Mike Skinner
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Chicagoland Speedway – EnjoyIllinois.com 225
August 27, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team finished 23rd Friday night at Chicagoland Speedway. The team raced inside the top-10 for the majority of the 150-lap event, but a broken drive shaft with just 23 laps to go ended the team’s chance to contend for the win.
The International Truck/Monaco RVs team worked on the handling of their Toyota Tundra during the two practice sessions at the 1.5-mile speedway and dialed in the truck for Friday night’s event. Skinner was able to hit all of his marks and drive around the track wide-open during his qualifying run. A 31.540-second lap placed Skinner 16th on the speed charts to roll off on Friday night.
During the opening laps of the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 Skinner battled a slightly loose racetruck. An early caution, on lap 30, allowed the International Truck/Monaco RVs team a chance to adjust their Toyota Tundra. The team made an air pressure and track bar adjustment in addition to servicing the car with four fresh Goodyear Eagles and Sunoco racing fuel.
After ten laps the No. 5 Toyota Tundra came to life and Skinner continued to race inside the top-10. His machine was fast through the corners as it navigated each turn perfectly, but Skinner continued to struggle building speed down the straightaways.
The 1995 champion drove the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra down pit road one last time during the lap 126 caution period. The truck was handling great and the team had a fast four-tire stop. As Skinner hit the throttle to pull out his pit stall his Toyota Tundra immediately suffered a mechanical failure.
The International Truck/Monaco RVs team pushed Skinner’s truck into the garage where they diagnosed the problem and installed a new drive shaft all within 15 minutes. Skinner returned to the track and finished out the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 in the 23rd position.
“It was a pretty disheartening night at Chicagoland Speedway,” said Mike Skinner after the race. “We had all of our sponsors here from International Trucks, Monaco RVs and Navistar. Our team did a great job with the truck tonight and I’m so proud of all their hard work. Our Toyota Tundra ran really, really fast through the corners and it looked like we had a top-five truck toward the end of the race. It’s just unfortunate what happened. I’d like to thank all of our sponsors for sticking by us; we’ve made a lot of progress over the last few weeks and we couldn’t have done any of it without their support.”
Next week the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will travel to Kentucky Speedway for another 225-mile event. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Radio beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday, September 3. Practice and qualifying will be held on Thursday and Friday afternoon, but will not be televised. Fans can visit Randy Moss Motorsports on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/randymossmotorsports) and Twitter (@RMMRacing) for updates.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Mike Skinner Bristol Motor Speedway Recap
Mike Skinner
No. 5 Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra
Bristol Motor Speedway – O’Reilly 200
August 18, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 Exide Batteries team brought their Toyota Tundra home in fourth-place following 206-laps of competition at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday night. The special weeknight edition of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competition featured Skinner leading the field for more than 50 laps before having to move back through the after pitting on lap 90. The finish marked Skinner’s second top-five result of the season.
Skinner started the O’Reilly 200 in the eighth position and after a day full of strong practice runs, the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra team was excited for their chances in the race. Skinner has led more laps around Bristol Motor Speedway than any other driver in the NCWTS, and the team had confidence that he could wheel the No. 5 machine around the 0.533-mile speedway.
Early in the event, Skinner struggled with a truck that was too loose on entry and too tight from the center off, but as the tire pressures started to build Skinner became happier and happier with the handling of the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra.
By the fourth caution on lap 37, Skinner had raced his way into the third position. While most of the leaders visited pit road, Skinner stayed on track to take over the lead. An excellent set of Goodyear Eagles and a dominate truck allowed Skinner to outrun the competition and maintain the top position for a total of 53 laps.
On lap 90, Skinner came down pit road as the leader of the O’Reilly 200 for four fresh tires, fuel, and a slight air pressure adjustment. During the stop the team failed to get the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra filled with fuel and Skinner was forced to come back down pit road. Since he made two pit stops under a single yellow flag, the driver of the No. 5 machine had to restart at the rear of the field and fight his way back to the front.
Within 40 laps, Skinner was back inside the top-10 and racing his way through the leaders.
With just two laps remaining, Skinner’s teammate, David Starr, was involved in a serious multi-car accident on the front stretch that brought out the red flag for nine minutes. Skinner sat with the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra parked near turn four waiting for the NASCAR safety crews to clean up the debris and the race to get back underway. When the race resumed Skinner restarted in the third position and planed on making his move toward the lead in turn one. He battled side by side with fellow NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday and brought the Exide Batteries Tundra home in the fourth spot.
“We had a really great truck tonight,” Skinner said following the O’Reilly 200. “We were competitive all night long and I really appreciate that. My team did a great job building a truck that was capable of dominating this race and I really thought we could have won tonight. I would also like to thank Exide Batteries for their support, International Trucks, Monaco RVs, PC*MILER Navigator, Toyota and everyone else who makes this possible for us. Tonight was a lot of fun.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will travel to Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, August 27. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, Sirius XM Satellite Radio and MRN Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST. Qualifying and practice for the 150-lap event will take place on Friday, but will not be televised. Visit www.twitter.com/rmmracing or www.facebook.com/randymossmotorsports for news and updates throughout the weekend.
