Mike Wallace, a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway, piloted the No. 15 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming/GEICO Chevrolet for Billy Ballew Motorsports this past Friday night. In his second race with the team in 2006, Wallace hoped for better results in the series' season finale, but had to settle for a 22nd place finish in the Ford 200 instead. Billy Ballew Motorsports wrapped up their 10th season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series by finishing 18th in the owners' points standings with two top-five and five top-10 finishes in 2006.

The No. 15 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming/GEICO Chevrolet started the race in the 29th starting spot. The team had struggled all through practice trying to get the handling to Wallace's liking. Changes made were not helping or would force the truck to go the other way in handling. After qualifying, the team decided they would see how the race would play out and hope for the best.

The first caution waved on lap six and Wallace radioed in to the crew, "It's really not that bad. I just have to get it going and I can't go on the bottom." When caution number two came a few laps later, Wallace was still working on his line. The green flag waved on lap 17, with the No. 15 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming/GEICO Silverado in 23rd position. On lap 28, Wallace chimed in the truck was really loose. Some 15 laps later, the No. 12 of Michael Waltrip spun directly in front of the No. 15 Chevy. Wallace hit him square on, but sustained no significant damage. Wallace brought the No. 15 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming/GEICO Chevrolet to pit road for four tires and gas. Wallace and crew chief Richie Wauters elected not to make any changes and to see how the tires would affect the truck.

The fast work of the pit crew moved Wallace up five spots to restart the 134-lap event in 16th position. Another 15 laps later, Wallace brought the No. 15 Chevy down pit road during the fourth caution period. Wallace was still running on the loose side, so the crew elected to make a trackbar adjustment, along with fuel only. Wallace rejoined the competition in eighth place, as most of the other trucks pitted for tires as well.

Wallace slid back to 18th by lap 80 and remarked the truck was "sliding all over the place loose." By lap 90, the No. 15 had fallen to 23rd position. A caution on lap 95 allowed the No. 15 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming/GEICO Chevrolet to come down pit road for more adjustments on their final pit stop. The crew put on four new Goodyear Wranglers, filled up with Sunoco fuel and reversed the trackbar adjustment they had made earlier.

The field went back to green on lap 100 with 34 laps remaining to complete the 2006 season. Wauters came on the radio a short time later letting Wallace know the left rear tire they had removed on the last pit stop was going flat. The changes and new tires still didn't seem to help the handling as Wallace continued to note the truck was "incredibly loose." "I don't know what happened," commented Wallace, "but it's not the same truck." On lap 125, the No. 15 fell one lap down to the leaders and ran in 22nd position until the conclusion of the race.

The Billy Ballew Motorsports team also entered a second entry, the No. 51 Chevrolet, in four events during the 2006 season and was able to pick up the victory with Kyle Busch at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the highlight of the year for BBM. The plans for 2007 still remain uncertain for the No. 15 team, but there are no doubts they will mount a serious charge to contend for the championship next year.