Ballew, Finch To Run Kurt Busch In Atlanta Truck Race

Ballew: "I've got the itch again."

Kurt Busch will drive a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet in next Friday night’s Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as part of a joint venture involving Billy Ballew Motorsports and Phoenix Racing.

The truck is an 11-time winner in recent seasons with drivers Kyle Busch, Shane Hmiel and Aric Almirola at the wheel. It was most recently campaigned by Vision Aviation Racing in 2011, before that team closed its doors. Reskinned as a Chevrolet and outfitted with a Hendrick engine, the truck will be entered by Ballew, but prepared and crewed by Phoenix Racing.

“I’m helping Billy out a little,” confirmed Finch today. “He’s going to field the truck, and I’m helping him out by loaning him a pit crew and a driver.”

“We haven’t announced anything yet,” said Ballew, “but I’m about 99% sure it’s going to happen. I’ll know for sure by Monday, but I’m confident enough that we already sent the entry in to NASCAR.

“I’ve got the itch to go racing again, but I don’t have the financial wherewithal to do it on a full-time basis,” laughed Ballew. “I’m not going to do what I did in the past, but I’ve got some local sponsor money to help pay the tire bill at Atlanta. I’m not sure where we’ll go from there, but we’ll run Atlanta, have a good time and see where it leads us.

“I have adapted to being out of the sport, but I haven’t learned to like it yet.”

Photos: SPEEDTV.com,