INDIANAPOLIS – Mike Skinner will take over as driver of the MB2 Motorsports Pontiac, starting with the Brickyard 400 on Sunday.

He will replace Mike Wallace, who has subbed for the injured Jerry Nadeau since The Winston Open in May.

“My goal, first and foremost, is to help Jerry’s recovery,” Skinner said Tuesday. “Speaking from experience, though, getting back in the car before you are 100 percent isn’t the best thing to do for anyone. Hopefully, I can help take a little pressure off of Jerry so he can recover at his own pace.”

Nadeau sustained head, lung and rib injuries in a crash May 2 at Richmond International Raceway. He spent 24 days in the hospital, two more weeks in a rehabilitation facility and has been undergoing outpatient therapy since.

Practice for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins Friday.

Bill Elliott is the defending champion and Matt Kenseth comes in as the series leader, 232 points ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 308 ahead of three-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon.

Ryan Newman, who has a series-best four victories this season after winning last Sunday at Pocono Raceway, is ninth in the standings. Last year’s series champion, Tony Stewart, is 14th.

“It’s going to be tough with the competition as close as it is,” Elliott said. “You’ve got to have everything absolutely perfect. That’s how we won last year. Everything was perfect from our pit stops to our car. You just can’t have anything go wrong or someone’s going to be there to take advantage of it.”

Skinner, the 1997 Winston Cup rookie of the year, was fired by Morgan-McClure Motorsports in June and drove in NASCAR’s Truck series the past three races.

His best finish in four starts at Indianapolis was fourth in 1998. He also drove 154 laps and finished 15th in relief of the late Dale Earnhardt in 1996.

“I’m very excited that the team chose me to help them out,” Skinner said of his ride with MB2. “I want to get his team back on its feet, and maybe even give them a win; that would be an added bonus for all of us.”

Road racing specialist Boris Said, who drove the No. 01 Pontiac to sixth place in Sonoma, Calif., will take the wheel again for the road race Aug. 10 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Skinner will then return as driver, at least through the Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C., on Aug. 31, MB2 general manager Jay Frye said.

“The team seems to have lost a little momentum since Sonoma, but hopefully Mike will help get us back on the right track,” Frye said.