Kansas City, KS (April 21,
2008)-NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series driver Shane Sieg is
slated to step in for Kyle
Busch to pilot the No. 51
Miccosukee Resorts Billy
Ballew Motorsports Toyota
Tundra in Kansas. Busch, the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
superstar, has piloted the
Tundra in the first four
races of the season holding
the championship points lead
already scoring two wins
(California, Atlanta).
For the first time since
the beginning of the 2008
NASCAR Season the Sprint
Cup, Nationwide and
Craftsman Truck Series have
not run in companion. After
evaluating the practice,
qualifying and race
schedules at both Talladega
and Kansas, it was evident
that it was impossible for
Busch to make the O’Reilly
Auto Parts 250 race
Saturday, April 26 at 6:00pm
ET (5:00pm CT).
Sieg comes to Billy
Ballew Motorsports with
three starts for the team in
2007 posting a 10th place
finish at Loudon. Sieg has
29 starts over four years
and has two top-10 finishes
with his prior start at the
1.5 mile tri-oval speedway
finishing 16th. Sieg piloted
the No. 07 Craftsman Truck
in two of the four 2008
truck races.
“It is a great
opportunity for me to get
back behind the wheel of
Billy Ballew Motorsports
equipment,” Sieg said. “I
know I have big shoes to
fill but I just want to
bring a good finish home to
keep Billy Ballew as the
team owners point leader.”
“With Kyle’s schedule at
JGR this weekend there was
no way he could make the
race in Kansas,” Billy
Ballew said. “Shane (Sieg)
has driven for us before and
is familiar with the
equipment, giving us a
top-10 in Loudon last year.
We hope to leave Kansas
still leading the owner’s
points and know Kyle can
make up some ground in the
drivers points when we race
at Lowes. I would like to
thank James Finch and the
Miccosukee Resorts for
staying onboard with Shane
and the No. 51 Tundra this
weekend and I hope we can
give them a good finish.”
Although Busch will miss
the Kansas event and likely
lose the points lead it is
mathematically feasible for
him to win the Championship.
Previous NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series Champions have
come from nearly 200 points
out of the lead.
Billy Ballew Motorsports
has eight previous starts at
the Kansas Speedway with a
best finish of ninth in 2005
with John Andretti behind
the wheel.
Ballew field two teams in
the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series with Marc Mitchell
making his return after
Denny Hamlin piloted the No.
15 at the Martinsville
Speedway. Mitchell will be
making his first start with
Toyota as the manufacturer.
The truck was run as a
Chevrolet in the first three
races of the 2008 season.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts
250 is slated for 6:00pm ET
(5pm CT) Saturday, April 26,
2008. SPEED will televise
the race live beginning at
5:30pm ET (4:30 CT). The
race can also be heard on
MRN and XM-Satellite radio
stations and their
affiliates.
For more information on
Billy Ballew Motorsports
visit
www.BillyBallewMotorsports.com