Shane Sieg took to the track for the running of the Quikliner Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in the 11th place position for the 146 lap event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and looked to post a top-10 finish. Unfortunately, Sieg had the air taken off his nose of the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Tundra causing him to get into the wall. Sieg recovered posting a 19th place finish on the 1.5-mile speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sieg reported being free in the corners from the start of the event leading to crew chief, Richie Wauters bringing the Tundra down pit lane for service on lap 24 lowering the track bar to help the grip of the truck. Sieg took no tires on the stop putting him in the third place position for the restart on lap 28.

Sieg advanced to the second spot gaining on the point position. The trucks with fresh Goodyear Tires started to gain on Sieg but he held on to a looking for grip off the corners dropping to the 11th position on lap 62. Under caution Sieg returned to pit road on lap 65 to take on fresh tires and fuel restarting 14th.

The new tires helped move Sieg back into the top-10 but discovered the truck becoming too tight. Again, Wauters brought the truck down pit road to go back to the earlier chassis configuration to free the Tundra.

Sieg returned to the track running three-wide, using moves that his No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports co-driver, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch, running three wide and making passes on the apron of the track. Two trucks got together in front of Sieg spinning across the track. Sieg skated by but had a small amount of damage behind the right rear tire but was able to continue. Sieg advanced to the 11th place position at the restart on lap 130 doing what he could to put his truck in the top-10.

Battling for real estate in the closing laps of the 146-lap event Sieg was advancing for the position but was blocked by another competitor taking the air off the nose of the Toyota Tundra sending him sideways and into the wall. Sieg pitted multiple times to work on the injured truck and remained on the lead lap finishing in the 19th place position.

We had a really great truck from the minute we unloaded from the hauler,” Sieg said. “I asked to be tightened up early in the race but in hindsight I should have kept the truck free. If I was in the truck every week I think that I would have made the right calls and driven the truck loose. We lost a lot of spots when I got too tight and my spotter Tom (Busch) was able to get me back through the pack for a top-10 spot when I lost the air off the truck sending us into the wall. I have to thank Billy Ballew, Kyle Busch and the rest of the Miccosukee Resort team for giving me the opportunity to drive such top equipment.”

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes a needed break next week but will back on the track Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the Talladega Superspeedway.

For more information on Billy Ballew Motorsports and Shane Sieg visit www.BillyBallewMotorsports.com and www.ShaneSieg.com.