Skinner Regains Lead As Rival Hornaday Stumbles At LVMS
Pressure – as in air pressure – has made the 2007 title race a topsy-turvy proposition.
At Gateway International Raceway on Sept. 1, Skinner’s near-perfect season was jolted by a cut tire that cost the Bill Davis Racing team its championship lead.
Fast-forward three weeks to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Hornaday’s right-front tire went down with 12 laps remaining, sending his Chevrolet into the wall and to a 22nd-place finish.
Skinner, who trailed the 1996 and 1998 champion by 29 points coming in, left Las Vegas leading by three. The margin is the closest in series history with six races remaining.
Hornaday’s misfortune ended his run of lead lap finishes. The 49-year-old Californian entered the race as the only competitor to complete all 3,066 laps – one more than Kvapil.
Despite leading his 18th (of 19) race, Skinner was remarkably uncompetitive as the defending Smith’s Las Vegas 350 winner.
“We just struggled all night, ” said the 13th-place finisher and 1995 champion. “Whatever it is, we didn’t capitalize on our night very well.
“It was just one of those deals. Ronnie had bad luck. We tightened it up some so I guess we can’t complain. ”
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