Monday, June 14, 2010

David Starr Michigan International Speedway Recap

David Starr
No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra
Michigan International Speedway – VFW 200
June 12, 2010

David Starr and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra team raced their way to an eighth place finish in the VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had just 50 minutes to prepare their trucks for the 200-mile event since a rain shower cancelled final practice on Friday afternoon.

Despite being slightly free through the center and exit of the corner early in the race, Starr immediately began moving through the field when the green flag fell. The driver of the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra moved from his 24th starting position up to 12th-place by the time the second caution flag came out on lap 11.

The team utilized pit strategy early in the race taking just two right-side tires during their first stop on lap 13 and not taking tire during their second stop which came on lap 36. On lap 38, the red flag was displayed for rain around the 2.0-mile D-shaped oval. After about 30 minutes, the track was dried and the race restarted. However, the change in the weather also meant a change in track conditions. As a result, the team utilized every opportunity they had to adjust the truck and help Starr move to the front of the field.

A long green flag stretch in the middle of the race forced the team to make one last green flag pit stop on lap 69. Just before came down pit road Starr was struggling with an extremely loose Toyota Tundra, but after four sticker tires and an air pressure adjustment, the No. 81 Toyota Tundra was handling much better. The team had to overcome several challenges which left them one lap down, but a late-race caution less than 15 remaining in the 100-lap event allowed Starr to capitalize on the “lucky dog” rule to return to the lead lap of competition.

The team stopped on pit road for last time to get four more tires before the final restart and began his charge for the front when the green flag fell. In just 10 laps, Starr moved up eight positions to bring the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra home in eighth-place. The finish moved Starr up one spot in the NCWTS driver championship point standings to eighth-place.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make its next pit stop at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, July 11th. SPEED, MRN, and Sirius Satellite Radio will all carry a broadcast of the event beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Mike Skinner Michigan International Speedway Recap

Mike Skinner

No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra
Michigan International Speedway – VFW 200
June 12, 2010

Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra team brought home a 12th place finish at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon. The team qualified in the 19th position, but began their charge to the front immediately after the green flag dropped.

As a result of final practice being rained out, Skinner had just 50 minutes to work with crew chief Stacy Johnson to adjust the truck on Friday afternoon. The team tried a series of adjustments and found a package that they thought they could adjust on throughout the 200-mile race.

The International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota team struggled with a loose Tundra throughout most of the opening laps, but continued to adjust the truck and improve the handling. By the time the caution came out for rain on lap 32, Skinner stopped for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment and left pit road in eighth place.

The rain picked up around Michigan International Speedway and forced the red flag to be displayed for about 30 minutes. The team restarted the race in the fifth position, but the rain changed track conditions and left Skinner too tight going into the second half of the 100-lap event.

Skinner’s team continued to work on the handling of the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra during the closing laps as Skinner raced around the tenth-position. After 200 grueling miles, Skinner crossed the finish line in the 12th position. He remains sixth in the NCWTS driver championship standings and is just eight points out of fifth-place.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make its next pit stop at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, July 11th. SPEED, MRN, and Sirius Satellite Radio will all carry a broadcast of the event beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Monday, June 7, 2010

David Starr Texas Motor Speedway Recap

David Starr

No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra
Texas Motor Speedway – WinStar World Casino 400k
June 4, 2010

David Starr and the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra team had a roller-coaster weekend at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday evening. The Texas native had an extremely fast truck during both practice sessions and was sure to be contending for the win on at his hometrack. However, after being caught up in two on-track incidents, Starr was forced to retire his No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra just four laps before the scheduled distance in Friday night’s race.

Early in the event, Starr worked on picking up positions and appeared to be one of the strongest competitors in the 36-truck field. The crew made minor air pressure adjustments during the early pit stops to help a tight handling condition through the center and off both corners. Starr was racing solidly in the top-10 and was pleased with how the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra was handling.

On lap 85, the caution flag was displayed to the field for a spin on the backstretch in which Starr was involved. The driver of the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra was racing hard in the middle groove and attempted to pass the No. 7 and No. 01 machines before diving into turn three. The No. 01 of Joe Aramendia started to move up the track and Starr reacted by also moving up; however, the No. 7 of Justin Lofton was moving down the track at the same time and made contact with Starr. Starr kept his truck off the wall, but had four flat spotted tires as a result of the wreck. Additionally, the flat left rear tire caused damage to the battery box cover and bottom of the truck. The No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra crew worked quickly to fix the truck while keeping Starr on the lead lap and inside the top-10.

The damage to the truck left Starr struggling with an extremely loose Toyota Tundra, but luckily the driver was able to keep it off the wall. Despite the challenges, Starr was poised to achieve his fourth-consecutive finish inside the top-10.

With just five laps remaining in the scheduled distance of the WinStar World Casino 400k, Starr blew a right front tire entering turn one which shot him into the outside wall. After a quick stop on pit road, the team decided the damage to the right front of Starr’s machine was terminal which ended the team’s night only four laps from the finish.

The incident resulted in a 16th-place finish for Starr and the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra team.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race at Michigan International Speedway. The VFW 200 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Radio beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, June 12. Qualifying for the 200-mile event will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, but will not be televised.

Mike Skinner Texas Motor Speedway Recap

Mike Skinner

No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra
Texas Motor Speedway –WinStar World Casino 400k
June 4, 2010

Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck / Monaco RV Toyota Tundra team raced their way to a fourth-place finish in the WinStar World Casino 400k at Texas Motor Speedway. The finish marked Skinner’s first top-five of the 2010 season, and improved his average finish at the 1.5-mile Texas track.

