Mike Skinner – Toyota Tundra Racing Post Race Report
Race: Built Ford Tough 225 (Race 13 of 25) - Track: Kentucky Speedway
Date: Saturday, July 14, 2007 - Started: Fourth - Finished: First - Laps Completed: 150 
Total Laps: 150 - NCTS Points: First

Having never captured a pole or a victory at Kentucky Speedway, Mike Skinner and his No. 5 Toyota Tundra team were hoping to change those statistics after the race this weekend.

The truck ran well during the first practice session Friday, so Skinner and his team made only minor adjustments to their Tundra before the final practice session. Skinner practiced his qualifying run during the final practice and finished with the third-fastest truck on the track.

Skinner was the second-to-last driver to qualify on Saturday afternoon. He ran a great lap of 31.229 seconds, which was only .007 seconds slower than the pole winner’s time. Skinner would start Saturday night’s race in the fourth position, his highest start at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Skinner began his charge to the front immediately after the green flag waved to start the race. He took the lead on lap three, setting a new NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record in the process, as he has led a lap in 13 consecutive races this year. By lap 28, Skinner had begun pulling away from the field and held a four-second lead over the second place truck.

He retained the lead until the caution flag waved on lap 51. He came down pit road on lap 52 for four tires and fuel, no adjustments. Skinner began his dominant surge again after restarting in the lead on lap 59.

Skinner had led all but six laps when the caution flag waved again on lap 96. Skinner dove down pit road for his last stop of the night. He restarted fourth after another four-tire stop.

Skinner wasted no time showing how good his Tundra was, as he recaptured the lead on lap 105. He dominated the remainder of the race and won by 5.57 seconds over second-place driver Travis Kvapil. This was Skinner’s fourth win of the year and his first at Kentucky.

Skinner continues to lead the Craftsman Truck Series Championship standings by 164 points over Ron Hornaday Jr., as the series heads to O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis in two weeks. The race will be televised on SPEED Friday, July 27.