BUSCH: Delivers Banner Ending for Ballew at Homestead
Kyle Busch made a banner effort to put the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in victory lane Friday, November 16 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
Kyle Busch reported tight conditions right at the start of the 134 lap race, but as the temperatures cooled on the Homestead, Florida track, the truck improved. When a long green flag run came during the race, the Billy Ballew Motorsports team had to make the decision on when to pit for service. Just as the team was about to pit, the second of just four caution periods occurred on the racetrack, putting Kyle Busch in position to win the Ford 200.
“In the beginning of the race we were horrible, and absolutely couldn't even run 20th,” Kyle Busch said. “Just a really bad beginning for us, but we were able to come in the pits and make some adjustments on it and caught that caution luckily when we had just about come down Pit Road with fuel, tires and everything and we got everybody a lap down being able to stay out like we did. That was our saving grace. We came in and made some more adjustments to the truck and all the adjustments really seemed to help and free it up. We were just battling really tight. Just being able to make those adjustments, got us out front and got us out in clean air and we were able to pull away from everybody.”
Kyle Busch held off the competition leading three times for a total of 69 laps. On lap 134, the caution flag flew sending the last race of the season into overtime. Kyle Busch was able hold off the second place competitor, Johnny Benson at the restart on lap 136 for the green/white/checkered finish. Kyle Busch looked to have the win in the bag until another truck spun getting into the wall but the yellow flag was not thrown allowing Benson to work the bottom of the track taking the point position. Kyle Busch battled fiercely but the No. 23 Craftsman Truck had too much steam sending the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Billy Ballew Motorsports Silverado home with a second place finish.
“There in that last restart I got a good jump,” Kyle Busch said. “But Johnny was able to get his truck lower on the corner than mine, mine was just too tight, and was able to power past us, and there in that last lap going into 3 and 4 I just held it wide open, I didn't care if I ran through the wall and went out in the parking lot, I was just going to try to win the race. Johnny had a better truck than we did and was able to prove it there at the end in those final two laps, he got by us, but we'll build some new ones for next year and try and get back after him again."
“I was just disappointed in NASCAR's decision there to throw a caution at the end of the race there with a truck that got real sideways. I don't think it was any worse than what Greg Biffle or Kyle Busch ever do. It's really sad that they threw a caution for a truck that didn't even spin out; all it did was make a little bit of a smoke show. It cost us the race. But I guess it's in the interest of safety and they wanted to check everything out and make sure it was all good.”
With the conclusion of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Billy Ballew Motorsports has made 205 starts and their 128th consecutive start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team fielded the No. 15 Silverado with seven drivers behind the wheel in the 25 race Series schedule. The No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports race truck posted two top-10 finishes. The first came with Bill Lester at the Kentucky Speedway, posting an eighth place finish. Shane Sieg posted a tenth place finish in his first start for Billy Ballew at the New Hampshire International Speedway.
Kyle Busch has made 113 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 29 with Billy Ballew Motorsports posting four wins, thirty top-5 and 51 top-10 finishes. Kyle Busch made 11 starts for Ballew in the NO. 51 Chevrolet Silverado in 2007 posting two wins, four top-5 and four top-10 finishes. The truck was raced in 18 total series events with five drivers; Kelly Sutton, Paul Menard, Aric Almirola, Kenny Wallace and Kyle Busch.
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