KYLE BUSCH: 'Rowdy' Returns to Ballew's Backyard
03-04-2009 6:53 pm

Kyle "Rowdy" Busch will take to the track in the No. 51 Billy Ballew Toyota Tundra, Saturday, March 7th for the running of the American Commercial Lines 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Busch is the is the previous 2007 American Commercial Lines 200 race champion at the 1.54-mile tri-oval in Hampton, Georgia and has posted victories in three of his four starts in the Series at AMS.

Busch has posted those three wins in Chassis No. 11 which he will return with the truck for this weekend's NASCAR TruckSeries race. Busch also drove his valued chassis to a victory at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California two weeks ago. Busch has posted seven of his ten NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins in the truck. The chassis itself was a Chevrolet Silverado which Shane Hmiel scored the teams' career first victory in 2004 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"I'm not sure what it's about; whether he's really, just maybe, much more comfortable with that truck, whether it's the aero part or combination of the chassis and the way the truck works," Crew chief Doug George said. "Whatever it is he likes it. The truck's been modified a few times and he still does well with it so, whatever works. The last time we were here we had Denny (Hamlin) in the truck and we had a pretty good run. (Fall 2008, St. 20 Fin. 3rd). Kyle (Busch) really seems to like this place so hopefully we can get the same feel like we had last week in California; it should be a good weekend. To come off the win in California and my first as a crew chief, really keeps you pumped up and I know Kyle likes Atlanta so I'm looking forward to a really good run."

In the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Busch nearly missed victory in the Miccosukee Resort Tundra posting a second place finish after a last lap attempt for the lead.

Busch has also swept all three NASCAR National Touring Series five years running winning in the NASCAR Sprint Cup (Las Vegas), Nationwide (California) and Camping World Truck Series (California) in one year.

Georgia resident, Billy Ballew will head to his hometown track where he made his entry into auto racing by fielding a car at the track in an ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Ballew loved racing so much after the event he decided to form his own NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team and has fielded a truck in the Series since 1996. Since then Billy Ballew Motorsports has grown into a highly successful two-truck team.

"I'm always excited about going back to Atlanta," Ballew said. "We've had some great finishes in both the No. 15 and No. 51 trucks and of course Kyle winning in three of the four races he's run there for us. It's always nice to race at the hometown race track but I think it adds some pressure as well, wanting to succeed. Thankfully I have two talented drivers behind the wheel of the trucks with a team of excellent mechanics supporting them."

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Commercial Lines 200 (130 LAPS, 200.2 MILES) race is slated to begin at 2:00pm ET and will be broadcast live on SPEED beginning at 1:30pm ET.

Notes of interest: Kyle Busch is holding a helmet coloring contest for all his young fans with a chance to win a mini-helmet with your design and Kyle's autograph. Check out KyleBusch.com under the fan section and download the form. http://www.kylebusch.com/helmetcoloringcontestform.jpg