Blake Feese in his first return to the Top-Tier NASCAR Touring Series since 2005 posted a12th-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway Saturday, August 1^st in the No. 15 Phoenix Construction NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra.

Feese found driving these race trucks was like riding a bike and from the first laps of practice on Friday the driver made outstanding gains.  He posted the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports entry in the 18^th-place position on the starting grid for the 150 lap race.

From the beginning of the event Feese advanced driving three wide for position picking up the 15^th-place spot by lap 13.    Soon after Feese reported the truck was tight and came into the pits on the competition caution on lap 35 for tires and track bar adjustments.

Feese returned to the track for the restart on lap 41 in the 14^th-place position and was working his way forward when on lap 52 when another truck got into the Phoenix Construction Tundra bringing out the caution.  Feese came to pit road for right side repairs on the Toyota Tundra and with diligent work by the pit crew led by Richie Wauters, Feese returned to the track in the 18^th-place position.

Despite losing the right side splitter on the truck Feese persevered advancing to the 17^th-place position running times comparable to the leader. 

Feese returned for pit road under caution on lap 86 for tires, fuel and further adjustments to free the race truck up but with the splitter missing on the front the teams hands were tied on the amount of options that would help the race truck.

Despite the challenges Feese showed his natural driving ability running two and three wide picking up positions on the race track.  Feese advanced to the 15^th-place position when caution for precipitation came on lap 100.The race restarted on lap 105 with Feese in the 14^th-place position.

Feese, continued not to give up, battled with teammate Travis Kvapil in the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck for the 12^th-place position running side by side all the way around the 1.33-mile superspeedway.  The two traded positions but with the damage from the earlier incident Feese was unable to hold the spot settling for a 12^th-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway.

“Really, I want to make sure thank Donnie Graves and his partners along with Fader Higher Productions and NCompass and Billy Ballew and this whole team for the opportunity drive their equipment,” Blake Feese said. “Richie (Wauters) and I have a good chemistry and it didn’t take long for him and me to gain so much from the feedback on the truck.  We were really moving forward in the race and can’t help we got caught up by a lapped car. 

It felt great to be racing again.  I thought we were in great shape until we were tagged by a lapped car getting into the wall.  The guys on this Billy Ballew Motorsports crew did an excellent job to fix the truck and keep us competitive.  To battle back missing a right front splitter to finish 12^th all and all is a pretty successful night.  We were able to pass some trucks with a wounded truck and we were able to have a solid finish.  I learned a tremendous amount and I will take what I learned and hopefully have another opportunity to come back and utilize it and have a better run.” 

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series takes a break until Wednesday, August 18, 2009 where they will return at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Travis Kvapil piloting the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Billy Ballew Motorsports NASCAR Camping World truck posted an 11^th-place finish in the running of the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway Saturday night. Kvapil, the 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion made his return to the trucks and his first start for the independent team Billy Ballew Motorsports. 

Kvapil placed the No. 51 truck in the 11^th-place position for the 150-lap race after struggling with a tight race truck in both practice and qualifying at the 1.33-mile race track in Lebanon, Tennessee. 

From the start of the race, the troubles continued.  Kvapil reported in that the truck was tight in and through the corners.  The Miccosukee Resort team brought Kvapil down pit road under the competition caution on lap 38 for tires, fuel and track bar adjustments.  Kvapil cycled out of the pits in the fifth-place position for the restart on lap 41 advancing to the fourth place position until the truck again became tight sending the former Series Champion to the six place position by lap 44. 

The team brought the driver back down pit road on lap 85 for four tires and additional adjustments to free up the Camping World Truck cycling out of the pits in the 14^th-place position for the restart on lap 89.

The adjustments seemed to help Kvapil as he drove under trucks gaining two positions in three laps but it quickly faded with when he reported the truck was once again tight.  Kvapil was unable to keep the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Tundra on the bottom of the race track, the optimal place to run, but held onto the 11^th-place position until the caution on lap 102 for precipitation in the area. 

The rain diminished and the race restarted on lap 105.  Kvapil continued to battle for positions on the track, running three-wide around the racetrack but again the truck became tight sending the team to its lowest position of the race, 16^th-place.  Kvapil did not give up despite the handling issues and was able to advance to an 11^th-place finish in the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort NASCAR Camping World truck.

“We were tight from the time we unloaded the truck but we thought we were close to where we needed to be after practice,” Travis Kvapil said.  ”The truck would take off on the restart and then go tight again after a few laps.  We learned what we should have done but unfortunately we didn’t have enough for the race tonight.  Everyone on this Billy Ballew team did a great job all weekend trying to dial the truck in and I know it is frustrating to all of us.  Hopefully, the opportunity will present itself again and we’ll get another run in the trucks for Billy (Ballew)”.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off until Wednesday, August 19, 2009 where Kyle “Rowdy” Busch will return to the No. 51 Tundra at Bristol Motor Speedway.