07-25-2007 | TruckSeries.com Report
After 13 of 25 races, five Tundra drivers currently sit in the top-eight in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) championship point standings. Mike Skinner, following a win last time out at Kentucky Speedway, is the current points-leader. He is being chased by fellow Tundra drivers Todd Bodine (third), Johnny Benson (sixth), Jack Sprague (seventh) and Ted Musgrave (eighth) as the series begins the second half of the season this weekend at ORP. Tundras have won seven of 13 Craftsman Truck Series races this season, and have started from the pole in 11 of those events. Points-leader Mike Skinner has won four times (California, Atlanta, Martinsville and Kentucky), while Jack Sprague (Daytona), Todd Bodine (Texas) and Johnny Benson (Milwaukee) have one win each. Skinner has seven of Toyota's 11 poles (Atlanta, Martinsville, Kansas, Charlotte, Mansfield, Dover and Milwaukee), while Sprague (Daytona), Bodine (Texas), Brad Keselowski (Memphis) and Ryan Mathews (Kentucky) have each started from the front of the field once. Craftsman Truck Series points-leader Mike Skinner has been nearly unbeatable this season. The 1995 series champion has finished inside the top-eight in all 13 races, including four wins, 11 top- five finishes and seven poles. Skinner has also led 789 laps in NCTS competition this season, 425 more laps than the next closest driver (Ron Hornaday). The Daytona Beach, Fla.-driver has completed every lap of the season to-date. With his victory at Kentucky (July 14), Skinner became the second NCTS driver -- and sixth driver in NASCAR history -- to win a race after turning 50. Skinner, who celebrated his 50th birthday on June 28, joined Joe Ruttman as a 50-year-old NCTS race-winner. Other NASCAR drivers who have recorded race wins after their 50th birthday include Harry Gant (18 NBS wins), Bobby Allison (two NNCS wins), L.D. Ottinger (two NBS wins) and Dick Trickle (two NBS wins).