Catchfence

“No. 51 Toyota Team Finished Fifth Last Season”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 30, 2010) – Aric Almirola and the No. 51 Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota team head to the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway for this Friday night’s 150-lap race looking for a little bit of redemption. Last year, the Billy Ballew Motorsports team led 19 laps on the way to a fifth-place finish. They were one of the fastest trucks all race long, but pit strategy didn’t play in their favor in the end.

Almirola and the crew of the No. 51 are looking for the win Friday night, but also to extend their top-10 finish streak. After their sixth-place result last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, the Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota has landed in the top-10 five consecutive races.

Almirola Comments on Kentucky Speedway:

“I’m really looking forward to Kentucky. We had a really fast truck last year, and we were up front racing for the win. We weren’t able to seal the deal at the end, but we had a strong run and led laps. It gives us a lot of confidence going back there and trying to get it done this time.

“I think we have a pretty good understanding of what we need to do this weekend. This Graceway Pharmaceuticals team has been strong all year, and now we’re going back to a place where we led laps last year. It gives us a lot of confidence that we can go out there, race up front and hopefully challenge for the win. We were close last year so it’d be nice to go back and get it done.

“Kentucky, in the past, has been a pretty rough track. That’s been the characteristic of the track. I’ve heard that they have levigated it like they have done to Charlotte in the past. So, for everyone, it’s going to be a bit of a guessing game. I don’t think anyone really knows what the track conditions will be like.

“We hope it’s smoother, but nobody knows for sure. It sounds like we’ll be the first to know this weekend. That will be fine too. We’re all professionals and can adapt to the changes pretty quickly. Hopefully it will make for better racing for the fans. Either way, our goal will be to put the No. 51 Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota in victory lane.”

About Billy Ballew Motorsports:

BBM started competing full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2002 and has had a variety of well known NASCAR drivers over the years. The list includes Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, Brian Ickler, John Andretti, Kenny Wallace, Paul Menard, Bill Lester, Geoffrey Bodine, Joe Ruttman and a host of others. It was Shane Hmiel who piloted the No. 15 for the 2004 season that brought Billy Ballew his first win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the team’s 100th start in the NCWTS. Since then Billy Ballew Motorsports has taken 18 more trips to victory lane.

- Billy Ballew Motorsports Press Release