Mike Skinner
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra
Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Smith’s Food & Drug Stores 350
September 25, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs team had a competitive race on Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The team had prepared a truck that was capable of running inside the top-five and was poised to bring home their best finish of the season when contact with another truck sent Skinner sailing through the grass on the frontstretch leaving the No. 5 machine out of contention.
The International Truck/Monaco RV team utilized their two practice sessions to dial in their Toyota Tundra and help Skinner navigate through the bumpy corners of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. By the end of each practice, Skinner was placed solidly inside the top-15 and the three-time pole-winner was ready to qualify. Crew chief Stacy Johnson called for a few slight adjustments before Skinner’s qualifying attempt that allowed Skinner to run wide-open around the 1.5-mile oval and post the 11th quickest lap of the field.
As soon as the green flag fell to start the Smith’s Food & Drug Stores 350, Skinner began climbing through the field. By lap 20 he had moved inside the top-five and was running lap times that practically mirrored the leader. As a two-time race winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Skinner knew that his team had prepared a truck that was capable of finishing inside the top-three and maybe even capable of winning the race.
By the second caution period, Skinner reported that his Toyota Tundra had become a little too snug. Johnson [crew chief] called for a slight air pressure adjustment and a four-tire stop before sending Skinner back to the track. Skinner was pleased with the changes but had to fight his way back inside the top-10 when several of his competitors took just two fresh tires.
The radio remained quiet until lap 38 when the caution flag was displayed again, but this time it was for Skinner who was sent spinning through the infield grass after contact from behind with another competitor. Skinner brought his International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra down pit road allowing his team to assess the damage and devise a plan. With the front nose clip nearly completely destroyed and the splitter pushed back, the team knew there was no way that Skinner’s Tundra would handle like it did earlier in the race. The team pieced together a new nose to add strength and stability to the front end of their truck.
Throughout the closing laps, Skinner stayed on track slowly picking up positions as other trucks fell out the 146-lap event. By the time the checkered flag was displayed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Skinner had picked up nearly 10 positions to be credited with a 24th-place finish.
“We had a really great truck tonight,” commented Skinner after the race. “The guys built a really competitive piece that was easily capable of finishing inside the top-five. I feel like this was one of the best Toyota Tundras that we’ve had all year; so while I’m frustrated with what happened, I’m really proud of the effort that my team put into this weekend. We’re definitely headed in the right direction; we keep getting better week after week.”
With just five races left in the 2010 season, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Martinsville Speedway next month. The Kroger 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius XM Channel 128 beginning at 12:30 EST on Saturday, October 23.