About Mike

Birthdate | October 25, 1986

Birth Place | Portsmouth, Virginia

Residence | Charlotte, North Carolina

Height | 6’3″

Weight | 180 lbs.

Hobbies | Mountain Biking

Skeen began racing karts at the age of 10 and gained experience across many platforms.  He has had success on ovals and road courses, driving everything from shifter karts and formula cars, to GT and touring cars of all types.  In 2008, he starred in Season 2 of the SPEED Channel’s hit television show Setup, where host Tommy Kendall referred to Skeen as “the front runner.”

Skeen went on to win the 2008 SpecE30 National Championship as well as two regional series championships with a 70% win ratio. Grassroots Motorsports Magazine named him a 2008 Editor’s Choice Award Winner and his success continues to grow.

Skeen’s debut in the SCCA Pro Racing Muscle Milk Trans-Am series was record-setting, with a last-to-second drive that stunned series regulars, won him the Hard Charger and Star of the Race Awards, and eclipsed the former Road Atlanta lap record set by Boris Said.

In 2010, Skeen continued to perform well in the SCCA Trans-Am series with multiple front-row qualifying positions, lap records at Miller Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta, as well as the Rookie of the Year Award.  In his debut in the World Challenge GT series at Mid-Ohio, he surprised everyone yet again by putting the Carlisle Companies/Cragar Wheels Corvette on the front row (off pole by just .003s).  He followed that up with a race win, lap record, Clean Pass of the Race Award, and Move of the Race Award all in his first weekend.

Driving Resume

2011

  • Competed in Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Class 1 Unlimited Open Wheel #120 for Black Rock Wheels and Hawk Performance
  • 1st Place in the Nelson Ledges “Longer Longest Day” 25h 25m 25s enduro with Duct Tape Motorsports
  • Finished 3rd in Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver’s Championship
  • SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am at Road Atlanta
    • Qualified 2nd and finished 1st in TA2 Category.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Road Atlanta
    • Qualified and finished 2nd, setting the lap record with a 1:23.136.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Laguna Seca
    • Won Round 11 and earned Cadillac Move Of The Race.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Infineon Raceway
    • Finished 3rd in Round 9; finished 9th in Round 10 after starting from pit lane.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge
    • Qualified 4th for Rounds 7 & 8; finished 6th in the first race after stalling on the grid; DNF in second race after getting spun when leading the final lap.  Lowered lap record to 1:24.662.
  • GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series American Red Cross 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park
    • Co-drove the #07 Banner Racing/The Cool TV Chevrolet Camaro with Gunter Schaldach, finishing in 7th position.
  • GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda at Laguna Seca
    • Co-drove the #07 Banner Racing/The Cool TV Chevrolet Camaro with Gunter Schaldach, finishing in 6th position.
  • GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
    • Co-drove the #07 Banner Racing/The Cool TV Chevrolet Camaro with Oliver Gavin and Gunter Schaldach, finishing in 4th position.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Mosport Victoria Day Speedfest
    • Qualified 1st, lead every lap, and won both Rounds 5 & 6.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Utah (Miller Motorsports Park)
    • Qualifying cancelled due to snow.  DNF due to differential failure.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Long Beach
    • Qualified 3rd; DNF due to broken control arm.
  • Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
    • Qualified 2nd for Round 1; taken out by a GTS car on the final lap when running 2nd and challenging for the lead–finished 9th.
    • Started at the back of GT for Round 2 due to an engine change; finished 3rd with Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race Award.
  • Set overall NASA lap record at Carolina Motorsports Park while testing Cragar Wheels/CRP Racing World Challenge GT Corvette (1:32.876)
  • Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona debut with Bennett Racing in a Ferrari F430.
    • Consistently the fastest driver on the team among two-time race winner Jean-Francois Dumoulin, open wheel notable Daniel Herrington, BRDC Rising Star Glynn Geddie, and NASA standout Mike Davidson.
    • Finished 26th in GT after being sidelined for more than 6 hours with transmission woes.

2010

  • 2010 SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Rookie of the Year.
  • Finished 2nd in the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am series race at Road Atlanta during Petit Le Mans.
    • Qualified in 1st position, breaking the track record with a lap of 1:19.3.
    • Lead the most laps in the race.
  • Qualified 3rd in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner class at Miller Motorsports Park driving #86 Royal Purple Porsche Boxster for Prey Racing.
    • Highest qualifying position ever for the #86 Porsche Boxster
    • Lead the race and ran in 2nd position until pit stop
    • DNF due to brake line failure
  • Won debut race in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
    • Qualified 2nd, just .003s behind polesitter James Sofronas.
    • Set lap record at 1:27.296
    • Won Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race Award
    • Won MTM Special Ops Move of the Race Award
  • Qualified 2nd at the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am event at Road America. DNF due to mechanical failure.
  • Set fastest lap (establishing Track Record) on the way to a 4th Place finish at the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am event at Miller Motorsports Park.
  • Participated in first Grand-Am Rolex GT race with Bennett Racing at VIR.
  • 1st Overall and 1st in Super Unlimited with NASA Mid-Atlantic at VIR. Started from the back driving the Bennett Racing Ferrari F430 (did not qualify).
  • 1st Overall and 1st in Super Unlimited at NASA Mid-Atlantic season-opener at VIR driving the Bennett Racing Ferrari F430
    • Set NASA Super Unlimited track record for VIR Full Course

