BROOKLYN, Michigan — Brian Ickler in his fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start posted the No. 15 Samsung Instinct Toyota Tundra on the pole and brought a third place finish home for the Billy Ballew Motorsports team Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
Ickler was fast since the No. 15 Samsung Instinct Toyota Tundra was unloaded from the transporter posting the second fastest time in practice and went on to pick up his first career Keystone Light Pole start after posting a time of 40.839 seconds at a speed of 176.302 miles per hour for the running of the Michigan 200 Saturday afternoon.
Ickler, on the point position, at the start of the 100 lap race had just taken the green flag when the beginning of three-wide racing broke out. The No. 30 got into the corner quicker sending Ickler to the second place position on lap one. The young rookie continued running three-wide all the way around the 2-mile racetrack in veteran style not lifting off the throttle.
Under the first caution on lap 10, crew chief Richie Wauters brought Ickler down pit road for fuel and a round out of the track bar. Ickler returned to the track restarting in the 10th-place position on lap 13 quickly advancing to the eighth place position on lap 19. He reported that the Toyota Tundra was loose asking for adjustments on the next stop.
On lap 34, Ickler was running side by side with another competitor when they got loose sending Ickler gently into them bringing out the second caution. Ickler received no damage to the No. 15 Samsung Instinct but came down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel.
The 100-lap race restarted on lap 37 with Ickler in the seventh place position quickly advancing to the fourth place position running four wide on the race track. Both Ickler and teammate Kyle Busch were running in the top times on the racetrack.
Ickler made the pass for the second place position behind his teammate Busch when the caution came out. The yellow flag was displayed before the race trucks passed the next scoring loop sending Ickler back to the third place position.
Again, Ickler reported that the No. 15 Samsung Instinct was loose. He came down pit road on lap 63 for air pressure and track bar adjustments.
Ickler restarted in the third place position on lap 67 but fell back to the fourth place spot. The young driver continued to battle back picking up the third spot with less ten laps remaining in the race posting his career best finish of third place.
“We had a pretty good truck all weekend,” Ickler said. “It was a great qualifying effort by the whole team. Both Richie Wauters and Doug George work closely on these trucks and get us to be where we need to be. Billy Ballew has an open book policy and it is a true team effort. We started off our run a little free and just tried to learn everything with all the air – aero on these trucks around this two-mile race track. We got shuffled to the back a little there and had some help from Kyle (Busch) to get back to the front. I’m just so happy to post a great finish for Billy Ballew, Samsung Instinct and to build on a great momentum booster for next week.”
Brian Ickler returns to the No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Tundra next week as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to the Milwaukee Mile. The Camping World RV Sales 200 is slated to begin at 9:00ET Saturday, June 19, 2009.