No. 5 Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra
Bristol Motor Speedway – O’Reilly 200
August 18, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 Exide Batteries team brought their Toyota Tundra home in fourth-place following 206-laps of competition at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday night. The special weeknight edition of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competition featured Skinner leading the field for more than 50 laps before having to move back through the after pitting on lap 90. The finish marked Skinner’s second top-five result of the season.
Skinner started the O’Reilly 200 in the eighth position and after a day full of strong practice runs, the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra team was excited for their chances in the race. Skinner has led more laps around Bristol Motor Speedway than any other driver in the NCWTS, and the team had confidence that he could wheel the No. 5 machine around the 0.533-mile speedway.
Early in the event, Skinner struggled with a truck that was too loose on entry and too tight from the center off, but as the tire pressures started to build Skinner became happier and happier with the handling of the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra.
By the fourth caution on lap 37, Skinner had raced his way into the third position. While most of the leaders visited pit road, Skinner stayed on track to take over the lead. An excellent set of Goodyear Eagles and a dominate truck allowed Skinner to outrun the competition and maintain the top position for a total of 53 laps.
On lap 90, Skinner came down pit road as the leader of the O’Reilly 200 for four fresh tires, fuel, and a slight air pressure adjustment. During the stop the team failed to get the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra filled with fuel and Skinner was forced to come back down pit road. Since he made two pit stops under a single yellow flag, the driver of the No. 5 machine had to restart at the rear of the field and fight his way back to the front.
Within 40 laps, Skinner was back inside the top-10 and racing his way through the leaders.
With just two laps remaining, Skinner’s teammate, David Starr, was involved in a serious multi-car accident on the front stretch that brought out the red flag for nine minutes. Skinner sat with the Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra parked near turn four waiting for the NASCAR safety crews to clean up the debris and the race to get back underway. When the race resumed Skinner restarted in the third position and planed on making his move toward the lead in turn one. He battled side by side with fellow NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday and brought the Exide Batteries Tundra home in the fourth spot.
“We had a really great truck tonight,” Skinner said following the O’Reilly 200. “We were competitive all night long and I really appreciate that. My team did a great job building a truck that was capable of dominating this race and I really thought we could have won tonight. I would also like to thank Exide Batteries for their support, International Trucks, Monaco RVs, PC*MILER Navigator, Toyota and everyone else who makes this possible for us. Tonight was a lot of fun.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will travel to Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, August 27. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, Sirius XM Satellite Radio and MRN Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST. Qualifying and practice for the 150-lap event will take place on Friday, but will not be televised. Visit www.twitter.com/rmmracing or www.facebook.com/randymossmotorsports for news and updates throughout the weekend.
David Starr Bristol Motor Speedway Recap
David Starr
No. 81 CHASCO Constructors Toyota Tundra
Bristol Motor Speedway – O’Reilly 200
August 18, 2010
Despite only having limited practice time, David Starr raced through the field on Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway and looked poised to have a top-five finish in the No. 81 CHASCO Constructors Toyota Tundra. Unfortunately with just two laps remaining, Starr made contact with another truck that sent him ricocheting across the track and ending the day for the No. 81 team.
Starr rolled off 12th in the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. With only seven practice laps in the CHASCO Constructors Toyota Tundra, Starr spent the early laps feeling out his truck to determine what changes his team may want to make during a later caution. By lap 10 Starr had already made his way into the top-10 where he raced for much of the 200-lap event.
Crew chief Doug Wolcott made the decision for Starr to come down pit road during the lap 37 caution period for their first of two pit stops. The team gave Starr four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment. Starr returned to the track in the 23rd position and worked his way back up to 10th before returning to pit road shortly after lap 130.
At that point in the race, Starr had reported that his truck was really starting to come to him. He was no longer struggling with a loose truck on entry and was turning fast lap times around the 0.533-mile speedway. The crew gave Starr another four fresh tires and fuel and sent him back on the track still racing inside the top-10.
Starr had raced as high as the fifth position and was currently running seventh with less than five laps remaining in the O’Reilly 200 when he made contact with the No. 7 machine going into turn one getting the No. 81 Tundra loose. Starr pulled up beside him again with just two laps remaining when the No. 7 made contact with the wall and then came back down into the No. 81 CHASCO Constructors machine. The contact sent Starr barreling into the inside wall before ricocheting back across the track and making heavy contact with the No. 52 of Ken Schrader. Starr walked away from his truck and went on his mandatory ride to the infield care center.
“I just hate it for our team,” said Starr after emerging from the infield care center. “We had a really great truck and it looked like we were going to bring home a great finish for CHASCO Constructors. Unfortunately we were involved in an accident with about two laps to go and we weren’t able to get the result that we were looking for. I had a great truck all night long and everybody on our team did a tremendous job. I thought we were going to get our first top-five finish tonight but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will travel to Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, August 27. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, Sirius XM Satellite Radio and MRN Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST. Qualifying and practice for the 150-lap event will take place on Friday, but will not be televised. Visit www.twitter.com/rmmracing or www.facebook.com/randymossmotorsports for news and updates throughout the weekend.
No. 81 CHASCO Constructors Toyota Tundra
Bristol Motor Speedway – O’Reilly 200
August 18, 2010
Despite only having limited practice time, David Starr raced through the field on Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway and looked poised to have a top-five finish in the No. 81 CHASCO Constructors Toyota Tundra. Unfortunately with just two laps remaining, Starr made contact with another truck that sent him ricocheting across the track and ending the day for the No. 81 team.
