In 2008, the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra team – anchored by superstar driver Kyle Busch – finished third in the owner standings. This year, again with Busch as the central figure, the No. 51 team came home second in owner points. But Busch announced last week that he is running his own Truck Series program in 2010. Nevertheless, Ballew is confident in Aric Almirola, who didn’t join the team this year until June and will be a full-time driver for the team in 2010 if everything goes according to plan. And if everything falls into place, Ballew believes it’s realistic to be thinking championship.

The stats were pretty impressive for the whole team in 2009. Busch led the Truck Series in wins, with seven from his 15 starts in the No. 51 Tundra, up from three wins in 11 starts with the team in ’08. He had 11 top fives this year, up from four in ’08. But Busch was only part of the story in the No. 51 this year, as a total of five different drivers combined to score 3,886 points, coming up just 73 points short of the owner’s title.  It was a strong season for Ballew’s No. 15 team as well.

If there was one race that was the highlight for Billy Ballew Motorsports, it had to be that Talladega race, where Busch took the victory and Almirola came home second to give Ballew his first 1-2 finish as an owner. In the end 2009 was the best year ever for Billy Ballew Motorsports.  It will definitely be different in 2010, when Ballew finds his team’s Tundras racing against those from Kyle Busch Motorsports. A protégé of Busch’s, Ickler will follow his mentor to the new program as well. But Ballew only wishes Busch well for deciding to operate his own program. Whoever comes out on top it will be an exciting year for Toyota Truck Series performances.