BUSCH: Buzzard Raced to an Eighth-Place Finish at ORP
07-26-2008 3:53 pm

Kyle Busch driving the No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota Tundra salvaged a top-10 finish after a difficult day at the O'Reilly Motorsports Park Friday, July 24, 2008. Despite handling issues Busch driving for the Billy Ballew Motorsports team managed to pick up the eighth place position in a neck and neck race at the start/finish line.

Busch commuted from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to practice and qualify the Billy Ballew Motorsports Craftsman Truck on the .0686-mile short track.  The team worked on handling issues in practice and Busch place the truck in the 12th place position for the 200 lap race. 

From the start of the race Busch reported being tight off the corner with tight conditions in the front end and loose in the rear. The team chose to stay out under the first caution but came in on the second caution on lap 85.  The team took one round out of the track bar and four tires restarting 16th.  The Tundra was still not handling the way Busch wanted and he began to drop back in the pack having the lowest position of the day in the 20th place on the track.

Busch made four stops in the pits for tires and adjustments.  The skillful driving of Busch in the No. 51 Tundra was able to avoid the numerous collisions and gained valuable track positions.  The last caution of the day on lap 197 set the conclusion of the race with a green flag restart, a white flag lap and checkered flag finish. Busch sat in the 10th place position for the restart on lap 198 and was able to pick up a position before one circuit on the track was made.  Busch battling for another spot came down to the checkered flag just barely beating the other truck to the line locking up an eighth place finish for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

 "We buzzard raced to an eighth-place finish," Busch said.  "Our short track program is not that good so we struggled all night. We couldn't get this Miccosukee Tundra to turn and couldn't get it to drive off. We just couldn't get it to do much of anything."

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off until August 9, 2008 where they will take to the track at the Nashville Superspeedway.