Racetrack Insider - News and Views of the Motorsports Industry from Insiders Drew Patey and Buddy Judy

Skinner Steals Truck Race at Gateway

Mike Skinner was presented the trophy at the Camping World Truck Series race Saturday after a wild green-white-checkered finish at Gateway International Raceway. The wild end to the race was set up with a series of restarts after everyone seemed to want to hit each other and take them out of the race. Here is how the last 10 laps went: On the restart with 10 to go, Matt Crafton, who was running third, dove inside of Todd Bodine, who restarted second behind Ron Hornaday. As they approached Turn 1, Bodine's Toyota came down the track and made contact with Crafton. Bodine spun down onto the pit lane exit and went across the track, hit the outside wall and made contact with Colin Braun and Rick Crawford. The race was red-flagged by NASCAR so the safety crews could clean up the mess. On the next restart, Crafton lined up second behind Ron Hornaday. When Hornaday turned into the first corner, Crafton was inside him and hit the Safety-Kleen decal on the left rear of Hornaday's Chevrolet. Hornaday backed into the outside wall and took out the other Safety-Kleen decal on the other side of the car and then Hornaday got tagged by Jason Young which destroyed the Truck. The race was again red-flagged, with Crafton in front. But NASCAR reviewed the tape and black-flagged Crafton for aggressive driving, giving the lead to Skinner. Johnny Sauter moved up to second and Brian Scott to third. Crafton was forced to restart at the back of the field, the 11th and final truck on the lead lap. Skinner held off Sauter on the green-white-checkered finish and won by .285 seconds. It was the second win in a row for the Safety-Kleen driver. Crafton, however, didn't give up and clawed his way back to finish 6th with Hornaday finishing in 17th. Hornaday has a 197-point lead over Crafton in the point standings with seven races remaining. Skinner is third, 213 back. A wild finish to a wild race. Now off to Loudon, NH for next Saturday's battle. The crew from the Caseyville branch were on hand for the Truck War this weekend and did a great job of flying the Safety-Kleen flag.