(High Sierra Photo)

While Dorothy and Toto may be searching for the Wizard of Oz, 20-year-old Kyle Krisiloff is searching for a good finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race to be held at Kansas Speedway Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevy competes at the 1.5-mile facility for the second time after a 2005 appearance in the ARCA Series event.

Krisiloff and team head to Kansas trying to build off one of their better weekends at Milwaukee. After running in the top-15 in both practice sessions and securing their best starting spot of 2006, an 11th, the No. 15 crew is ready to regain some of their winning ways. Crew chief Richie Wauters returns to the No. 15 after leading the organization’s second entry for the past couple weeks. (more…)

After securing his career-best starting position, rookie Kyle Krisiloff was optimistic in also claiming a season-high finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at The Milwaukee Mile Friday night. However, a flat tire with 50 laps remaining forced Krisiloff and the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevy to pit road, losing two laps in the process and a chance for a career-best finish. Krisiloff was strong at the end, but was only able to take home 29th place honors.

Both practice sessions saw the No. 15 Silverado sitting in the top-20 on the sheet. It looked like the luck had finally turned around for the team. Krisiloff was comfortable with the truck, just noted it was a little tight during the sessions, and the track, as he has had numerous laps around the one-mile track. Krisiloff had the unfortunate luck of qualifying fourth of the 38 trucks to take time. His lap time of 29.841 secs. placed the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevy in the 11th spot, his career-best. Krisiloff’s previous highest start was 18th place at Martinsville Speedway in April. (more…)

Johnny Sauter was hoping to cash in with a victory in front of the hometown fans by competing in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and the NASCAR Busch Series race this past weekend at The Milwaukee Mile. His run at the double began Friday night in the No. 51 Bowen Family Homes Chevrolet for Billy Ballew Motorsports and resulted in a 12th place finish. Not the result Sauter or the team were looking for, but after flat-spotting their tires and having to pit early, it was all they could muster up at the end of the 200-lap event.

Sauter, from nearby Necedah, Wis., returned to his home track as the defending winner of the NASCAR Busch Series race and had high hopes entering the NCTS event. The trucks that come out of the Billy Ballew Motorsports stable are always of high-quality and working with Crew Chief Richie Wauters again had Sauter optimistic about his chances. They all worked together last year at Texas Motor Speedway when Sauter piloted the No. 15 to an 11th place finish. Sauter and Wauters, who hails from Green Bay, Wis., also go way back to short track days. (more…)

West Allis, WI

Milwaukee might be home to Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, but it’s Atlanta-based Earl Small’s Harley-Davidson that has agreed to come on board and sponsor the Billy Ballew Motorsports-entry for tonight’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at The Milwaukee Mile. NASCAR Busch Series Champion Martin Truex, Jr. has been tabbed to drive the No. 15 Chevy Silverado for this weekend’s event, after rival Kyle Busch has driven the machine to two victories, one pole and one runner-up position in the last three out of four events. (more…)