It was as if Mike Skinner was holding a crystal ball after winning a record, fourth consecutive Budweiser Pole at Texas Motor Speedway - a track on which the 1995 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion never has won.

"I almost wish I was a little worse at qualifying and better (at) bringing it home," said Skinner, who eclipsed his own, year-old record with a lap of 183.206.

Sure enough, 27 hours later, there was Skinner on the doorstep of TMS' Victory Lane. Again, he was on the outside looking in, having been bested on the final lap by a resurgent Todd Bodine.

Pole winners haven't won at TMS since Bryan Reffner in the fall of 2001. Skinner has done everything but since winning his first pole at the track in October 2004. His finishes are 11th, fourth, second and second. He's completed all five starts on the lead lap and led every race for a track-high 367 laps - just not the last one.

Ironically, none of Skinner's 18 series wins have come on a track larger than one mile. All three of those - at Phoenix and Milwaukee - came in 1995, some 93 starts ago.

Skinner, ever optimistic, looks forward to the series' return to TMS in November.

"I love racing at Texas. I love the fans here," he said.

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Bodine says he's not about to squander any of his good luck playing the Lotto or visiting a casino. The championship leader, who heads Germain Racing partner Ted Musgrave by 115 points after nine races, got every break imaginable on Friday night - especially the final caution that erased Skinner's 4.5-second advantage.

The plain facts are, however, that Bodine is putting himself in position to win just about every week. He's riding a streak of 18 consecutive lead lap finishes dating to Aug. 13, 2005 at Nashville Superspeedway. Bodine also has finished 19 straight times.

Seven of his 10 victories have come on 1.5-mile tracks. He's won those 10 races in just 49 starts - one of four drivers to reach that number in fewer than 50 races. Skinner got there quickest in just 26 races.

"This team is awesome every week - great trucks and great pits - we have everything going now," said Bodine in post-victory remarks.

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David Starr will be making his 150th series start this week at Michigan. He'll be the 10th to reach that plateau.either Ted Musgrave nor Terry Cook reached career winnings marks in Texas. Cook needs a top-20 finish at Michigan International Speedway to hit $3 million while a top three puts Musgrave over the $4 million hurdle.

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Chad McCumbee had the ride of his brief NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career as a last-minute substitute in Green Light Racing's No. 08 Death Toll, The Movie Chevrolet. The 21-year-old driver, his No. 06 MRD Racing Chevrolet sidelined for financial reasons, wasn't supposed to drive in Texas but headed west after the seat in the Gene Christensen-Bobby Dotter truck opened.

When the dust settled McCumbee was ninth with his first top-10 finish. He also was the first-finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender.

Where the Supply, N.C. driver goes from here is unclear. He's not currently entered at Michigan.

Michel Jourdain Jr., meanwhile, had a successful series debut with Roush Racing, finishing 13th and on the lead lap. Jourdain becomes the 17th rookie registrant. Fourteen candidates took the green flag in Texas.  Despite finishing 35th, Erik Darnell continues to pace Raybestos standings.

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What's in a name? A lot hopes Jack Sprague, whose Wyler Racing sponsor Con-way Freight is backer of the Michigan race. Two years ago, Line-X held MIS's entitlement rights and its sponsored truck, driven by Travis Kvapil, produced Toyota's first series victory.

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Twenty-three different drivers have led a lap during the season's first nine races. Added to the list at Texas were Kerry Earnhardt, Terry Cook, Johnny Benson and McCumbee.