MIKE  SKINNER   -   06/28/1957

an American stock car racing driver, who competed part time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series.  Skinner began racing at Susanville Speedway in the 1970s in a Plymouth Road Runner at various California dirt tracks, winning three championships.  He soon moved to North Carolina and worked as a crew member for Rusty Wallace and at Petty Enterprises.  Skinner was selected by Richard Childress Racing to drive the #3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet S-10 for the first Camping World Truck Series season.  He won the first race in the series, and collected 7 more victories en route to winning the first championship in series history.  In the 1997 NASCAR Cup season, Skinner was promoted to full-time, driving the #31 with Lowe's sponsorship.  He won poles at both of the season's races at Daytona International Speedway, and had three Top 10 finishes.  Despite failing to qualify for one race and a 30th place points finish, he won the Rookie of the Year Award.  In 1999 he drove the #19 Yellow Freight Chevy; 

and won his only career Xfinity Series race at Atlanta after being disqualified for a rules infraction, before NASCAR overturned its decision.  Skinner signed on to drive the #4 Kodak Chevy for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in the 2002 NASCAR season.  He only had one top-ten finish and finished 31st in points at season's end.  He continued to struggle when the team switched to Pontiac in the 2003 NASCAR Cup season, and after failing to qualify for the Sirius 400, he was released.  He spent the majority of the rest of season running part-time in the NASCAR Truck Series.  He has saw most of his success since 2002 in the Truck Series.  Skinner raced the Inaugural season in NASCAR's Truck Series.  He posted 8 wins and claimed the 

1995 Truck Series Champ

1997-2001 Cup ride

Championship; but could only finish third in the points.  From 1997-2003 Skinner raced mostly in the Xfinity and Cup Series.  From 2004 through 2010 he campaigned full time back in the trucks, and claimed 12 checkered flags.  He finished second in the points in 2007, and third in 2009.  He made his last NASCAR start in any of the NASCAR division series in August of 2012.  It came at Michigan in the Cup series.  He would start 43rd and 

finish 39th after electrical issues.  For his career he made 286 Cup Series starts over 22 season.  He failed to win a race but did post 10 Top 5's with a best of second at Talladega.  In the Xfinity Series he made 52 starts with one win and eight Top 5's.  In the Truck series he won the Championship in 1995; finished second in points in 2007 and third in both 1996 and 2009.... all on the career strength of 20 Truck series wins and 90 Top 5's  Some info from Wikipedia.

1999 Xfinity Series

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