Skinner and Yosemite Sam winners at Richmond
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
September 7, 2001
12:10 PM EDT (1610 GMT)
RICHMOND, Va. -- Maybe what Mike Skinner needs to win a points race is a co-pilot -- one who might go by a different tune and won’t drive him looney in the process.
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Mike Skinner with Yosemite Sam
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Well, on Friday at Richmond International Raceway, Skinner strapped Yosemite Sam into a golf cart and won a two-lap shootout held on pit road. Competing against his other Looney Tunes-theme Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 drivers, he passed Bobby Hamilton coming out of Turn 2 on lap one to take the win.
Jeff Gordon and Bugs Bunny then passed Hamilton and Marvin the Martian to finish second. Also competing was Kevin Harvick with the Tasmanian Devil riding along, Jeff Green with Daffy Duck, Terry Labonte with Wiley E. Coyote and Kenny Wallace (filling in for Steve Park) had Tweety Bird helping him.
“You know what, I had the stuff in my pocket to trick the golf cart up before the race,” Skinner said with a laugh. “But, I couldn’t get to it. Looks like we didn’t need any help anyhow. It looks like we blistered a right-front tire, though.”
Hamilton felt some cheating did take place when Gordon and Bugs passed him.
“I was going to have Marvin disintegrate him with his ray gun,” Hamilton said. “But, NASCAR said they wouldn’t allow him to bring it during this race. He’s going to have it on him tomorrow night for the race though.”
Gordon hopes the usual Looney Tunes storyline of Bugs’ foes will hold true on Saturday night.
“I hope they’re all chasing the rabbit tomorrow night just like in the cartoons,” Gordon said. “Seriously, this is the most awesome-looking car for a special promotion we’ve ever had. With that ChromaLusion paint job we have on here, it’s going to look great under the lights.”
Wallace, who is filling in for Park for the second week after his mild concussion in last Saturday’s Busch race in Darlington, was optimistic after the cart race.
“Well, Tweety,” Wallace said, “At least we didn’t finish last.”
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The drivers line up for the start of the two-lap sprint.
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The winner received the total library collection of Looney Tunes cartoons ever made. Estimated to be in the thousands, Skinner knows exactly how he’s going to use his first prize.
“I have some knee surgery scheduled for the end of the season,” Skinner said. “I’m already a big Looney Tunes fan, so these are going to come in great use. But, I’d trade this win in for one on Saturday night.”
The Monte Carlo 400 with Looney Tunes gets underway at 8 p.m. ET at the .750-mile track. All 400 laps can be seen live on TNT and heard on MRN Radio.
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