Starr rolled off 12th in the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. With only seven practice laps in the CHASCO Constructors Toyota Tundra, Starr spent the early laps feeling out his truck to determine what changes his team may want to make during a later caution. By lap 10 Starr had already made his way into the top-10 where he raced for much of the 200-lap event.
Crew chief Doug Wolcott made the decision for Starr to come down pit road during the lap 37 caution period for their first of two pit stops. The team gave Starr four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment. Starr returned to the track in the 23rd position and worked his way back up to 10th before returning to pit road shortly after lap 130.
At that point in the race, Starr had reported that his truck was really starting to come to him. He was no longer struggling with a loose truck on entry and was turning fast lap times around the 0.533-mile speedway. The crew gave Starr another four fresh tires and fuel and sent him back on the track still racing inside the top-10.
Starr had raced as high as the fifth position and was currently running seventh with less than five laps remaining in the O’Reilly 200 when he made contact with the No. 7 machine going into turn one getting the No. 81 Tundra loose. Starr pulled up beside him again with just two laps remaining when the No. 7 made contact with the wall and then came back down into the No. 81 CHASCO Constructors machine. The contact sent Starr barreling into the inside wall before ricocheting back across the track and making heavy contact with the No. 52 of Ken Schrader. Starr walked away from his truck and went on his mandatory ride to the infield care center.
“I just hate it for our team,” said Starr after emerging from the infield care center. “We had a really great truck and it looked like we were going to bring home a great finish for CHASCO Constructors. Unfortunately we were involved in an accident with about two laps to go and we weren’t able to get the result that we were looking for. I had a great truck all night long and everybody on our team did a tremendous job. I thought we were going to get our first top-five finish tonight but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will travel to Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, August 27. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, Sirius XM Satellite Radio and MRN Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST. Qualifying and practice for the 150-lap event will take place on Friday, but will not be televised. Visit www.twitter.com/rmmracing or www.facebook.com/randymossmotorsports for news and updates throughout the weekend.
Monday, August 16, 2010
David Starr Darlington Raceway Recap
David Starr
No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra
Darlington Raceway – Too Tough To Tame 200
August 14, 2010
David Starr and the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra team left Darlington Raceway with a 12th-place finish after a run-in with the Lady in Black on Saturday night. Starr raced in the top-15 for the majority of the event and spent nearly sixty laps inside the top-10. However, the Zachry team was left battling back to the front after being involved in a multi-truck pile-up on lap 107.
Saturday morning started off on a high note as Starr posted practice speeds inside the top-15 throughout both sessions at Darlington Raceway. During qualifying the driver of the Zachry Toyota Tundra posted a lap of 29.230 seconds picking up one-tenth over his fastest practice lap.
Starr rolled off 14th for the Too Tough To Tame 200 and stayed on the track throughout the opening cautions to climbing up into the 12th position. The No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra was tight off of both turns two and four leaving Starr struggling to get on to the straightaways.
The team utilized the lap 47 caution period to come for four fresh Goodyear Eagles, fuel, as well as an air pressure and wedge adjustment. The changes proved to be exactly what Starr needed as he moved into the tenth position by lap 50 and solidly raced inside the top-10 until being caught up in an accident on lap 107.
Starr was racing in the upper groove side-by-side with a truck entering turn one when the other driver got loose and set off a multi-truck pileup. Starr made contact with the outside wall that resulted in fender damage. He drove the Zachry Toyota Tundra down pit road where the team went to work securing the right front fender and hood before sending Starr back on the track. He restarted as the first truck one-lap down, and received the lucky dog on the subsequent caution just 15 laps later. By the time the checkered flag fell after 147 laps at Darlington Raceway, Starr was scored in the 12th position.
“Our Zachry Toyota Tundra was awesome tonight,” said David Starr, driver of the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra following the Too Tough To Tame 200. “We made it up to sixth-place. Doug Wolcott and everybody on our Randy Moss Motorsports team did a heck of a job all day long. We had great practices, a great qualifying run and a great race. Unfortunately right on a restart getting into turn one a truck got loose and I thought I was clear of him, but when he got lose he over corrected and came up and we got into him. It pretty much ended our night. We never gave up; we kept working on the truck. The guys did a great job patching up the front, but the truck wasn’t competitive after that. We tried to stay on the lead lap and we missed that, but we came home in 12th place and it says a lot about this team. … I was excited to have Zachry back on our truck; our Toyota Tundra was awesome tonight.”
In just a few days the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take the green flag for a nighttime showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway. The O’Reilly 200 will commence at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 18th. The weeknight dose of NCWTS action will also be broadcast on MRN and Sirius XM radio at 7:45 p.m. EST.
No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra
Darlington Raceway – Too Tough To Tame 200
August 14, 2010
David Starr and the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra team left Darlington Raceway with a 12th-place finish after a run-in with the Lady in Black on Saturday night. Starr raced in the top-15 for the majority of the event and spent nearly sixty laps inside the top-10. However, the Zachry team was left battling back to the front after being involved in a multi-truck pile-up on lap 107.
