MOORSEVILLE, NC (July 5, 2010) - Aric Almirola is not asking for much in this week's Lucas Oil 200 at the .875-mile Iowa Speedway. Well, maybe to finish one spot better than he did last year in the same event. Almirola finished second in his only other start at the short track. He and the team, looking for their third win of the 2010 season, now bring the No. 51 Graceway Pharmaceuticals/Zyclara Toyota back to Iowa Speedway looking hoping to secure the win.
The No. 51 team has achieved two career-wins in short track competition, and Almirola finished sixth at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season, the only short track visited by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series thus far.
Almirola's victories this season (Dover and Michigan) came at tracks that the 51 team had not previously won. Almirola looks to add to that statistic with a victory this week at Iowa.
The team currently sits second in championship point standings trailing leader Todd Bodine by only 55 points. They are the Series last race winners after taking the win in Michigan on June 12. That win tied Almirola with the most this season with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.
Almirola Comments About Heading into The Lucas Oil 200
"We've been on a roll here lately. It would be awesome to leave Iowa with another trophy this year. We were competitive there last year. We ran second, and I felt like we had a good truck, but we weren't good enough to win. We were just good enough to run second.
"We've done some testing earlier this year, and I feel like we've learned a lot throughout the beginning of the season to now. We've taking everything we've learned and put into great use. That is something all of us can take pride in and also incorporate into a great run at Iowa. I feel like we have a really good shot at running really well, so I'm looking forward to it.
"I feel like most teams have got a pretty good handle on Iowa. Although we've only raced there once, everybody is a professional here. So, for the most part, we can show up at a track we've never been to before and run our fastest laps after a few laps of being there. That's what we get paid to do - to go and learn and figure them out as quickly as possible. I feel really confident going back there, and if everything plays out right, you never know what could happen.
"I'm ready to go back racing after our four week break. I'm really ready. We went and tested earlier this week at a short track in Georgia and had a great test there. It's fun to go test because you get to learn stuff, but it's so much more fun to race and go out and be competitive. You know, the competitor inside you wants to race. So I'm looking forward to going to Iowa, getting back in the truck and going racing."
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.
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