Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) downplayed his status as favorite in the 2007 championship chase following last month’s victory in Atlanta. Now, there’s no hiding the fact that Skinner has established himself as the driver to beat as teams head into a four-week break in the schedule. Skinner became a two-time winner at Martinsville Speedway on March 31, posted his 22nd career victory and ran his victory streak to three. He became the first series driver to own a pair of three-win streaks matching his 1996 performance. Oh, and the 49-year-old driver led a whopping 246 of 253 laps at the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway. That’s the most any driver has led in a single race, erasing Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 AER HR Solutions Chevy) from the record book. Hornaday’s record, 225 laps, had stood since the Californian led wire-to-wire at the old Louisville Motor Speedway on July 12, 1997. Skinner, who earlier set a Martinsville Speedway qualifying record of 95.985 mph, matched Jack Sprague’s series mark of eight races won from the Budweiser Pole.
A female driver will be part of a Craftsman Truck Series entry for the sixth consecutive season when Kelly Sutton (#51 Team Copaxone Chevy) suits up at Kansas Speedway for the first of four races on April 28. Sutton has the most starts, 51, and largest winnings, $442,882, by any of eight females competing in the series.
News & Notes: Part II:
Bill Davis Racing En FuegoSince Johnny Benson (#23 360 OTC Toyota) won at Michigan in June 2006, a Bill Davis-entered truck has scored a top-10 finish in 16 of 18 races with a .500 winning percentage. Raybestos Rookie Fike Cracks Top 10For the first time in a year – following the April 1, 2006 Kroger 250 – a Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate has moved into the top 10 of the championship standings. Aaron Fike (#1 Red Horse Racing Toyota) is 10th after finishing seventh at Martinsville. The last freshman to grace the elite 10 was 2006 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Erik Darnell (#99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford).
Musgrave lurking Later this month, Ted Musgrave (#9 Team ASE/Germain Toyota) hopes not to celebrate a dubious anniversary. It’s been two years (Gateway, April 30, 2005) since that year’s champion last visited Victory Lane. Musgrave, 51, is getting closer, posting his second top five and fourth top 10 of the season at Martinsville. The last series victory by a driver over the age of 50? That would be Joe Ruttman’s May 20, 2001 triumph at Pikes Peak International Raceway when he was age 56 years six months. And Speaking Of Ruttman Now 62, he returns to the series to drive Bobby Hamilton Racing’s #18 Fastenal Dodge at Kansas.
On the right track:
Starting spots; bonuses shift to ’07 points. The 2007 season “officially” begins at Kansas Speedway when starting positions and bonus monies shift to current Truck Owner Championship Points. The top 30 eligible owners, following the March 31 Kroger 250, are guaranteed a starting position among the top 35. Owners ranking among the top 30 in 2007 standings also qualify for participation in a pair of bonus plans worth $42,500. Racing their way into the top 30 for Kansas are the teams of Curtis Key (#40), Dave Malcolmson (#8) and J.L. Pennington (#7). Eligible in 2006 – but having to make the Kansas lineup via speed- are Gene Christensen (#07) and David Dollar (#46). The top 30 “resets” following each event.
Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Standings:
Two Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates – Aaron Fike (seventh) and Tyler Walker (eighth) – finished among the top 10 in the Kroger 250. That’s a first in 2007. Point standings following Martinsville; Aaron Fike 45; Joey Clanton 35; Willie Allen 32; Kelly Bires 31; Blake Bjorklund 31; Tim Sauter 28; Casey Kingsland 5; Jason White 4; Brian Sockwell 1.
This Week’s Craftsman Truck Series Leaders: (through 4 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader – Mike Skinner (745)
Driver Rating – Mike Skinner (134.4)
Winnings – Mike Skinner ($209,850)
Laps led – Mike Skinner (365)
Victories – Mike Skinner (3)
Budweiser Poles – Mike Skinner (2)
Top-five finishes – Mike Skinner (4)
Top-10 finishes – 4 drivers with 4
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Aaron Fike (10 over Joey Clanton)
Races led – Mike Skinner (4)
Weeks in Top 10 – 9 drivers tied with 4
In the Loop:
When Mike Skinner wins, he makes it count. A look at past performances proves that Skinner’s not content with merely winning. He wants to dominate. Really, all the proof you need was in Saturday’s stunning win in the Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Skinner earned a maximum Driver Rating of 150.0 and had an uncanny Average Running Position of 1.087. Also, Skinner’s #5 Toyota Tundra had the highest number of Fastest Laps Run with 79 (Kevin Harvick was second with 21). He had some of the fastest speed figures in the field as well. He was the Fastest on the Frontstretch, Backstretch, Turn 1 and Turn 3. Skinner also had the field’s Fastest Green Flag Speed. Saturday’s performance was not the first time Skinner showed such brilliance. It wasn’t even the second time. This was the third race in which Skinner scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0. The first time he did it was at Bristol on August 24, 2005. The second was last year at Las Vegas on Sept. 23. At Bristol, Skinner had an Average Running Position of 1.125. At Vegas, it was 1.548.
Toyota Halfway To Matching Manufacturer Record:
Toyota won for the third time in a row at Martinsville Speedway and the fourth race of the 2007 season. The truck maker is halfway to the series mark of eight straight wins that Chevy recorded to start the 1995 season. Three different teams – Red Horse Racing, Wyler Racing and Bill Davis Racing – have scored Martinsville victories with BDR’s #5 Tundra the latest to grace Victory Lane.
Manufacturers’ Championship Standings:
Toyota, 36
Chevy, 20
Ford, 20
Dodge, 12(NASCAR PR)(4-2-2007)