Saturday morning started off on a high note as Starr posted practice speeds inside the top-15 throughout both sessions at Darlington Raceway. During qualifying the driver of the Zachry Toyota Tundra posted a lap of 29.230 seconds picking up one-tenth over his fastest practice lap.
Starr rolled off 14th for the Too Tough To Tame 200 and stayed on the track throughout the opening cautions to climbing up into the 12th position. The No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra was tight off of both turns two and four leaving Starr struggling to get on to the straightaways.
The team utilized the lap 47 caution period to come for four fresh Goodyear Eagles, fuel, as well as an air pressure and wedge adjustment. The changes proved to be exactly what Starr needed as he moved into the tenth position by lap 50 and solidly raced inside the top-10 until being caught up in an accident on lap 107.
Starr was racing in the upper groove side-by-side with a truck entering turn one when the other driver got loose and set off a multi-truck pileup. Starr made contact with the outside wall that resulted in fender damage. He drove the Zachry Toyota Tundra down pit road where the team went to work securing the right front fender and hood before sending Starr back on the track. He restarted as the first truck one-lap down, and received the lucky dog on the subsequent caution just 15 laps later. By the time the checkered flag fell after 147 laps at Darlington Raceway, Starr was scored in the 12th position.
“Our Zachry Toyota Tundra was awesome tonight,” said David Starr, driver of the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra following the Too Tough To Tame 200. “We made it up to sixth-place. Doug Wolcott and everybody on our Randy Moss Motorsports team did a heck of a job all day long. We had great practices, a great qualifying run and a great race. Unfortunately right on a restart getting into turn one a truck got loose and I thought I was clear of him, but when he got lose he over corrected and came up and we got into him. It pretty much ended our night. We never gave up; we kept working on the truck. The guys did a great job patching up the front, but the truck wasn’t competitive after that. We tried to stay on the lead lap and we missed that, but we came home in 12th place and it says a lot about this team. … I was excited to have Zachry back on our truck; our Toyota Tundra was awesome tonight.”
In just a few days the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take the green flag for a nighttime showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway. The O’Reilly 200 will commence at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 18th. The weeknight dose of NCWTS action will also be broadcast on MRN and Sirius XM radio at 7:45 p.m. EST.
Mike Skinner Darlington Raceway Recap
Mike Skinner
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Darlington Raceway – Too Tough To Tame 200
August 14, 2010
Darlington Raceway proved to be the track “too tough to tame” for Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team on Saturday night. A multi-truck pileup on lap 107 brought an early end to the event for the No. 5 Toyota Tundra team.
Skinner started the day at “The Lady in Black” with fast speeds in both practice sessions. The No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra finished seventh in first practice and 13th in final practice clocking in with an overall fast lap at 29.335 seconds. Qualifying order in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is determined by a random draw, and unfortunately the No. 5 team pulled the first qualifying spot. The sun beat down on the track in the hours leading up to qualifying leaving Skinner with a very hot, slick track to make his lap. The driver of the No. 5 machine picked up two tenths from his practice lap to qualify in the 12th spot for the start of the 147-lap race.
Coming to the green flag of the Too Tough To Tame 200, Skinner made contact with the No. 18 Toyota Tundra when the field bottlenecked in front of him and he was left with nowhere to go. The contact caused the oil line to be knocked loose under the hood of the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra and sent smoke out the rear of the No. 5 machine. Luckily, two early caution flags allowed the crew to repair both the oil line and damage to the nose of the Skinner’s Tundra without losing a lap. Despite being scored in the 32nd position on lap 10, Skinner quickly worked his way back through the field to be scored 15th by lap 20.
Skinner worked his way inside the top-10 by the lap 97 caution. He was racing in the eighth position on lap 107 when another truck got loose in turn one setting off a multi-car pile-up at the historic oval. The International Truck/Monaco RVs machine sustained race-ending damage when the No. 7 came across the track right in front of the Skinner’s truck. The team immediately began working on repairs when Skinner arrived in the garage, but the damage proved to be too severe for him to return to the track in the closing laps. The No. 5 team was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
“The 7 truck came across and got us. He was already wrecked and we had nowhere to go when he came back across,” said Mike Skinner explaining the on-track incident that ended his night. “I hate it for our International Trucks/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra team; everybody works so hard on these trucks. We struggled a little bit early in the race, but we kept on working on it. It looked like we maybe would have finished in the top-five, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be for us tonight.”
In just a few days the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take the green flag for a nighttime showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway. The O’Reilly 200 will commence at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 18th. The weeknight dose of NCWTS action will also be broadcast on MRN and Sirius XM radio at 7:45 p.m. EST.
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Darlington Raceway – Too Tough To Tame 200
August 14, 2010
Darlington Raceway proved to be the track “too tough to tame” for Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team on Saturday night. A multi-truck pileup on lap 107 brought an early end to the event for the No. 5 Toyota Tundra team.
Skinner started the day at “The Lady in Black” with fast speeds in both practice sessions. The No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra finished seventh in first practice and 13th in final practice clocking in with an overall fast lap at 29.335 seconds. Qualifying order in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is determined by a random draw, and unfortunately the No. 5 team pulled the first qualifying spot. The sun beat down on the track in the hours leading up to qualifying leaving Skinner with a very hot, slick track to make his lap. The driver of the No. 5 machine picked up two tenths from his practice lap to qualify in the 12th spot for the start of the 147-lap race.
