Bang Racing announced today NASCAR Champion Mike Skinner will drive the #3 truck in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the 2004 through 2006 seasons. Mike [Skinner] is a driver we know has the ability and the drive to win the championship for Bang Racing, said Larry McReynolds, renowned NASCAR crew chief, FOX Sports analyst and most recently chief racing architect for Bang Racing. He was deliberately hand-picked to be the winning edge, and we are anticipating a lot of action and excitement when Mike is on the track.
Bang Racing is a subsidiary of Bang LLC, a global operating company that creates long term value by focusing on building and acquiring motorsports related companies and technology-related assets. On October 13, Bang’s founder and CEO Alex Meshkin said, Bang Racing is excited about the opportunity of fielding two trucks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. . . We are expecting the [Truck] Series to be very competitive next season and in anticipation of that, we have selected Mike Skinner as one of our drivers.
Driving for Bang Racing was a great opportunity for me to get hooked up again with Larry McReynolds, said Skinner, who is not new to the Truck Series, having won the 1995 Championship. With Alexs business savvy, he will give us what we need to run up front, and with people like Larry and Crew Chief Rick [Ren] on the competition side, I feel like we can win a lot of races and contend for the championship.
Bang Racing has brought together a history of success. The relationship between Mike [Skinner] and Larry [McReynolds] dates back to Skinners best runs in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The #3, made famous in the truck series when Skinner won his championship, returns as part of the winning package and glory as Skinner, McReynolds and the #3 are reunited in 2004 to recreate the excitement and drama of history in the making. The #3 is a very powerful number and evokes a lot of emotion for everyone, said McReynolds. We are honored to have the opportunity to place the #3 back onto the racetrack, and I feel strongly that every NASCAR fan will cheer when the #3 returns to the winners circle.
At Bang, I have the power to surround myself with a great package of talent, and if we have good people working with us, it will better our chances of running up front, Skinner said. My whole motivation in working with Bang is to run up front and contend for a championship, and I didnt feel like those opportunities were available to me in Winston Cup.
According to Meshkin, Our integrated marketing vehicle gives sponsors direct interaction with fans and the ability to measure, modify and manage their marketing messages. This lets our sponsors leap frog over their competitors, not to mention energizing their fans. But we also mean to win on the field, by bringing the right combination of talent, chemistry, and the old fashioned drive to win. That’s why we chose Mike as one of our drivers and we chose Rick Ren as the Team Manager and Crew Chief. You might say our goal is to win the minds of sponsors and the heart of the fans that make it all possible.
This is an incredible opportunity for me, said Rick [Ren], Skinners Crew Chief. I believe being involved with Alex and Larry is the first step to winning a championship. This is a dream of mine winning a championship has eluded me several times but now I believe its going to happen. I have been involved with winning my whole career and won’t settle for anything less than a total effort from everyone involved to try and win every race.
Mike is loyal and dedicated and proven, and we expect to be with him in the winners circle to congratulate him on his achievements, McReynolds said. With Rick’s experience and knowledge, we have a premiere, winning team.(Mike Skinner Site, see below for more on Bang Racing, the team is widely rumored to running Toyota.(10-16-2003)
