NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Skinner started from the pole in his Randy Moss Motorsports No. 5 Toyota of Des Moines Tundra and led the field twice for 180 (of 200) laps at the .875 Iowa tri-oval.

“I tell you, all I did tonight was ride on a thoroughbred,” said Skinner following the race. “I think I hurt Eric’s (Phillips, crew chief) feelings a little bit yesterday because we took an old backup truck that our teammate gave us that Jeff Hensley and I actually built a couple of years ago and it was faster than this truck and I was struggling to not keep that truck out and race it. And Eric (Phillips, crew chief) said, ‘Just work with me. Just give me a chance and I’ll fix this thing and get it going.’ He went in there and he started building shocks and he really, really won this race. The driver screwed up on pit road but the crew chief did a fantastic job with the truck. Man, it drove good. All of the adjustments and everything was just really, really good. We struggled on pit road this year a lot and tonight they were flawless. The only flaw they had was the driver and we overcame it.”

Skinner held a large lead coming down the stretch -- leading the final 84 laps -- but a late-race caution for debris on lap 193 bunched the field back up. On the final restart, Skinner was able to remain in front of the field all the way to the finish line.

“I was really, really nervous,” added Skinner, of the final restart. “I started the race in the same place all night and I figured the competition would be thinking, ‘Well, he’s going to change it up. He’s going to do something different.’ So I started it in the same place. Sometimes the biggest surprise is no surprise. We got a really good restart and we came off of (turn) two over there and got back around there and I came off of four and the thing ran out of gas and I looked at the gauge and the fuel pressure was at zero and the thing picked back up. I shook it around a little bit. It picked back up and she made it back around and had enough left for a burnout.”

Skinner also tallied a victory this season in April at Kansas Speedway.

It was Toyota’s ninth NCWTS win of the season and 60th victory since joining the series at the beginning of the 2004 season.

Earlier in the day, Skinner earned his 33rd pole in a Tundra and the 65th pole for Toyota since joining series competition in 2004.

Aric Almirola started eighth in his Billy Ballew Motorsports No. 15 Graceway Pharmaceuticals Tundra and led once for three laps. Almirola went on to earn a career best finish with a second-place result.

“It feels good,” said Almirola, following the race. “I’ve run in the truck series quite a bit and to not get any better finishes than this is obviously a little disappointing. To be able to come home second, and that is a career best, I’m proud of that. I’m proud of all my guys and I’m proud of Billy Ballew Motorsports. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy racing when you can race like that. I want to thank Billy Ballew a lot for the opportunity that he’s given me. Man, we’re just so close and if we keep running like this and if we keep putting ourselves in contention to win races and we can see the front eventually it will happen.”

Tundra drivers following Skinner and Almirola to the finish line were T.J. Bell (seventh), Timothy Peters (eighth), Brian Scott (ninth), Tayler Malsam (10th) and Terry Cook (11th).

Other Tundra drivers in the field were Stacy Compton (16th), Brian Ickler (18th), Todd Bodine (19th) and David Starr (26th).

Skinner (third) remains the highest-ranking Toyota driver in the unofficial NCWTS point standings following Iowa and is now 281 points behind leader Ron Hornaday, Jr. Scott (fourth), Bodine (fifth), Starr (seventh), Peters (ninth) and Cook (10th) are also in the top-10 in the point standings after 17 of 25 races.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action at Gateway International Raceway outside of St. Louis, September 12.

Toyota NCWTS Driver Finishing Positions at Iowa Speedway
1st, MIKE SKINNER
2nd, ARIC ALMIROLA
7th, T.J. BELL
8th, TIMOTHY PETERS
9th, BRIAN SCOTT
10th, TAYLER MALSAM
11th, TERRY COOK
16th, STACY COMPTON
18th, BRIAN ICKLER
19th, TODD BODINE
26th, DAVID STARR

Toyota Drivers in NCWTS Point Standings – following Iowa Speedway**
3rd, MIKE SKINNER 2,472 points
4th, BRIAN SCOTT 2,292 points
5th, TODD BODINE 2,275 points
7th, DAVID STARR 2,195 points
9th, TIMOTHY PETERS 2,156 points
10th, TERRY COOK 2,145 points
11th, TAYLER MALSAM 2,134 points
13th, STACY COMPTON 2,126 points
16th, T.J. BELL 1,921 points
19th, KYLE BUSCH 1,704 points
** unofficial point standings