Coming to the green flag of the Too Tough To Tame 200, Skinner made contact with the No. 18 Toyota Tundra when the field bottlenecked in front of him and he was left with nowhere to go. The contact caused the oil line to be knocked loose under the hood of the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra and sent smoke out the rear of the No. 5 machine. Luckily, two early caution flags allowed the crew to repair both the oil line and damage to the nose of the Skinner’s Tundra without losing a lap. Despite being scored in the 32nd position on lap 10, Skinner quickly worked his way back through the field to be scored 15th by lap 20.
Skinner worked his way inside the top-10 by the lap 97 caution. He was racing in the eighth position on lap 107 when another truck got loose in turn one setting off a multi-car pile-up at the historic oval. The International Truck/Monaco RVs machine sustained race-ending damage when the No. 7 came across the track right in front of the Skinner’s truck. The team immediately began working on repairs when Skinner arrived in the garage, but the damage proved to be too severe for him to return to the track in the closing laps. The No. 5 team was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
“The 7 truck came across and got us. He was already wrecked and we had nowhere to go when he came back across,” said Mike Skinner explaining the on-track incident that ended his night. “I hate it for our International Trucks/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra team; everybody works so hard on these trucks. We struggled a little bit early in the race, but we kept on working on it. It looked like we maybe would have finished in the top-five, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be for us tonight.”
In just a few days the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take the green flag for a nighttime showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway. The O’Reilly 200 will commence at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 18th. The weeknight dose of NCWTS action will also be broadcast on MRN and Sirius XM radio at 7:45 p.m. EST.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Mike Skinner Nashville Superspeedway Recap
Mike Skinner
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra
Nashville Superspeedway – Nashville 200
August 7, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs team brought their Toyota Tundra home in the 11th position after a long day of practicing, qualifying and racing at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. Despite racing inside the top-five for nearly 40 laps, an ill-handling Tundra pushed Skinner back in the final running order.
Skinner and the International Truck/Monaco RVs team ran practice speeds inside the top-15 before qualifying 15th with a lap of 31.477 seconds.
Early in the 150-lap race, Skinner called into the crew to report an extremely loose Toyota Tundra and asked the crew tighten up his truck as soon as possible. Skinner stayed on track during the lap five caution period, but came onto pit road during the lap 19 caution for fresh tires and a track bar adjustment.
Throughout the next run, Skinner struggled with a loose Toyota Tundra which he described as “jumping sideways” in the center of the turns. Skinner’s earlier pit stop allowed him to stay on track much longer than the leaders who elected to follow a different pit strategy. Green flag pit stops had cycled through by the time the caution came out on lap 66, leaving just Skinner and three other competitors on the lead lap.
The International Truck/Monaco RVs team utilized the opportunity to make a pit stop and restart inside the top five. Skinner continued to battle a loose race truck but was able to hold his position near the front of the field for the next 40 laps.
The International Truck/Monaco RVs team took one last shot at adjusting the No. 5 Toyota Tundra with four more tires and a left side wedge adjustment. Unfortunately, Skinner continued to struggle with a loose truck throughout the closing laps. The driver of the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra held on for an 11th place finish.
“We struggled with the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra tonight,” said Skinner following the Nashville 200. “We are planning to do more testing on our trucks this week to determine what has been causing all of our handling issues. The team did a great job continuing to work on the truck and coming up with new ideas to try to improve our Toyota Tundra, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it dialed in where we needed it. As always, I’d like to thank our sponsors for standing by us as we work to improve our performances week after week.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make their return to Darlington Raceway for the Too Tough to Tame 200. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 14. MRN and Sirius XM Radio will begin their coverage at 7:15 p.m. EST.
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra
Nashville Superspeedway – Nashville 200
August 7, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs team brought their Toyota Tundra home in the 11th position after a long day of practicing, qualifying and racing at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. Despite racing inside the top-five for nearly 40 laps, an ill-handling Tundra pushed Skinner back in the final running order.
Skinner and the International Truck/Monaco RVs team ran practice speeds inside the top-15 before qualifying 15th with a lap of 31.477 seconds.
Early in the 150-lap race, Skinner called into the crew to report an extremely loose Toyota Tundra and asked the crew tighten up his truck as soon as possible. Skinner stayed on track during the lap five caution period, but came onto pit road during the lap 19 caution for fresh tires and a track bar adjustment.
Throughout the next run, Skinner struggled with a loose Toyota Tundra which he described as “jumping sideways” in the center of the turns. Skinner’s earlier pit stop allowed him to stay on track much longer than the leaders who elected to follow a different pit strategy. Green flag pit stops had cycled through by the time the caution came out on lap 66, leaving just Skinner and three other competitors on the lead lap.
The International Truck/Monaco RVs team utilized the opportunity to make a pit stop and restart inside the top five. Skinner continued to battle a loose race truck but was able to hold his position near the front of the field for the next 40 laps.
