Mike Skinner recorded his 50th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) pole Friday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway. He will make his 200th NCWTS start Saturday at the half-mile speedway.
MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 PC Miler Navigator Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Starting Position: 1st
What does it mean to have your 200th Truck Series start at Martinsville? "I ran my very first Sprint Cup race here at Martinsville. I won a big Late Model race up here. I have a lot of great memories up here. It's kind of cool that it worked out that our 200th start will end up at Martinsville. I love this place. It's definitely a top-five race track that I love to race on."
Do you think this truck is capable of winning Saturday's race? "I think the truck is good. Us and (Kevin) Harvick, and four or five other guys that are really, really good. If we have a good pit stop and nothing crazy happens to us, I think we have a chance. I think we have a good chance to win."
Were you happy with your qualifying run? "I really felt like I did not get the truck in the corner as good as I had done earlier and I really didn't expect it to hold up but it did. The truck is really, really awesome. It's really awesome in race trim. It's the Iowa truck that we ran at Iowa. PC Miler Navigator is on board with us again this weekend and it's kind of a milestone for us. The 200th start deal is really no big deal. We left the series in 1997 and never came back until 2004. We ran a race here and there. I don't regret going and running in the Sprint Cup Series all of those years. I had a lot of fun and had some success but I sure loving these trucks and I love running this Toyota truck."
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Starting Position: 4th
BRIAN SCOTT, No. 16 Albertsons Toyota Tundra, Xpress Motorsports Starting Position: 5th
How was your qualifying lap? "It's rough going first, and I'm on a streak here. In the spring, I had to qualify first as well. It's definitely not an advantage to have to go that early, but I felt like we put together a pretty decent run considering. Jeff Hensley and the guys really did an awesome job and I hope I can get a win for Toyota and get them closer to clinching that manufacturer's championship."
STACY COMPTON, No. 60 SafeAuto Insurance/Melling Engine Parts Toyota Tundra, Wyler Racing Starting Position: 6th
Are you happy with your qualifying effort? "I was pleased with it. This SafeAuto/Melling Toyota was good in practice. The best it drove. When I ran a lap, I asked how it was and I didn't know what to expect. The truck has been good since we got here. This place has always been so good to us. It's sort of a home town race for me. This one means a lot to come up here and run good. I'm pretty excited about the race."
TODD BODINE, No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Starting Position: 8th
How is your truck and how do you think weather might affect the race? "We're okay. We're not stellar by any means, just okay. It is what it is. We got what we got. If we have to race after the Cup cars, the track is going to be really rubbered up and slick. The best balanced truck will be at the front."
TAYLER MALSAM, No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Starting Position: 10th
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 1 Strutmasters Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Starting Position: 11th
How was your truck in practice and qualifying? "In race trim, we have a really good Strutmasters.com Toyota. In qualifying trim, we thought we had it there but we missed it. It's frustrating because obviously track position means the world here. We'll take what we got and hopefully at the checkered flag tomorrow, we'll be number one."
What does this race mean to you growing up so close to Martinsville? "This race means the world to me, just because it's 20 minutes from home and I have had a lot of success up here. I'm just frustrated a little bit because we should've been better than that. I knew we were better than that. But, they don't pay anything to start, it's where you finish. We'll be okay tomorrow."
DAVID STARR, No. 24 Zachry Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Starting Position: 13th
TERRY COOK, No. 25 Cajun Industries Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Starting Position: 14th
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 15 Graceway Pharmaceuticals/AKawareness.com Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Starting Position: 15th
PEYTON SELLERS, No. 17 Danville Ready Mix/SFP Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Starting Position: 16th
MAX PAPIS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Starting Position: 18th
T.J. BELL, No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Starting Position: 21st
