04-25-2005 | TruckSeries.com Report
Former Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League champion Buddy Lazier will try the NASCAR waters this week as he prepares to test the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in Tuesday evening's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series open test at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Lazier has a winning track record at Lowe's Motor Speedway, he captured the checkered flag there in an IRL race in 1997, besting Billy Boat by 3.301 seconds in a Hemelgarn Racing entry. "I am excited about driving the Billy Ballew Motorsports entry at the Charlotte test," Lazier said. "First and foremost I am a huge NASCAR fan. I have a lot of friends who work as engine builders and crew chiefs in NASCAR. I am an American and as an American race car driver you want to race in any American racing series that you can. I love to race and this provides me with a good opportunity to do that. I am impressed with this team. They put all their money back into the racing operation and into the equipment." This foray into stock cars is not Lazier's first stab at the bigger, heavier and boxier chassis. He showed great promise in the International Race of Champions series during his two year stint in that prestigious "invitation only" series. Lazier was the runaway winner in the 2002 Chicagoland IROC event leading all 67 laps of competition. Lazier finished second in the IROC championship that year, narrowly losing to the eventual champion Kevin Harvick. "I loved racing in the IROC series," Lazier stated. "It took me about four races to get adjusted to the bigger cars but all of the sudden it just clicked. After that we were very competitive, we won at Chicago and almost won the championship. This opportunity with Billy Ballew Motorsports is a chance to expand on that experience and who knows where it will lead." "We are excited about a potential opportunity with Buddy Lazier," Team owner Billy Ballew said. "Buddy is an accomplished, hard charging driver. He has exhibited extreme physical and mental toughness throughout his career. He is a driver that anyone would be proud to work with. Shane Hmiel will continue to drive the No. 15 when possible but it is good to have alternatives when the NASCAR schedule will not allow us to have Shane as a full time driver." Lazier's most impressive Motorsports accomplishment came in 1996 when he won the Indianapolis 500 in a Hemelgarn Racing entry, edging Davy Jones by .695 of a second. Lazier's heroic underdog win came only two months after suffering significant back and pelvis injuries at Phoenix in an IRL car. Lazier was the IRL champion in 2000.