The International Truck/Monaco RVs team took one last shot at adjusting the No. 5 Toyota Tundra with four more tires and a left side wedge adjustment. Unfortunately, Skinner continued to struggle with a loose truck throughout the closing laps. The driver of the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra held on for an 11th place finish.
“We struggled with the International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra tonight,” said Skinner following the Nashville 200. “We are planning to do more testing on our trucks this week to determine what has been causing all of our handling issues. The team did a great job continuing to work on the truck and coming up with new ideas to try to improve our Toyota Tundra, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it dialed in where we needed it. As always, I’d like to thank our sponsors for standing by us as we work to improve our performances week after week.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make their return to Darlington Raceway for the Too Tough to Tame 200. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 14. MRN and Sirius XM Radio will begin their coverage at 7:15 p.m. EST.
David Starr Nashville Superspeedway Recap
David Starr
No. 81 Cash America Toyota Tundra
Nashville Superspeedway – Nashville 200
August 7, 2010
The No. 81 Cash America Toyota Tundra team had a long, tough day at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday but still managed to salvage a top-15 finish. After wrecking their primary Toyota Tundra in first practice, the Cash America team sprung to action to finalize their backup truck demonstrating their true dedication to their team and driver David Starr.
Starr was traveling through turns one and two at the 1.333-mile speedway in Lebanon, Tenn., when the right front tire gave out sending him into the outside retaining wall. Starr made heavy contact ending the day for the RMM-40 chassis. Starr drove back to the garage unhurt and the Cash America crew immediately began unloading their backup Toyota Tundra.
The No. 81 Cash America crew had a bit of work to do before they could practice at Nashville Superspeedway, including switching few parts and having their truck approved for competition via the technical inspection process. The procedures overlapped with a portion of the final practice session and left the team with only about 30 minutes to practice their truck.
Later that evening with just five laps completed in the Nashville 200, the caution flag was displayed allowing Starr to discuss the performance of the No. 81 Cash America Toyota Tundra with his crew. Despite a few handling issues, the Cash America crew opted to keep Starr on track. When the second caution flag was displayed to the field on lap 19, Starr prepared to bring his Cash America Toyota Tundra down the pit lane. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called for air pressure and track bar adjustments during a four-tire stop. The caution allowed a few drivers like Starr to pit while the leaders stayed on track executing a different race strategy.
Green flag pit stops for the leaders began on lap 60, but six laps later the caution flag was displayed to the 36-truck field for an incident on the front stretch. At that point, only four trucks were scored on the lead lap which included the No. 81 machine. Starr entered pit road in the third position, picked up a spot, and restarted the race from the runner up spot.
Throughout the next run, Starr struggled with both entry and exit of the corners and lost ground on his competitors. The team made their final pit stop of the evening on lap 108. The team bolted on four fresh Goodyear tires as well as making an air pressure and track bar adjustment hoping to dial the truck in for the final 40 lap shootout.
Starr battled to the finish and crossed the finish line in the 14th spot.
“First of all, a big ‘thank you’ to Cash America for coming on board and supporting our program,” said Starr. “You hate to start off the day like we did with a blown tire and tearing up your primary truck like that. At the same time, if you are going to have something like that happen, it’s better to have it in practice than in the race. It made for a long day for my team because they had to work their tails off to get the backup truck ready. We knew the backup wasn’t as good as the primary was and we’d have our work cut out for is, but this team doesn’t give up and we fought all night long.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make their return to Darlington Raceway for the Too Tough to Tame 200. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 14. MRN and Sirius XM Radio will begin their coverage at 7:15 p.m. EST.
No. 81 Cash America Toyota Tundra
Nashville Superspeedway – Nashville 200
August 7, 2010
The No. 81 Cash America Toyota Tundra team had a long, tough day at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday but still managed to salvage a top-15 finish. After wrecking their primary Toyota Tundra in first practice, the Cash America team sprung to action to finalize their backup truck demonstrating their true dedication to their team and driver David Starr.
Starr was traveling through turns one and two at the 1.333-mile speedway in Lebanon, Tenn., when the right front tire gave out sending him into the outside retaining wall. Starr made heavy contact ending the day for the RMM-40 chassis. Starr drove back to the garage unhurt and the Cash America crew immediately began unloading their backup Toyota Tundra.
The No. 81 Cash America crew had a bit of work to do before they could practice at Nashville Superspeedway, including switching few parts and having their truck approved for competition via the technical inspection process. The procedures overlapped with a portion of the final practice session and left the team with only about 30 minutes to practice their truck.
Later that evening with just five laps completed in the Nashville 200, the caution flag was displayed allowing Starr to discuss the performance of the No. 81 Cash America Toyota Tundra with his crew. Despite a few handling issues, the Cash America crew opted to keep Starr on track. When the second caution flag was displayed to the field on lap 19, Starr prepared to bring his Cash America Toyota Tundra down the pit lane. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called for air pressure and track bar adjustments during a four-tire stop. The caution allowed a few drivers like Starr to pit while the leaders stayed on track executing a different race strategy.
Green flag pit stops for the leaders began on lap 60, but six laps later the caution flag was displayed to the 36-truck field for an incident on the front stretch. At that point, only four trucks were scored on the lead lap which included the No. 81 machine. Starr entered pit road in the third position, picked up a spot, and restarted the race from the runner up spot.
