Skinner

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.

Skinner said the surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.

"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."