BUSCH: Settles for 14th Place Finish at Talladega
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team owner Billy Ballew needs to buy a lottery ticket after the running of the Mountain Dew 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at the Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, October 6, 2007. Both Ballew’s entries made their return to the Mooresville, North Carolina based race shop without any major damage after the 94 breathe holding laps in the Mountain Dew 250.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Chase for the Cup contender Kyle Busch piloted the No. 51 Flanders Beef Patties Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado placing the truck in the 29th place position on the starting grid. The starting position at an aerodynamic dependent track can be irrelative to where you run due to the draft. The draft proved the aerodynamic advantage for Kyle Busch who had already advanced 16 positions by lap five.
However, Kyle Busch reported in that the Flanders Beef Patties Silverado was beginning to overheat and the water temperature was at 281 degrees which concerned the team. Kyle Busch came down pit road during the first of seven caution flags on lap 8 for fuel and to remove all the tape from the trucks grill.
When the caution flew for the second time in the 94-lap race, Kyle Busch again came down pit road taking on four fresh tires and fuel. Kyle Busch restarted 21st on the lap 19 restart where the drivers settled in for a 36-lap green flag run where two, three and even four wide racing was thrilling the nearly 80,000 fans that attended the second event at the historic superspeedway.
Kyle Busch still running hot dropped back out of the pack not only to cool the truck temperature down but to avoid the big accident that looked to happen with the dicey racing going on early in the race.
“We were running pretty hot,” Kyle Busch said. “I didn’t have anything against making a hole in the nose so that the radiator could get more air and I dropped to the back to get away from the big one that was going to happen at any moment. There were a lot of close calls early on and wanted to wait until the end to really make a move.”
Kyle Busch worked with Billy Ballew Motorsports teammate Shane Sieg in the back of the pack and planned on pitting together under the green flag on lap 52. Both the No. 51 and No. 15 Silverado’s made their way down pit road where Kyle Busch took on fuel only heading back out on the track without his drafting partner who took four tires. He looked to be in jeopardy of losing a lap when a multi-truck accident brought out the yellow flag keeping Kyle Busch on the lead lap.
Since the team had already made a fuel stop Kyle Busch inherited the lead on lap 57. The team was not concerned so much about track position at that time, gave up the spot and pitted for four tires and fuel. Kyle Busch returned to pit road on lap 59 to top-off the fuel right before the restart. Kyle Busch restarted fourteenth and moved up quickly with the help of the draft to the sixth place position when another multi-truck accident occurred.
Kyle Busch had advanced positions as caution periods continued to increase as the laps went on. A restart on lap 80 showed Kyle Busch in the third place position but he lost several spots when he jumped out of line. Kyle Busch continued to fight his way forward holding the eighth place position when the caution flew for the last time of the day on lap 91. At the three lap shoot-out, Kyle Busch restarted seventh and moved to the upper lane and with no help to push the truck, the truck lost spots crossing the checkered flag in the 14th place finish on lap 94. Although disappointed at the finish, the team brought the Flanders Beef Patties Chevrolet home with just some minor bumper damage from drafting during the race.
“When I was at the restart sitting third,” Kyle Busch said. “I knew I didn’t have anything for the two Toyota’s in front of me unless I had some help and without it we dropped back. When help finally came, it was just too late to get back to the front. We had a top-five truck for sure. I have to thank Billy Ballew for putting me in the truck. It’s a lot of fun driving trucks and I hope to have a better run for him in Martinsville.”
Kyle Busch is slated to pilot the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to the Martinsville Speedway, October 20, 2007.
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