On a recent episode of the Kevin Harvick Happy Hour podcast, former NASCAR Truck Series champion Mike Skinner was his usual candid self. He shared his thoughts on today’s drivers and didn’t mince words.
Reflecting on the differences between his era and the current field, Skinner praised the technical advancements in the sport but panned what he sees as a lack of grit and personality. “In ’95 and ’96 we had men,” Skinner told Harvick.
“They don’t have men anymore. They have a lot of guys that are really high technical, their fitness program is impeccable now today, but they fall out of the seat way more than we probably did.”
Skinner, who won the first Truck Series race in 1995 and went on to win 28 races and 50 poles in that series, also pointed out the physical changes in drivers over time.
“They’re little guys, they’re smaller guys,” he said. “And we’re finding out all the time that the smaller frame and the less weight you have and the shorter you are, you’re like a jockey. Kyle Larson should win every race, right?”
Skinner Misses the Fire: “We Need More of Those Rivalries”
While Skinner acknowledged the gains in fitness and preparation, he said we’ve lost something essential, namely, the raw intensity and personalities that once defined NASCAR. “We need more of those rivalries,” he said. “It’s fun to watch… So we don’t see enough of that in my opinion today.”
Many veterans and long time fans share the same feeling, they think the sport has veered too far from its original roots. Drivers from Skinner’s era, like Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace or Tony Stewart, were great drivers by talent, but they also had larger than life personalities on, and off, the track, along with plenty of on-track altercations.
After his success in the Truck Series, Skinner joined Richard Childress Racing and he became the 1997 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He never won a Cup points race but did win 6 poles. His resume and firsthand experience give him credibility when talking to Kevin Harvick.
Skinner wonders if NASCAR still has a pulse. And with this generation of “nice” drivers like Larson, Byron and Elliott making headlines, this conversation isn’t going to go away.
