Skinner wrecks at Kansas UPDATE 2: #4-Mike Skinner was involved in a crash at Kansas Speedway during tesiting Wednesday. Hearing a right front tire blew out on the #4 Kodak Chevy. Heavy impact with the wall caused the car to become engulfed in flames. Skinner was treated at the infield care center and then taken to a local Medical Center in Kansas City for further tests and evaluation and was released Wednesday evening.(9-12-2002) UPDATE: PRN’s Garage Pass talked with Mike Skinner just a little bit after seeing one of several doctors Thursday. He was scheduled to see his doctor in Florida Thursday night about his right knee which was injured in the crash. It’s the same knee he had operated on this time last year. He’s says he pretty banged up, but he will be in New Hampshire to practice on Friday to see how he feels. Depending on that he may ask Larry McClure [#4 car owner] to find a sub for him. The quotes: “I’m gonna be okay…I’m just beat up a little bit and my face is burned a little bit. I’m gonna try it (practice) tomorrow (Friday) and see how it goes. If I don’t feel like can give them (the team) 100% and if I feel like I’m jeopardizing myself then I’ll have them put somebody else in it.” Skinner thinks the Kansas Speedway testing accident knocked the fuel pump off and knocked the firewall out of the car and blew fire up in the car. He says, “I don’t remember, but I guess it was a pretty big fire.” The Kodak Chevy driver says his safety equipment did “a great job”.(PRN’s Garage Pass Radio show)(9-13-2002) UPDATE 2: Mike Skinner, driver of the #4 Kodak Max Film Monte Carlo, qualified fifth for the New Hampshire 300 following a horrific crash at Kansas Speedway: “We were a little timid after our crash the other day (testing at Kansas Speedway) and I think we were second fastest the second time we went out. We got off on the chassis a little bit and lost the car some and then toward the end of the practice, we started getting it better and better. They’re making some changes on the car, but we’re really satisfied with the car right now. We’re just trying to figure out this front-end stuff with the softer springs and all that we’re running. We’re excited. We feel like we still could contribute to the Monte Carlo camp before we go to Pontiac next year. I’d like to go out with a bang for them. I’m sore. I’m beat up a little bit. I thought about not driving. And then I decided to try it for a couple of laps. If I didn’t feel right, we’d just get somebody else. But I felt okay and we started working on the car and the next thing I knew, practice was over.. Then I went out and qualified. We’ll just see how it goes. Happy Hour will tell the tale tomorrow. I will know after the completion of it if we need someone to standby for the race Sunday. Heck, I told Chris Carrier (crew chief) that we might just suit him up and send him out in the car.”(GM PR)(9-14-2002) AND after Happy Hour: “Considering what I’ve been through this week, I’m feeling pretty good. I’m a little short on energy. It’s like when you’re trying to shake the flu. You get up in the morning and you feel fine, but you run out of energy real quick. I think I’ll be stronger by (Sunday). “I’m not going to give up. I think I’ll be fine in the car. I’m going to get a lot of rest (Saturday night) and that should help. Right now the plan is for me to drive the car the entire race.”(GM PR)(9-14-2002)
