(Photo by Jones Sports Media)
Inside Line Promotions – MARION, Ark. (Nov. 13, 2018) – Marshall Skinner showed plenty of speed this season, which was his 28th year of racing. He finished in the top five in approximately half of his races during a season that was shortened due to mechanical woes.
Skinner began the season strong despite getting a late start. He had nine top-five finishes in his first 14 races.
“Our season really started out well, even though we got a late start,” he said. “I missed about four shows at the beginning of the year because my car wasn’t ready.”
His successful season run hit a major bump on June 30 when his engine broke at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. Making the situation particularly difficult was that the broken engine had been fresh while his back-up engine was tired and worn. Then two weeks later, his car was heavily damaged in a crash with a lapped car. He was second in the ASCS Mid-South Region championship standings at the time of the wreck.
“That was a tough time,” he said. “I was out of racing for about two months. It was mainly a financial deal. I could’ve come back earlier than I did, but that also could’ve dug me an even deeper hole if I crashed or something. I mean, I want to race, but I’ve also got a family to take care of. So I worked on the side until I had the money to get back on the track.”
The abbreviated season caused Skinner to have his first winless year in recent memory, even though he came close numerous times with about a half dozen top-three finishes in just 19 starts.
“I can’t tell you the last time I had a year when I didn’t win a race,” he said. “But I had plenty of chances to win this year. I should’ve won at West Plains, Riverside, Jackson. But I also can’t recall a year when I ran this little. I’ve usually run about 30-to-35 races for years.”
The good news for Skinner is that due to being sidelined for most of the latter part of the season, much of his equipment is fresh and ready for 2019.
“I’m looking forward to next year,” he said. “I’ll start out with two fresh motors and a third one with only 10 nights on it. My car is pretty much ready when last year at this time it needed a new front clip.
“I don’t have any definite plans as far as a schedule for next year. I don’t know if I’m going to run for points. I’m just going to race as much as I can.”
SEASON STATS –
19 races, 0 wins, 9 top fives, 12 top 10s, 17 top 15s, 19 top 20s
MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sprint26
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marshall-Skinner-Motorsports-207879425896412/
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT –
“I just want to thank all of my sponsors for their support this year,” Skinner said. “I appreciate each of them. If it wasn’t for all of them, I wouldn’t be able to do this. And that’s a fact.”
Skinner would like to thank J&J Auto Racing, Stinson’s Industrial, Final Touch Auto Collision Center, Gant Concrete Pumping, Big Earl Farms, B&D Towing and Recovery, DHR Suspensions, Robert Thorne Landscaping, American Outdoor Inc., CnB Chubby, West Tennessee Expediting, West Tennessee Expediting, Xtreme Race Graphics, Water & Wastewater Services, Cooper Racing Enterprises, BB&T Racing, FSR Radiators, Hinchman Racewear, FK Rod Ends, Killer Coatings, Arai Helmets, Engler Machine & Tool, Inc., Schoenfeld Headers, DMI, Huggins Cams, PAC Racing Springs, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, KDN Promotions, Stealth Recovery, I-55 Towing, Oval Paints, Huntington’s Disease Awareness, OMP America and Deatherage Opticians for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
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- Shawn Miller on Nov 14, 2018
- Article Date: 11/13/2018 by Inside Line Promotions