Skinner out for season

Elwood · September 25, 2001

I got this from Yahoo Sports. Looks like Robby Gordon is getting a head start on next season. I was still hoping, by some miracle, there was a chance he wouldn't drive for RCR next season, but now it seems inevitable.

" Skinner will miss rest of Winston Cup season

By MIKE HARRIS

AP Motorsports Writer

September 25, 2001

Mike Skinner's season is over. The NASCAR driver will undergo reconstructive knee surgery that will keep him out of a race car for the rest of 2001.

Skinner, who drives the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, will be replaced by Robby Gordon, who filled in for four races after Skinner was injured July 15 in a crash during the Winston Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Skinner had a concussion, a broken left ankle and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Surgery to repair the knee was initially put off to the end of the season, but Skinner aggravated the injury in a crash Sept. 8 in Richmond, Va.

The decision to operate ends Skinner's seven-year stint driving for Childress. It was announced last month that, despite one more year on his contract, Skinner would be released at the end of the season.

No date has been announced for the surgery.

``We are very sorry to see Mike leave before the season is over because we wanted to win a race with him and the Lowe's team,'' Childress said Tuesday. ``But he needs to go ahead and have his knee surgery so he can heal up and do a great job for whatever team he drives for next year.''

Skinner has driven for RCR since 1995, when he competed in the NASCAR truck series and won the inaugural championship. He had 16 wins and 15 pole positions in 44 truck races in 1995 and 1996.

Since winning rookie of the year in 1997, Skinner has earned a reputation as the best driver never to have won a Winston Cup race. He has five poles, 10 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes in 152 starts for Childress. His best career finish is second in Talladega, Ala., in April, 2000.

``We've had some really good times and accomplished a lot of things together at RCR, so I hate that my run with them has to end this way,'' Skinner said. ``But, in the event that I re-injured my knee during the last two months of the season, it would be a minimum of another four to six weeks before it could heal up enough for the doctors to operate.

``That would put me in a window where it would be next to impossible to be physically ready when testing starts next January in Daytona. I need to be at 100 percent so I can give a maximum effort to the team I'll be driving for next season.''

Gordon, fired from his ride with Morgan-McClure Racing after the first five races this season, ran twice in Jim Smith's No. 7 car, finishing a career-best second on the road course in Sonoma, Calif., then moved into the Childress car after Skinner was injured.

He finished 25th, 28th, 30th and 40th in his first four starts for RCR.

``I know Mike hates to get out of the car now, but if he has to have surgery to be ready for next season, I guess this is the best time to do it,'' said Gordon, who also drove for Skinner in the Busch series. ``I am very grateful to Richard for letting me fill in.''

Overall, the former Indy-car star has 56 Winston Cup starts since his NASCAR debut in 1991. "

September 25, 2001

I don't know which is worse, Skinner or R. Gordon. I can't believe that RCR couldn't do better.

Kansas Kid · September 26, 2001

Quote from Friz, posted on Sep. 25 2001,3:43

I don't know which is worse, Skinner or R. Gordon. I can't believe that RCR couldn't do better.

I guess I should look at it the same way my Dad is. We used to have just one driver at RCR to hate, now we will have two. Jeff Green and Robby Gordon.

I just hope RCR can fix wrecked cars in record time, because they will probably need to next year.

Elwood · September 26, 2001

LOL. I guess we can look at this way. We'll never have to worry about the other teams doing better and getting more money or attention from RCR. No way either of those two will ever do better than Harvick.

SILVERADOSS · September 29, 2001

This is Robby's last chance. If he dosn't make it work in the 31 then he sucks. Maybe that is why he is in the car now so they can make a change before the new season starts.

antig24 · September 29, 2001

i hope rcr puts kenny wallace in the 31 for next season

General Lee 01 · September 29, 2001

Quote from antig24, posted on Sep. 29 2001,09:22

i hope rcr puts kenny wallace in the 31 for next season

My thoughts exactly.

Both Kenny Wallace & Ron Hornaday would be good choices for the ride instead of Beavis and Butt.......Uh.....I mean Robby Gordon and Jeff Green.

Gordon: "HE HE HE HE, Hey Jeff, HE HE HE"

Green: "HUH HUH HUH, What? HUH HUH HUH"

Gordon: "HE HEHE HE, Do you think we'll ever score? HE HE HEHE HE" (A win that is)

Green: "I probably will, HUH HUHHUH, But not you. HUH HUH"

Gordon: "No way, you suck!"

Green: "HUH HUH HUH, Like, Don't make me pull over and kick your butt. HUH HUHHUH HUH"

SCREEEEEEEEETCH, BAM.

Announcer: "Oh no, Robby Gordon and Jeff Green make contact and both spin and crash into the outside wall in turn 1."

Kansas Kid · October 2, 2001

After listening to Harvick over the scanner at the Busch race in KC, it is very, very obvious that Kevin will not get along with Robby Gordon.

It was mentioned over the scanner that Kevin and Robby had talked 5 minutes before the race, and Robby had promised to let Kevin onto the bottom lane going into turn one. Well that didn't happen and Kevin fell from 2nd to about 13th in a lap. Kevin came over the radio and was furious that they had an agreement less the 5 minutes before and Robby broke it. He said he was through working with that idiot, for good. Didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Told his spotter to go tell the 21 driver to shove it wear the sun doesn't shine. Richard tried to calm him down, but that didn't work at all. Seems like a good way to start off with a teammate....