Throughout the next run, Starr struggled with both entry and exit of the corners and lost ground on his competitors. The team made their final pit stop of the evening on lap 108. The team bolted on four fresh Goodyear tires as well as making an air pressure and track bar adjustment hoping to dial the truck in for the final 40 lap shootout.
Starr battled to the finish and crossed the finish line in the 14th spot.
“First of all, a big ‘thank you’ to Cash America for coming on board and supporting our program,” said Starr. “You hate to start off the day like we did with a blown tire and tearing up your primary truck like that. At the same time, if you are going to have something like that happen, it’s better to have it in practice than in the race. It made for a long day for my team because they had to work their tails off to get the backup truck ready. We knew the backup wasn’t as good as the primary was and we’d have our work cut out for is, but this team doesn’t give up and we fought all night long.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make their return to Darlington Raceway for the Too Tough to Tame 200. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 14. MRN and Sirius XM Radio will begin their coverage at 7:15 p.m. EST.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Mike Skinner Pocono Raceway Recap
Mike Skinner
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Pocono Raceway – Nashville 200
July 31, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team raced to a sixth-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ debut at Pocono Raceway. Skinner was one of the few drivers in the 36-truck field who had experience at the 2.5-mile track dubbed the “tricky triangle” through his 13 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Throughout the practice sessions on Friday the driver of the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra struggled to find the right setup that included the flexibility needed for the three vastly different corners at Pocono Raceway. The crew tried a variety of adjustments to help determine which package would net the best result in Saturday afternoon’s 125-mile event. After struggling to find grip in practice, crew chief Stacy Johnson called for a few more changes to the No. 5 Toyota Tundra prior to the team’s qualifying attempt on Saturday morning.
Skinner went out mid-pack and posted a lap of 56.214 seconds which held on for the 10th starting position. With twenty laps completed, Skinner called into the International Truck/Monaco RVs team to describe the handling and allow them to devise a strategy for his Toyota Tundra which was tight in turn one and loose in turn three.
The caution came out on lap 25 allowing the majority of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series field to visit pit road for their first stop of the afternoon. Johnson called for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The stop didn’t get Skinner as much grip as the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra needed, but it did get him the track position he needed to stay inside the top-10.
As the laps dwindled down, the No. 5 crew elected to keep their Toyota Tundra on the race track. Skinner continued to race his way through the field and capitalized on restarts to gain positions. When the checkered flag fell after 55 laps and two green-white-checkered attempts, the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra was scored in the sixth position.
Skinner remains ranked eighth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s point standings.
“Well our first race here at Pocono [Raceway] was a lot of fun, but it got awfully crazy there at the end,” said Mike Skinner following the race. “We were able to walk away with a top-ten; it looked like we were going to walk away with a top-three there for a little bit, but a top-ten is still a great points day. Our International Trucks/Monaco RVs Tundra had a lot of speed under the hood and it ran great down the straightaways. We tried a different setup under the hood this weekend. We’re trying to get better each week and I feel like we closed the gap a little bit.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Nashville Superspeedway for another night of racing action under the lights in the music city. The Nashville 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 7. Coverage on Sirius XM Radio and MRN Radio will begin at 8:45 p.m. EST. Practice sessions and qualifying will take place on Saturday but will not be televised.
No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Pocono Raceway – Nashville 200
July 31, 2010
Mike Skinner and the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team raced to a sixth-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ debut at Pocono Raceway. Skinner was one of the few drivers in the 36-truck field who had experience at the 2.5-mile track dubbed the “tricky triangle” through his 13 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Throughout the practice sessions on Friday the driver of the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra struggled to find the right setup that included the flexibility needed for the three vastly different corners at Pocono Raceway. The crew tried a variety of adjustments to help determine which package would net the best result in Saturday afternoon’s 125-mile event. After struggling to find grip in practice, crew chief Stacy Johnson called for a few more changes to the No. 5 Toyota Tundra prior to the team’s qualifying attempt on Saturday morning.
Skinner went out mid-pack and posted a lap of 56.214 seconds which held on for the 10th starting position. With twenty laps completed, Skinner called into the International Truck/Monaco RVs team to describe the handling and allow them to devise a strategy for his Toyota Tundra which was tight in turn one and loose in turn three.
The caution came out on lap 25 allowing the majority of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series field to visit pit road for their first stop of the afternoon. Johnson called for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The stop didn’t get Skinner as much grip as the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra needed, but it did get him the track position he needed to stay inside the top-10.
As the laps dwindled down, the No. 5 crew elected to keep their Toyota Tundra on the race track. Skinner continued to race his way through the field and capitalized on restarts to gain positions. When the checkered flag fell after 55 laps and two green-white-checkered attempts, the No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra was scored in the sixth position.
Skinner remains ranked eighth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s point standings.
“Well our first race here at Pocono [Raceway] was a lot of fun, but it got awfully crazy there at the end,” said Mike Skinner following the race. “We were able to walk away with a top-ten; it looked like we were going to walk away with a top-three there for a little bit, but a top-ten is still a great points day. Our International Trucks/Monaco RVs Tundra had a lot of speed under the hood and it ran great down the straightaways. We tried a different setup under the hood this weekend. We’re trying to get better each week and I feel like we closed the gap a little bit.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Nashville Superspeedway for another night of racing action under the lights in the music city. The Nashville 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 7. Coverage on Sirius XM Radio and MRN Radio will begin at 8:45 p.m. EST. Practice sessions and qualifying will take place on Saturday but will not be televised.