2009

  • 2nd Overall at the Hankook Ultimate Track Car Challenge presented by Grassroots Motorsports (Nov. 09 Issue).
  • Muscle Milk® Trans-Am Series
    • Earned Sunoco Hard Charger and Flowmaster Star of the Race Awards in Round 1 at Road Atlanta for driving last to 2nd place. Set a new lap record at 1:22.650 (previously set in 2002 by Boris Said at 1:24.276).

2008

  • NASA SpecE30:
    • 2008 NASA SpecE30 National Champion
    • 2008 NASA Mid-Atlantic SpecE30 Champion
    • 2008 NASA Southeast SpecE30 Champion
    • 2008 Geno’s Garage Cup Champion
    • Member of 2008 NASA Southeast E2 Enduro Championship Winning Team
      • 34 races
      • 22 wins
      • 21 poles
      • 11 Top 5s
      • 3 lap records
  • October – KONI Challenge ST at VIR; Freedom Autosport MX-5 #147: 8th place in qualifying and ran in 6th, mechanical DNF.
  • May – SCCA at Carolina Motorsports Park; ITR BMW 325i: First place overall in 90 minute ECR.
  • April – Skip Barber Mazdaspeed Challenge MX-5 Cup at Laguna Seca. Event coverage for SPEEDtv.com; Saturday: win from pole; Sunday: mechanical DNF.
  • January – KONI Challenge ST at Daytona International Speedway; qualified and started the #98 Team Cobalt California Chevrolet Cobalt in 19th position, handing the car over to my co-driver in 13th position.

2007

  • November – Participant in Setup on the SPEED Channel. Highest average finish in the series with 4 wins and 3 podiums in 9 races.
  • NASA SpecE30 rookie season: 24 races, 9 wins, 7 pole positions, 6 podiums, Southeast Geno’s Garage Cup Champion, and 3rd Place at the NASA National Championships.

2004

  • December – Competed in the ESPN Jim Russell Racing Scholarship Runoffs, qualifying for the finals in Sunday competition (Top 10).
  • July – Received SCCA Regional License.
  • March – Attended Bertil Roos 3-day Advanced Competition School.

Karting

  • 2004 – Acquired SKUSA A License and competed in ICC at a few races.
  • 2003 – Acquired SKUSA B License and began competing in ICC, finishing on the podium in every event.
  • 2002 – Acquired SKUSA C License and WKA Sprint Class 1 License. Competed at the Jacksonville round of SKUSA’s Florida Winter Tour with a Top 10 finish in Formula MX.
  • 2001 – Began racing 125cc shifter karts and had three wins.
  • 2000 – Raced a Yamaha KT-100 with four podiums.
  • 1999 – Began racing Yamaha KT-100 at age 12—normal minimum age is 16, but exception was made by Hampton Roads Kart Club board of Directors—with one win and a podium.
  • 1998 – Raced in Junior Sportsman 1 with a win and two podiums.
  • 1997 – Raced in the Novice Briggs & Stratton class with four podiums and three Top 5s.

Instructor Resume

  • March 2008 – Began instructing for the North Carolina Chapter of the Ferrari Club of America at Virginia International Raceway.
  • March 2008 – Began instructing for Tarheel Chapter BMW CCA at Virginia International Raceway.
  • August 2007 – Began instructing for TrackDaze High Performance Driving events.
  • September 2006 – Began instructing for Richard Petty Driving Experience Safe Driving Program.
  • September 2006 – Instructor for the 2006 Dunlop Driver’s Cup at Virginia International Raceway.
  • August 2006 – Began instructing for the Richard Petty Driving Experience on the Mercedes-Benz/AMG ride-and-drive programs.
  • July 2006 – Began instructing for the NASA Southeast Region driving schools.
  • June 2006 – Attended Tarheel Sports Car Club Instructor Clinic and instructed at Roebling Road Raceway.
  • October 2005 – Began instructing for the Peachtree Chapter BMW CCA at Road Atlanta.
  • July 2005 – Began instructing for the Phil Wicks Driving Academy at Carolina Motorsports Park.
  • June 2005 – Began instructing for the Carolina Regional Mustang Club driving schools.
  • September 2004 – Began instructing for the Xtreme Measures Teen Driving School in Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA.