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03-05-2008
BUSCH: Knows His Way to Victory Lane at Atlanta
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team owner Billy Ballew heads home this week to
the Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) for the first time in the team's 13-year
history as the point's leader after Kyle Busch scored the team its first win of
2008 at the Auto Club Speedway (formerly known as the California Speedway).
Busch's points lead over former Craftsman Series Champion Todd Bodine by 20
points marks the second time a current NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor has headed
the points coming to Atlanta (Mark Martin 2006). Both Busch and Martin have won
seven races a piece; a record for a current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver.
Busch found victory lane at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in both his starts in the
Craftsman Truck Series (2005, 2007) for Billy Ballew Motorsports. He also holds
the widest margin of victory in the seven races the series has run at .971
seconds over Ron Hornaday Jr., (Oct. 27, 2007). The track's total margin of
victory is 3.165 seconds. Busch holds the best driver rating at AMS in the
trucks at a rating of 141.2; just less than eight points shy of perfection.
Ballew is the only owner to win more than one race at the 1.54-mile quad-oval.
Busch holds the current consecutive races led streak in the NCTS with six races
beginning in Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2007. Busch failed to finish outside the top
two only once, at Texas where engine failure left him 29th.
"My worst finish in the last seven truck races was second and we almost had
three in a row there at the end of last year," Busch said. "(Johnny) Benson beat
us there at Homestead and we finished second there. Our worst finish before that
was at Texas where we blew up and I think we finished fourth in the race before
that. We've had some great success in the truck series and the Nationwide series
has been the same way."
The team will bring the No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota Tundra, chassis number
11, which has six prior visits to victory lane including at the Auto Club
Speedway in February. The first win in this truck chassis was in 2004 at the Las
Vegas Motor Speedway with Shane Hmiel behind the wheel. The five other victories
were scored by Kyle Busch. Ballew has eight total wins in the series, seven
belonging to Kyle Busch.
"I picked two of the trucks for myself and Billy is ok with that," Busch said.
"Truck No. 11 is one of the trucks I picked in our stable. We ran that truck
when we won in the fall Atlanta race and in California a few weeks ago as a
Toyota. We will return to Atlanta this week with the same truck and hopefully
pull off another win. I know I have a chance to win a championship in all three
series but I know I won't be able to, but hopefully we'll be able to set it up
for Billy Ballew to take home the owners championship."
Atlanta will be Busch's 32nd start in the Craftsman Truck Series for Billy
Ballew Motorsports. He has posted seven wins, 16 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes
and 1 pole position for the independent team. Billy Ballew Motorsports will make
its 132nd consecutive start in Atlanta in the NCTS with a total of 209 starts in
the series.
"All the guys on this team work so hard," Busch said. "It is unbelievable the
dedication they put in. It is great racing and it is fun to be able to go out
there and run with these guys in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Anytime I
can race with Billy Ballew, it is a lot of fun. We race to try to win of course
every time we come out. It's great to be able to go out there and have fun, race
for points and for wins. The track time is good, any time you can get out there
and see what the trucks do on the long run and see what I might be able to learn
for the Cup race."
Busch is the only driver expected to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman truck,
Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races this weekend.
Miccosukee Resorts will serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 51 Toyota
Tundra with Cartersville, Georgia based RedTop Auto Auction as the major
associate sponsor in the American Commercial Lines 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series race Friday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
More Racing News...
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SCOTT: Looking to Learn at Lowe's Motor Speedway
KVAPIL: Comfortable With New Truck at Charlotte
SKINNER: 160th Start Friday at Charlotte
BENSON: Exide Batteries New Primary Sponsor
BUSCH: Rowdy Returns to the Trucks at Lowe's
SPEED's All-Star Week on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain
HOT TOPIC: Fantasy Truck Racing at Charlotte
DARNELL: Charlotte Offers A Lot of Promise
MITCHELL: First-Timer Looking for Charlotte Learning Curve
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