The WinStar World Casino 400k marked Stacy Johnson’s first race as the crew chief on the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs team. Johnson was able to take a truck that the team had struggled with since its debut and make it adjustable throughout the race. Adjustability paired with precise pit stops by the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra crew allowed Skinner to race his way through the field during the 167-lap race.

Skinner’s Toyota Tundra started out the race a little too loose, but air pressure adjustments throughout the night got the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra exactly where Skinner needed it to make his way to the front of the field. During the lap 129 caution, the International Truck/Monaco RVs team made one last set of adjustments that left Skinner a bit too free traveling through the corners, but remained racing solidly in the top-five.

After a caution for Skinner’s teammate, David Starr, forced the event to a green-white-checkered finish, the driver of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra raced hard to achieve a fourth-place finish, the team’s first top-five result of 2010. The finish moved Skinner into the sixth-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver standings.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race at Michigan International Speedway. The VFW 200 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Radio beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, June 12. Qualifying for the 200-mile event will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, but will not be televised.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Mike Skinner Texas Motor Speedway Preview

Mike Skinner

No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Texas Motor Speedway – WinStar World Casino 400k
June 4, 2010

No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra News and Notes
• This Week’s Tundra… Skinner will be behind the wheel of RMM-108 at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. This particular Tundra was last raced at Charlotte Motor Speedway where the No. 5 International Truck / Monaco RVs team drove to a sixth-place finish.
• Skinner Starts Up Front… The driver of the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra has five poles at Texas Motor Speedway, and is the only active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver to have won multiple poles at the grueling track.
• Proven Competitor at TMS… Throughout the race, you can often find Skinner leading the pack. The veteran driver has led 458 laps around Texas Motor Speedway, which ranks him second on the list for all-time lap leaders in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. Despite still searching for his first trip to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway, Skinner is known for finishing at the front of the pack. Skinner holds the record for the highest average finish of all active drivers in the NCWTS with an average finish of 6.1.
• Meet Mike… Fans are invited to come meet Mike Skinner at the Motor Home Specialist on Friday, June 4th from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The driver of the No. 5 International Truck / Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra will meet fans and sign autographs while fans can browse some of Monaco RVs available for purchase at the dealership.
• Toyota Loyalty… Skinner is the only driver to have piloted a Toyota Tundra in every NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The two teamed up in 2004 when the manufacturer entered into the NASCAR arena.
• Watch and Listen… The WinStar World Casino 400k will be aired on SPEED Channel, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST on Friday, June 4th. Practice and qualifying will both take place throughout the day and evening on Thursday, June 3rd, but will not be televised. Visit Randy Moss Motorsports on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.

Mike Skinner on driving at Texas Motor Speedway
“Texas is always an extremely challenging track. I’ve always run well there, but haven’t been able to make it to victory lane yet. The International Truck / Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team has built momentum over the last few weeks and we’re all very excited about where we’re at as a team right now. The guys have worked a lot to prepare the truck to my liking and I think with a little luck we’ll be able to be right there fighting for the win on Friday night.”

Crew Chief Stacy Johnson on racing at Texas Motor Speedway
“Everyone on the International Truck / Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team is ready to get on track at Texas Motor Speedway. Mike [Skinner] is one of the best drivers at Texas [Motor Speedway] and having him behind the wheel of our Tundra will be a big advantage. Our team has recorded four consecutive top-10 finishes and we’re excited to continue that streak and to have the chance at visiting victory lane for the first time in 2010.”

David Starr Texas Motor Speedway Preview

David Starr

No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra
Texas Motor Speedway – WinStar World Casino 400k
June 4, 2010

No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra News and Notes
• This Week’s Tundra… The No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra will race RMM-126 once again this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). This Tundra was also utilized for the Charlotte Motor Speedway race just two weeks ago where the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra team finished in the 9th position.
• Going Home… David Starr will return to his home track at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran was born in Houston, TX and currently resides in Irving, TX.
• A Veteran of Texas Motor Speedway… Starr is one of the most experienced drivers at TMS. The driver has started 23 of the 24 NCWTS races at the track, missing only the inaugural race in 1997. Additionally, Starr is poised to turn his 5,000th mile in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition at Texas Motor Speedway during the WinStar World Casino 400k. The driver currently has 4992.0 miles in NCWTS competition at TMS.
• Meet David… David will spend Wednesday afternoon meeting the employees and customers at Toyota of Fort Worth (9001 Camp Bowie West, Fort Worth, TX 76116). The driver of the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra will be at the dealership from 11:30 a.m. CST until 12:30 p.m. CST.
• Watch and Listen… The WinStar World Casino 400k will be aired on SPEED Channel, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST on Friday, June 4th. Practice and qualifying will both take place throughout the day and evening on Thursday, June 3rd, but will not be televised. Visit Randy Moss Motorsports on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.

David Starr on competing at Texas Motor Speedway
“I’m excited to come race at Texas Motor Speedway for several reasons. I love racing at my home track; it’s special to have all of my family and friends with me at the track and it’s always an exciting race. To make the weekend even more special, Texas Motor Speedway is also the home track of my sponsor Zachry who is based out of San Antonio. Texas Motor Speedway is just an all-around awesome speedway and just to be there is fun, but to race on top of that--and to race under the lights—will be really great. There’s something about racing under the lights that makes it magical. Every race is important to me and I want to win every one of them, but to win there [at Texas Motor Speedway] would be extra special and a very sentimental win.”

Crew Chief Doug Wolcott on racing at Texas Motor Speedway
“The Zachry Toyota Tundra team is expecting to have a great weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. It will be great to have David behind the wheel at his home track. Our team has recorded three consecutive top-10 finishes and I know David would love to win at Texas [Motor Speedway]. We have a lot of momentum going into this weekend and I think we have a shot at contending for the win.”