SPARTA, Ky. –
NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series leader Mike
Skinner and his No. 5
Toyota Tundra led a
series track record 135
race laps at Kentucky
Speedway tonight in
front of 49,161 fans en
route to taking a 5.570-
second victory over
Travis Kvapil and the
No. 6 K&N Filters Ford
in the “Built Ford Tough
225 Presented by the
Greater Cincinnati Ford
Dealers.”
“I had dominant truck.
You always wait for
something to happen but
it didn’t,” Skinner
said. “We tried to slow
down, stay clean and run
a half second ahead of
the second-place truck.
It was perfect. We could
handle in the corner and
stay out in front and
that makes a driver’s
job easier. We’ve got
plenty of poles (seven),
but we needed a win. We
needed a Top 5 tonight
and we got it done.”
Skinner qualified fourth
and took the race lead
for the first time on
Lap 3. He would go on to
hold point for three
extended race segments.
He lost the lead briefly
during a pit stop that
followed the final
caution period of the
race on Lap 100, but
needed only five laps to
overtake the No. 30
Lumber Liquidators
Toyota of Todd Bodine in
the backstretch on Lap
105. Skinner reported
that his team made no
adjustments on his truck
throughout the night
outside of changing
tires and adding fuel.
“My spotter said to be
cautious and patient (on
the final restart)
because there was still
a long way to go,”
Skinner said. “I don’t
think the No. 30 had any
tires and I think we
might have been a little
better than them tonight
anyway; but Todd didn’t
try to hold us up a bit
and we’ll do the same
for him when the shoe is
on the other foot.”
Following the pass, the
1995 series champion set
his No. 5 on a rail and
led the closing 46 laps.
He sealed his fourth win
of the season and now
owns a total of 11
top-five and 13 top-10
finishes through 13
events this season. The
victory also helps
Skinner extend his lead
in the series standings
61 markers to 164 over
2006 Kentucky series
race winner Ron Hornaday,
Jr., who placed 10th
tonight with his 12th
top-10 finish of the
season.
“It’s awfully early and
we can’t let up,”
Skinner said. “We have
to keep racing. If we
continue to try to get
better, Toyota is going
to have a great
(championship) run.”
Kvapil, the 2003 series
champion, posted his
second straight top-five
finish following his
June 30 win at Memphis
Motorsports Park. He
maintained the fourth
position in the series
standings with his fifth
top-five and eighth
top-10 finish of the
season.
“I’m happy with second.
I’m disappointed in the
overall point battle
because the leader
kicked our tails,”
Kvapil said. “I knew my
only shot was on the
(last) restart because I
saw how strong Mike was
on the long runs. I was
able to get under him,
but couldn’t pull the
pass off. I tried to be
smooth and consistent to
protect second when I
knew I couldn’t catch
Mike.”
Ted Musgrave, the 2005
series title winner,
drove home third in his
No. 9 ASE Toyota, pole
award winner Ryan
Mathews finished fourth
in the No. 22 Bill Davis
Racing Toyota and
Kentucky native David
Green completed the Top
Five in his first series
start of the season in
the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse
Racing Toyota.
“It is frustrating to
see a truck drive away
like Mike’s did,”
Musgrave said. “It’s
almost like your heart
falls out; thinking to
yourself that there’s
nothing that you can do
to catch him. But you
can’t give up because
something like a flat
tire can change
everything. The team
gave me a top-five
truck, but I wish I
could’ve won one here.”
Kentucky Speedway will
close its 2007 season
with IndyCar and Indy
Pro Series action Aug.
10-11. The fifth 2007
event weekend begins
with “Radio Disney AM
680 Fanfest” featuring
series practice
sessions, a driver
autograph session and
family activities on
Friday. Saturday’s
“Meijer Indy 300
Presented by Coca-Cola
and Edy’s” will be
preceded by a prerace
concert with Radio
Disney favorites Jonas
Brothers and a full day
of family activities.
Tickets for both events
are available and can be
reserved online at
http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com,
by phone at
888-652-RACE, through
Tickets.com and
Tickets.com outlets
including area Meijer
stores and through
Kentucky Speedway ticket
offices located at 400
Buttermilk Pike, Suite
100 in Ft. Mitchell,
Ky., next to Montgomery
Inn or the track Fan
Center located off of
Interstate 71 Exit 57
and Ky. Hwy. 35 N in
Sparta, Ky.
