Mike Skinner | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Phoenix International Speedway
Last Event – Daytona international Speedway: After an unfortunate turn of events at Daytona International Speedway, Mike Skinner missed the race at the famed 2.5-mile speedway. A string of problems started on the first day of Wednesday for the No. 45 Cushman / Paytas Homes Toyota Tundra when the starter shorted out and caused problems throughout the entire truck, including a minor fire. The team worked hard to restore the damage to the Tundra but struggled to find speed during the final practice. Troubles continued for the team when the No. 45 did not have a fast enough time to qualify for the event. Although Skinner is a past NCWTS champion (1995), a glitch in the paperwork disqualified the usage of the past-champion provisional, as Skinner was a last-minute addition to the team.
Double-Duty: Skinner will be busy this weekend at PIR, competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) events. Piloting the No. 45 Cushman / Paytas Homes Toyota Tundra in the NCWTS, Skinner will attempt to make his 230th NCWTS race. In the NSCS on Sunday, Skinner will debut with the new team, FAS Lane Racing, in the No. 32 NSCS Ford. The event at PIR will be Skinner’s 262nd NSCS event in his career.
Success in the Grand Canyon State: Skinner is a seasoned veteran at the one-mile Avondale, Ariz., track. In the NCWTS, Skinner has 11 starts, two wins, six top-fives and 10 top-10s. In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Skinner has two starts, with one top-five finish. He also has eight starts in the NSCS at the one-mile oval.
Cushman On Board: The No. 45 Toyota Tundra will once again have Cushman on board as a sponsor. Cushman vehicles are used worldwide to transport personnel, materials and equipment at manufacturing facilities, warehouses, resorts, and other commercial and industrial facilities. Cushman brand and product lines are owned by Textron, a global multi-industry company based in Providence, R.I. Cushman is a sister brand to such powerful brands as Cessna, Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Greenlee and Jacobsen. 2011 marks Cushman’s 110thanniversary.
Paytas Homes Partnership: The No. 45 Toyota Tundra added a new partner in Paytas Homes at the event at DIS. The Florida-based organization will be on the truck again at PIR this weekend. Since 1970, Paytas Homes has enjoyed an excellent reputation for New Homes Construction in some of the areas finest new communities including Daytona Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast, Fla. Our New Home Designs and Home Improvement concepts contain some of the latest features by listening to our customers and homeowners. By acting as New Home Designers as well as Builders, Developers and Real Estate Specialists allows Paytas Homes to coordinate the finest possible New Home Package at competitive pricing. For more information, please visit www.paytashomes.com.
Tune In: The Lucas Oil 150 can be seen live on SPEED at 6 pm MST (8 pm ET) on Friday, February 25, 2011. The race can also be heard live on MRN with coverage beginning at 5:45 pm MST (7:45pm ET) and on SIRIUS XM Radio, channel 128.
Follow the Action: Be sure to follow all the action on and off the track this weekend at www.facebook.com/TeamESR and www.twitter.com/TeamESR.
Skinner on going to Phoenix International Raceway
“If you look back in history, you can tell that I must like Phoenix International Raceway, or the track certainly likes me. I’ve had a ton of success there and have run well in all three divisions. I’ve had some victories in the NCWTS at PIR, and I love Phoenix and I cannot wait to get back. Last week at Daytona International Speedway was tough, but we are going to come back with the Eddie Sharp Racing team and honor our commitments to Cushman, Paytas Homes and Toyota. I think that we all learned a lot, and we are ready to go out to Arizona.”
