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| Skinner, No. 5 Toyota Post Race Report: Homestead
11-21-2006 | TruckSeries.com Report
Mike Skinner lined up on the front row for the start of the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway after earning his eighth pole position of season. Things were going well for the team early in the event, but while battling for the lead with David Reutimann, Skinner lost control of his Toyota Tundra and made contact with the wall. The damage was too great to repair and the team was credited with a 35th-place finish. After posting the third fastest time in the final practice session Friday afternoon, Skinner was the 16th of 37 competitors to make his qualifying run that evening. Skinner proved his practice speeds were no fluke by posting a lap of 171.865 mph around the 1.5-mile oval, which earned him and his Bill Davis Racing team the pole position for the event. The green flag waved for the start of the race, and though he communicated to crew chief Jeff Hensley that the handling of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra was a little loose, Skinner held the lead until he was passed by David Reutimann on lap 11 of the 134-lap event. Not one to back down, Skinner did his best to get that top spot back and raced side-by-side with Reutimann for several laps. Unfortunately, while coming out of the fourth turn on lap 14, Skinner lost control of his Tundra and made heavy impact with the inside wall. Skinner drove the badly damaged truck to the attention of his awaiting crew in the garage area. It didn't take long for Hensley and the team to determine that the damage was too extensive to repair. The team's night ended early, and Skinner was credited with a 35th-place finish. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wrapped up its season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Skinner's efforts resulted in an 11th-place finish in the owners' point standings and a 10th place finish in the Championship standings.
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