There are only three weeks until the NASCAR portion of Speed Weeks 2009 at Daytona International Speedway, and former Truck Series champion Mike Skinner is looking for a ride. Skinner has wheeled a Toyota for Bill Davis Racing since the end of the 2004 season. When Davis sold his team to Marty Gaunt and Mike Held last year, Skinner was told he had a job this season. “Two days before Christmas, I was told, ‘Everything was fine,’ ” Skinner said Wednesday. “New Year’s Day, they called me and said they weren’t racing.” Skinner’s job loss came to light during a media conference call with Lee White, who directs Toyota Racing Development, the car company’s racing arm. “There’s a lot of effort going on right now to find a seat for Mike Skinner,” White said. “Mike has been a great advocate for Toyota for four years. He’s done a lot of great work for us. He and (wife) Angie are loved within the company, and we’re working pretty hard with two or three other teams to find a quality seat in the Truck Series for him this year.” Skinner said he’s had discussions with several teams, including Randy Moss Motorsports. “What a great opportunity that would be,” he said. “It would be a great mix, you know, NASCAR and the NFL. “We haven’t gotten anything put together. I haven’t seen a contract yet. I’m sure we’ll get some help. I’ve only had five or six days to work on this.” Skinner said he was upset not only about losing his ride, but the way the situation was treated by Triad Racing Technologies, owned by Gaunt and Held. “I’ve never had a contract jerked from under me because people handled it wrong,” Skinner said. “I don’t want to bad mouth anybody, but this was not very professional. I’m just glad Toyota is still behind us and wants to help us.” Meanwhile, Skinner said he’s “99 percent” sure he has a ride for the Daytona 500, just a one-race deal. He’s not interested in returning to Sprint Cup as a full-time driver. “The Sprint Cup is fun, but I’m a racer, and I want to drive trucks,” he said.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-15-2009)
