Craftsman Truck Series regular Mike Skinner will pilot Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 00 car in the next three Sprint Cup events, while regular driver Michael McDowell sits out so the organization can reexamine its program.
“We’re struggling right now, and we’re outside the top 35, and our program as a whole is struggling right now,” McDowell said. “It gives us a chance to put Skinner in, and evaluate where I’m at, where our whole team’s at, and hopefully get better, which ultimately is the goal of this whole process. I’m definitely getting back in, that’s not a question. It’s just a matter of getting our program better.”
“The whole melee at Watkins Glen was obviously unfortunate, but it wasn’t what made us come to the decision that we need to do something different,” McDowell said. “It’s something we’ve been working on, and it really had nothing to do with [the fact] that Watkins Glen was a bit of a disaster. It was an opportunity for us to evaluate the program.”
“I support doing whatever it takes to improve the performance of our team,” McDowell said. “No driver wants to get out of the car, but I understand that every part of our program needs to be evaluated, and that certainly includes me. I plan to support Mike Skinner and our team any way I can, and hopefully learn some things that will help when I get back in the car.”
“I know it’s tough for drivers like Michael McDowell when they make the big jump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from other divisions like the ARCA Series or the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but Michael has done a really good job for MWR in a sport that’s fiercely competitive,” Skinner said. “I look forward to us working together.”
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