Richard Childress Racing (RCR) named Mike Skinner as the driver for its BGN #21 Rockwell Automation team this weekend at Texas while fulltime driver Mike Dillon recuperates from injuries sustained from a March 24 crash at Bristol. “Mike (Dillon) took a hard lick at Bristol so he’s pretty sore and stiff,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing Enterprises, Inc. “He also took a hard lick a couple of weeks ago testing in Nashville. Everyone knows racing at Texas Motor Speedway can be very tough. So, to do what’s best for our team and for Rockwell Automation, we’ve asked Skinner to step in for now to get the job done.” Skinner, the fulltime driver for the RCR #31 Lowe’s team in Cup, has earned one win (3/13/99 at Atlanta Motor Speedway), two poles, and two top-five and five top-10 finishes in 28 BGN starts since 1987. “Mike Dillon has been a part of the Rockwell Automation family for four years now and, more than anything, we want him to be 100 percent healthy,” said Ryan Kurek, NASCAR/sports marketing manager for Rockwell Automation. “We are excited that Mike Skinner has volunteered to help the Rockwell Automation Racing team during this situation. We know it means a lot to Dillon and the No. 21 team to have a RCR driver in the seat at Texas, and believe that this is the best solution for everyone involved.” None of Dillon’s injuries were serious and a CT scan proved negative. His status will be reevaluated after this weekend.(RCR PR)(3-27-2001)
