Skinner blasts to record-breaking pole at Texas

With Mike Skinner breaking his own track record, Bill Davis Racing's Toyota Tundras swept three of the top five starting positions for Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chex 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Skinner, who lapped the 1.5-mile track at 182.174 mph last October, clicked off an even quicker lap Thursday -- despite temperatures in the 90s. Skinner's fast lap was 182.902 mph, just .134-second quicker than the 182.076 turned by Rick Crawford's Ford.

	Mike Skinner broke his own Bud Pole record. Credit: Nate Mecha/High Sierra Photo
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David Starr, the Bud Pole winner a week ago at Dover International Speedway, took the No. 3 starting position at 181.971.

Skinner's teammates, Johnny Benson and Bill Lester, claimed fourth and fifth place slots in the 36-truck field. Benson ran a lap of 181.965 and Lester a lap of 181.677.

Sophomore driver Deborah Renshaw timed into the field in the No. 9 position marking the first time a female driver has qualified among the top 10 in a series race since 1997. Renshaw drives a Dodge prepared by defending series champion Bobby Hamilton. She was the quickest among Dodges competing in the race. Hamilton qualified 31st with defending Chex 400K winner Dennis Setzer 13th.

Shige Hattori, an Indy Racing League veteran at Texas Motor Speedway, was the top qualifying Raybestos rookie contender. Hattori qualified his Toyota in the No. 17 position.

Friday night's race -- 167 laps or 400 kilometers, 250.5 miles -- will be broadcast live by SPEED Channel at 9:15 p.m. ET.