Since we got the news last week that Tayler Malsam had signed with Randy Moss Motorsports to race NASCAR trucks, I thought it would be a good time to update you on two other Snohomish County racers.
Last year: The Mukilteo, Wash., native raced in the Atlantic Championship Series. By any measure, Skerlong’s sophomore season was a success.
He won his first race on Sept. 14 in New Jersey, and qualified for his first two poles, in New Jersey and on July 26 at Edmonton. He recorded a total of four podium finishes in the 10 races he started and finished out of the top five just three times — all due to contact or mechanical issues.
He got as high as fourth in the points and, despite having four DNFs, finished fifth, improving on his rookie year finish of 10th.
This year:Skerlong is attending Western Washington University, but would like to race again. Unfortunately, he’s feeling the same pinch from the economy as everyone else.
He tested for an Indy Lights team at Homestead-Miami — a sessions his father Joel said “went very well,”and has talked to some Atlantic teams, but so far getting sponsorship has been the problem.
Last year:Originally from Snomohmish, Hamlin spent last year as a test driver for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. He made three spot starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, one for Ganassi and two for MacDonald Motorsports.
This year: Hamlin’s position was unaffected by the merger of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and CGRFS. He’s still a test driver, now for the newly renamed Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR).
I exchanged emails with Hamlin in mid-January, and at that time he said he was working on picking up some starts in the Camping World Truck Series.
“It’s obviously a nervous time in the sport, and there’re a lot of people out of work,” Hamlin said. “It’s always darkest before dawn, and it can’t stay this way forever. Hopefully soon it’ll pick up again, but other than the testing deal we’ve got some irons in the fire.”
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