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Skinner develops sense of urgency

By JOANNE KORTH

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 16, 2001

Mike Skinner, sidelined more than four weeks ago by a fractured left ankle and injured knee, will be behind the wheel of the No. 31 Chevrolet this weekend at Michigan.

Who needs an ACL?

Skinner had a pin surgically inserted in his ankle and is getting by without the use of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, which snapped when he cut a right-front tire and crashed into the wall July 15 at Chicagoland Speedway. Surgery would repair the ACL, but Skinner would rather drive a race car.

"I don't think we can do any more damage than what's there," Skinner said. "The ACL is totally gone. There is nothing there at all. The knee needs an ACL surgery, but we don't have the time to do that."

Surgery would require nearly six months of rehabilitation and, by then, Skinner's job with Richard Childress Racing likely would be gone. As it is, his future is precarious.

Skinner, in his fifth season, has not won a race and posted just one top-10 finish in the first 18 races this season before the crash. His contract runs through next season, but Childress has made it clear he is unhappy with the team's performance.

Also, the team's primary sponsor, Lowe's Home Improvement, is looking to match the success of Home Depot driver Tony Stewart. Childress' contract with Lowe's also runs through next season.

Most assumed Robby Gordon's four-race stint as a replacement driver was an audition for 2002, but after finishes of 25th, 28th, 30th and 40th, Gordon apparently is not the answer. If he were, why bring back Skinner at all?

Skinner delivered better results in Childress' No. 21 Busch Grand National car, with six top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 10 races this season. But he could only watch as substitute driver Jeff Purvis won July 28 at Pikes Peak.

"The bad part is watching my car go around there and knowing how good we had been running," said Skinner, the 1997 Winston Cup rookie of the year. "I'm pushing it as fast as I can." Childress has several issues to sort out for next season. Of his five teams -- the No. 29, No. 30 and No. 31 Winston Cup cars and No. 2 and No. 21 BGN cars -- only two driving assignments are certain: rising star Kevin Harvick in the No. 29 and Jeff Green in the No. 30, a new entry. Childress said he hopes to have the rest sorted out by Sept. 1.

MILESTONE IS A PEBBLE: Kyle Petty's next Winston Cup start will be the 600th of his career, but the popular driver is not overwhelmed with ranking 13th on the all-time list.

"Starting that many races, well, I grew up in a house with a guy who started some 1,500 races," said Petty, whose father, Richard, made 1,177 Winston Cup starts. "So, 600 sure doesn't impress him. If I had won 599 races, yeah, this would be a really big deal."

KEEPING HIS WEEKEND JOB: Winston Cup driver Mark Martin recently served as a celebrity panelist on ESPN's 2-Minute Drill, reading trivia questions to contestants.

"I'm glad I don't have to make my living by going on game shows as a contestant, or my family would probably starve to death," Martin said. "I wasn't entirely sure how to pronounce some of the names in the second round, let alone answer questions about them."

The show, which also featured former NBA player Kurt Rambis, relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley and Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1.

- Information from other news organization was used in this report.

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