Tuesday
Nelson Piquet Jr. Returns to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Competition
Press Release“Taking Wheel of No. 15 BBM Truck at Las Vegas”
Piquet has four previous NCWTS starts, finishing inside the top-10 in three of those events. At intermediate speedways, he has two NCWTS starts, which resulted in a 16th-place finish at Charlotte and an eighth-place finish at Texas. Piquet made his Nationwide Series debut this season at Watkins Glen, which he started in 10th-place and finished seventh.
As a tune up for Las Vegas, Piquet raced at Hickory Motor Speedway last Saturday in Late Model competition. Piquet finished eighth in the Bojangles Late Models 100.
Calling the shots for Piquet this week will be Doug George. George, who worked as crew chief of the No. 15 truck through 2009, will be back on the pit box at Las Vegas.
Piquet will be signing autographs at The Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower on Friday, Sept. 24, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The free session will be located in the casino at 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and will kick off the pre-event festivities for the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Piquet on Las Vegas:
“It’s great to get back on the track. It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve raced in the Truck Series. I can’t wait to be behind the wheel of the Qualcomm-ArcSight Tundra again.
“When I’m not racing with NASCAR or ARCA, I work on my fitness and run local races. I want to stay sharp and be ready to compete. I want to be ready for any race that I get the opportunity to be a part of.
“I’ve raced at Texas and Charlotte with Billy Ballew Motorsports. The 15 team has a strong program for the intermediate tracks. I’ve learned a lot at the races that I’ve done with them. Hopefully we’ll pick up where we left off and have another good run.
“I’ve really enjoyed racing in the Truck Series. The competition is some of the best in the world. The races are so exciting. It’s non-stop action from the green flag. The fans are so passionate. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of and I’m really looking forward to Las Vegas.”
Billy Ballew on Piquet’s Return:
“We’re excited to have Nelson (Piquet Jr.) back in our truck. He’s done a tremendous job in the previous races he’s driven for us. He’s come a long way and continues to get better with each race. He’s shown a knack for the mile-and-a-half tracks and I think he’ll have another good showing this week in Las Vegas.”
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.
- Breaking Limits Press Release
Article Tags: Aric Almirola, BBM, Bill Lester, Billy Ballew Motorsports, Bojangles Late Models 100, Brian Ickler, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin, Doug George, Geoffrey Bodine, Hickory Motor Speedway, Joe Ruttman, John Andretti, Kenny Wallace, Kyle Busch, Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Nelson Piquet Jr., No. 15 Qualcomm / ArcSight Toyota Tundra, Paul Menard, Shane Hmiel, Smith's Food & Drug Stores 350, The Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
