Fontana, CA

Ballew Looks to Repeat Fontana with Busch

The Billy Ballew Motorsports No. 51 Miccosukee Resort NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team heads back to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California as the reigning champions with Kyle “Rowdy” Busch behind the wheel.  The team picked up the win in 2008 as they dashed drops of rain giving Busch a sweep in all three premier NASCAR Touring Series at the 2-mile race track. Busch has posted wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series at the Auto Club Speedway.  This year the team will return with chassis No. 11, the same truck that the team won with in 2008.

“Kyle’s (Busch), is pretty comfortable with that chassis,” crew chief Doug George said.  “We have a pretty good setup on the truck and after second last week I know he wants to go to California and win.”

Crew chief Doug George is a California native posting his own prestigious stats in racing.  He is a former NASCAR Grand National, West Series Champion and the NASCAR Southwest Series Champion in 1990.  George has two starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma and Phoenix (1995) and 56 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Career.  His best season was in 1996 with eight top-10 finishes and one top-five finish.  His NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career best finish was 5th at Sonoma, 1996.

In 2008, Busch was fast in both practice sessions at the intermediate size race track but had to start in the 20th-place position after rain forced the grid to be set by 2007 owner points.  Busch quickly made his way to the lead.  He forfeited the spot with 20 laps remaining in the 100-lap race for a green-flag pit stop. Busch shuffled out to the 10th-place position but regained the lead on lap 90 where he held it to pick up the win.

“This is a chassis I chose from Billy (Ballew) because it has been a consistent front runner,” Busch said. “It is definitely a great truck.  (In 2008), (Todd) Bodine had a good run through the middle part of the race.  He ran us down there a little bit and took the lead, but we were able to fight back and regain it.  It was fun racing with Todd and coming up through the field there in the beginning.”

The San Bernardino County 200 (100 laps, 200 mile) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Auto Club Speedway is slated for Saturday, February 21, 2009.  Fox will broadcast the race live on national television from Fontana, California beginning at 12:00pm PT.