Mike Skinner Returns to IRP to Defend Perfect Cummins 200 Record
24 July 1997
"HE'S BAAAACK!" MIKE SKINNER WILL RETURN TO IRP TO DEFEND HIS PERFECT CUMMINS 200 RECORD When Mike Skinner moved up to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series to drive the Lowe's Home Improvement Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, everyone assumed that a new name would be added to the Indianapolis Raceway Park/Cummins 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner's list at the conclusion of the Thursday, July 31, 1997 race. So much for assumptions. Officials from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Corp. announced recently that Skinner will return to IRP and the NCTS to compete in the Cummins 200 presented by the Indiana Dodge Dealers on July 31, driving a KFC-sponsored truck owned by Dana Dorman. In the 1995 and 1996 NCTS races at IRP, Skinner was a force no one could reckon with. Driving for Richard Childress in the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet truck, Skinner won the pole and the race at both the 1995 Action Packed Cards 150 (the inaugural NASCAR truck race at IRP) and the 1996 Cummins 200. Even more impressive is that Skinner's laps-led record is perfect. Of the 350 officials race laps ran at IRP in the trucks, Skinner has led all of them. Skinner's track qualifying record at the .686-mile IRP oval, set last year, is a time and speed of 22.687 seconds, 108.855 mph. The appearance of the KFC truck at the Cummins 200 is part of a three-race sponsorship deal. KFC is sponsoring a NASCAR truck, Busch Grand National car and Winston Cup car at each of the three NASCAR events which will take place in Indianapolis July 31-August 2. Skinner will race for KFC in the Cummins 200 presented by the Indiana Dodge Dealers July 31, while Kenny Irwin, Jr., will run for Liberty Racing in the Friday, August 1, Kroger NASCAR 200 presented by Ziploc at IRP in the KFC NASCAR Busch Grand National Series car. Representing KFC in the August 2 Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be Rich Bickle in a Darrell Waltrip-owned Chevrolet Winston Cup car.
