Now 50 years old, Mike Skinner may be in the midst of his best season as a full-time NASCAR driver.
Skinner won the 1995 Craftsman Truck Series title and moved to the Nextel Cup Series in 1997, winning the rookie-of-the-year award that season. The California native made 244 Cup Series starts but never won a race. He did win a pair of exhibition races held in Japan.
Skinner returned to the Truck Series in 2003. He has won 23 races and 39 poles in 142 Truck Series starts. This season, he has won four times and finished in the top 10 in all 13 races. As a result, he is on track to collect his second NCTS title.
Featured here (clockwise from top left): Behind the wheel of the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado in 1996; Leading from the pole to capture the victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October 2006; In victory lane with car owner Richard Childress (right) at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1995;  Celebrating career victory No. 22 at Martinsville Speedway in March; Promoting Darlington (S.C.) Raceway; Capturing a Busch Series score at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 1999;  The defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion in 1996. — NSSN Archives