rpm.espn.com: Mike Skinner

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Thursday, January 30
Updated: February 4, 3:39 PM ET

Mike Skinner
By Rupen Fofaria
ESPN.com

Team: Morgan-McClure Racing
Car/sponsor/make: No. 4 Kodak Pontiac

Mike Skinner
Skinner

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Best finish

2002 31 0 0 1 Sixth, Rockingham, N.C.

Career 0 10 39 Second, Talladega

2002 recap
The good: Skinner improved on 2001's 40th-place points finish in 2001, and six times he managed to qualify in the top 10.

Season highlight: Count Skinner among those not too happy to hear of Bill France Jr.'s recent announcement that some races might be reallocated to different race tracks. France noted North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham as one of the likely losers. But in 2002, after a fourth-place qualifying effort, Skinner hung on for a sixth-place finish in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400.

The bad: Unfortunately for Skinner, there as plenty of bad in 2002. For a second straight season he failed to notch a top-five finish and he is now 0-for-203 at getting a victory.

Season lowlight: After an already sluggish season, Skinner took his fourth provisional of the year to start back in 41st at the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and could muster only enough to finish 36th.

Mike Skinner

Key stat: 4. That's the number of races, out of 36, that Skinner actually finished on the lead lap.

2003 outlook
What needs to be done: With a common template, basically, among all the makes, the emphasis is on horsepower. Skinner needs a faster car, and he needs to stay out of trouble on the track and finish more races.

Prediction: First look for a top-five finish, then think about a victory. With the competition so bunched up now -- the best cars are not that much better than some of the middle of the pack cars -- Skinner's got a shot at getting that top five.

Your take
Can Mike Skinner be more competitive in 2003? Might he even challenge for his first career victory? Here are your thoughts on Skinner's prospects for the 2003 season.

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