David Starr Pocono Raceway Recap
David Starr
No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra
Pocono Raceway – Pocono Mountains 125
July 31, 2010
David Starr and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota team brought their Tundra home in the 13th position after a hard-fought battle at Pocono Raceway on Saturday afternoon. The 125-mile event was the inaugural race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Pennsylvania track and also marked Starr’s debut at the “Tricky Triangle.”
Starr kept the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra in the top-11 throughout both practice sessions on Friday while the team worked through a variety of options to determined which setup would benefit them the most in Saturday’s 50-lap race.
As a result of his fast practice speeds, Starr went out late in the pack for his qualifying attempt on Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra laid down a lap of 57.048 seconds which stuck for the 15th starting position.
Starr maintained his track position throughout the opening laps of the race despite struggling with a truck that was free in the center & tight off the exit. The team serviced the No. 81 Toyota Tundra with four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment during the second caution period on lap 27. Crew chief Doug Wolcott hoped the changed would help their truck travel through Pocono Raceway’s three unique turns.
Just laps later, another caution flag was displayed around the 2.5-mile tri-oval. Starr’s Toyota Tundra was extremely tight handling through turn two and the middle of turn three. Since the team had tires to spare, Wolcott called for four more tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment changing their strategy to a two-stop race.
Starr restarted the event in the 20th position, but within just 10 laps he had picked up enough positions to move back inside the top-10. By the first attempt at a green-white-checker finish, Starr was racing just outside the top-five and looked poised to finish near the front. During the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, Starr was forced up into the marbles when another competitor ran him high around a turn leaving him to fall through the field. Without another restart to pick up more positions, Starr crossed this finish line in 13th.
Starr remains ninth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver points.
“The No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team did a great job today,” said David Starr. “Our truck wasn’t very good when the race started, but Doug Wolcott and the crew made a couple of adjustments that made our Zachry Toyota Tundra come alive. With just a couple laps left, I was running eighth when I got forced up in the marbles and lost about 10 spots. We fought back to finish 13th, but I’m very disappointed because I know our truck was better than that. It’s frustrating for the guys who work on the trucks and everybody on our team. I am happy with the hard work that everyone puts in week after week. If we could get a little good luck on our side, I believe we would be finishing near the front every week.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Nashville Superspeedway for another night of racing action under the lights in the music city. The Nashville 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 7. Coverage on Sirius XM Radio and MRN Radio will begin at 8:45 p.m. EST. Practice sessions and qualifying will take place on Saturday but will not be televised.
No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra
Pocono Raceway – Pocono Mountains 125
July 31, 2010
David Starr and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota team brought their Tundra home in the 13th position after a hard-fought battle at Pocono Raceway on Saturday afternoon. The 125-mile event was the inaugural race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Pennsylvania track and also marked Starr’s debut at the “Tricky Triangle.”
Starr kept the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra in the top-11 throughout both practice sessions on Friday while the team worked through a variety of options to determined which setup would benefit them the most in Saturday’s 50-lap race.
As a result of his fast practice speeds, Starr went out late in the pack for his qualifying attempt on Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra laid down a lap of 57.048 seconds which stuck for the 15th starting position.
Starr maintained his track position throughout the opening laps of the race despite struggling with a truck that was free in the center & tight off the exit. The team serviced the No. 81 Toyota Tundra with four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment during the second caution period on lap 27. Crew chief Doug Wolcott hoped the changed would help their truck travel through Pocono Raceway’s three unique turns.
Just laps later, another caution flag was displayed around the 2.5-mile tri-oval. Starr’s Toyota Tundra was extremely tight handling through turn two and the middle of turn three. Since the team had tires to spare, Wolcott called for four more tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment changing their strategy to a two-stop race.
Starr restarted the event in the 20th position, but within just 10 laps he had picked up enough positions to move back inside the top-10. By the first attempt at a green-white-checker finish, Starr was racing just outside the top-five and looked poised to finish near the front. During the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, Starr was forced up into the marbles when another competitor ran him high around a turn leaving him to fall through the field. Without another restart to pick up more positions, Starr crossed this finish line in 13th.
Starr remains ninth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver points.
“The No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team did a great job today,” said David Starr. “Our truck wasn’t very good when the race started, but Doug Wolcott and the crew made a couple of adjustments that made our Zachry Toyota Tundra come alive. With just a couple laps left, I was running eighth when I got forced up in the marbles and lost about 10 spots. We fought back to finish 13th, but I’m very disappointed because I know our truck was better than that. It’s frustrating for the guys who work on the trucks and everybody on our team. I am happy with the hard work that everyone puts in week after week. If we could get a little good luck on our side, I believe we would be finishing near the front every week.”
Next weekend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Nashville Superspeedway for another night of racing action under the lights in the music city. The Nashville 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 7. Coverage on Sirius XM Radio and MRN Radio will begin at 8:45 p.m. EST. Practice sessions and qualifying will take place on Saturday but will not be televised.
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