of stored electrical energy products and services for industrial and transportation applications.
Transportation markets include original-equipment and aftermarket automotive, heavy-duty truck, agricultural and marine applications, and new technologies for hybrid vehicles and automotive applications. Industrial markets include network power applications such as telecommunications systems, electric utilities, railroads, photovoltaic (solar-power related) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and motive-power applications including lift trucks, mining and other commercial vehicles.
Further information about Exide, including its financial results, are available at www.exide.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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