Few in the racing community knew what to expect when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series kicked off a decade ago at Phoenix International Raceway. But one thing was certain: Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) had his share of critics before the first green flag waved and through no fault of his own. I was running a black No. 3 truck with sponsorship from GM Goodwrench and the one thing that I do remember is that many people were upset that my truck looked just like Dale Earnhardts car and that was sacred ground, Skinner said. But it was Richards (Childress) number and sponsor and I had nothing to do with that. After (winning) the race in Phoenix and a few more races we established our own identity and that turned things around. A few wins is an understatement. Skinner captured eight victories en route to the 1995 championship and eight more the following year before Childress promoted the California native to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Ten years later, the wheel has spun full circle. This Fridays Florida Dodge Dealers 250 marks Skinners second season back in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His Bill Davis Racing-prepared Toyota ranks high among pre-season favorites to win the 2005 series title. Skinner finished 11th in 2004 standings with two Bud Poles, a second-place performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway and third place in laps led with 448. The 47-year-old veteran is optimistic the coming year will be much better. Im fired up for the season to start, Skinner said. We tested at Daytona in the draft and my Tundra was phenomenal. At times last year we had a dominant truck and with a little bit of luck we might have had several wins. Skinner has strong memories of the series inaugural race and his last lap, .09-second victory over two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Terry Labonte. Even though we had a valve spring break during qualifying and started sixteenth, I was running up front all day, he said. It really looked like Terry was going to win the race because he was running strong. He was a Cup driver and really ran well at Phoenix. Skinner raced his way to the lead at Lap 33, but gave the advantage back to Labonte after pitting for fresh tires late in the race. The strategy proved effective along with Skinners will. On the last lap, I drove into (Turn) three so hard that when I came off the corner I was completely sideways, Skinner said. For a second, I wasnt sure what was going to happen. But, I was able to get it straightened out and was able to pass Terry on the last corner. In my opinion, thats the best finish ever in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history. Skinner might get some argument on that count recalling, for example, the 2003 Daytona finish in which Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford), eventual series champion Travis Kvapil and Robert Pressley (No. 59 Melling Select Oil Pumps Dodge) swept side-by-side beneath the checkered flag. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of whats become Americas No. 3 racing series, SPEED Channel will count down the 25 most memorable NASCAR Craftsman Truck moments during each race broadcast beginning with Fridays Florida Dodge Dealers 250.
NEWS & NOTES, PART II
Truck racings second decade unfolds in Florida The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is 10 Years Tough and counting down to its 250th race later this spring at Dover International Speedway. The Florida Dodge Dealers 250 marks the 243rd event and ninth consecutive season in which the season-opening race has been held in the Sunshine State. The 2005 season is the first in which four former champions Skinner, Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet), Jack Sprague (No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) and Bobby Hamilton (No. 04 Lufkin Pro Series Dodge) have battled for the championship. Hamilton is the defending champion while Hornaday returns fulltime to the series for the first time since 1999.
Etc. Shige Hattori (No. 9 AISIN/AISIN AW Toyota) is bidding to become the first Japanese-born driver to compete in a NASCAR national touring series race at Daytona International Speedway. Hattori, a veteran open-wheel competitor, just missed qualifying for the 2004 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Only one Japanese driver has competed in a NASCAR-sanctioned race at Daytona: Seiichi Suzuki participated in a February 1970 Grand American race at the wheel of a Mercury Cougar fielded by Tiger Tom Pistone.
The Florida Dodge Dealers 250 will be the 100th series start for Ted Musgrave (No. 1 Mopar Dodge). Musgrave won the Bud Pole in 2002. While only two previous winners are expected to participate in this years race Pressley (2002) and Crawford (2003) the entry list includes 15 drivers who have won a combined 128 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races. Pressley is the only driver to have won his first series race at Daytona and one of three to win in his first start. The others are Skinner and Kasey Kahne. Pressley, who spent the 2003-04 seasons in the NASCAR Busch Series, holds the Daytona series average race speed record of 140.121 mph. Thats the 10th fastest average race speed in series history. This years Daytona race likely will be the first in which the previous seasons top three finishers wont compete. Carl Edwards, Kvapil and Mike Wallace, all NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regulars, arent entered. The youngest viewer of SPEED Channels Florida Dodge Dealers 250? Possibly Lydia Cathleen Craven, born to Cathleen and Ricky (#99 Superchips Ford) on Feb. 10, the couples third child.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Terry Cook still golden at Daytona Last years Florida Dodge Dealers 250 Bud Pole winner Terry Cook (No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford) remains the only driver to lead all five races at Daytona as well as finish among the top 10. Cook was fifth in 2004 with a best finish of fourth in the 2000 inaugural event.
Jimmy Spencer knows the way To Daytonas victory lane, that is. Spencer (No. 2 Mopar/Team ASE Dodge), won the tracks 1994 Pepsi 400, one of the Pennsylvania natives two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories. The Ultra Motorsports team is riding Kahnes two-race win streak from 2004 at Darlington and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jamie McMurray also scored for the No. 2 team at Martinsville Speedway last October.
10 YEARS TOUGH
Five drivers and four owners who participated in the series inaugural race are expected to compete in the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. The drivers are Hornaday, Skinner, Sprague, Johnny Benson (No. 23 Toyota Tundra Toyota) and Ken Schrader (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet). Owners who fielded an entry at Phoenix in 1995 are Schrader, Bob Keselowski, Jim Smith and Wayne Spears. Smith, one of the four off-road owners who brought the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series concept to NASCAR Vice Chairman Bill France, has entered at least one truck in every race. His Ultra Motorsports team has won 35 times second only to Roush Racings 36.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The seasons NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion has finished among the top five at Daytona just once Kvapils second-place effort in 2003. The worst Daytona finish in a drivers championship season? Bliss, after engine failure, finished 33rd in 2002 and left Florida 131 points behind winner Pressley. Bliss finished all 24 of the remaining races, logging 13 top-five finishes.
Fast Facts
What: Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Race 1 of 25).
Where: Daytona International Speedway.
When: 8:15 p.m. ET, Friday, Feb. 18.
Track layout: 2.5-mile high-banked paved.
Race length: 250 miles/100 laps.
Posted awards: $807,103.
TV: SPEED Channel, 8:15 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 winner: Carl Edwards.
2004 polesitter: Terry Cook.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Wednesday Practice 3:00 p.m. 4:25 p.m. Thursday Practice 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Qualifying 6:30 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(2-16-2005)
