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Skinner Stripped of Busch Victory, Files Appeal

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HAMPTON, GA. (AP) — NASCAR has stripped Mike Skinner of the victory in the Yellow Freight 300 Busch Grand National race after discovering an unapproved engine part on his winning Chevrolet.

The rule under which Skinner, a winner Saturday, will have to give up the victory, states: ``All Cylinder heads must be NASCAR approved and all modifications must be submitted to NASCAR before any proposed modifications will be eligible for approval.''

Skinner's team has filed an appeal, and NASCAR was expected to consider it after series officials return Monday to their headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla.

If the ruling stands, second-year Busch Series driver Dave Blaney, a former World of Outlaws sprint car champion, will be the winner. Skinner beat Blaney to the finish line by almost a full straightaway on the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway oval.

``I'm really happy for Dave Blaney, but he didn't win the race yesterday,'' Skinner said. ``We had a great engine and I'm sure there was no way they would have put anything in there that could be questioned because they knew we were likely to be looked at.''

The unapproved cylinder head was discovered during a routine post-race inspection.

The last Busch Series driver to have a win taken away was Dale Jarrett, whose engine was ruled illegal after apparently winning a race at Michigan Speedway in 1994.

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