CTS team owners Billy Ballew and Preston Countryman have split their respective operations, and the #15 CTS team will continue operation as Billy Ballew Motorsports. The team had been operating as Countryman Ballew Racing, a trade name for Countryman Motorsports. The original agreement between the two owners called for Countryman to provide the funding and Ballew the equipment and personnel for the NCTS effort. As a result of the split, Billy Ballew Motorsports will not retain the Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. and the Dickies brand of workwear as a sponsor despite the team’s efforts to provide a motorsports marketing program for the company. “The bottom line is that Countryman Motorsports ran out of the Dickies sponsorship money five races ago and I have been funding this Dickies program out of my own pocket since that time,” said Ballew. “Neither Billy Ballew Motorsports nor I have any agreement or obligation to the Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. We made a valiant effort to retain Dickies as our sponsor, but they elected to go in another direction. That’s despite the fact that we gave them five races for free and moved from 23rd to 14th in points during that time. This is the third time I have assisted that sponsor and lost money doing it. They continue to sign agreements with owners who do not have the necessary equipment to compete in this series and I have provided equipment and personnel in each case.” Despite the split, Billy Ballew Motorsports team will compete at IRP with driver Mark Gibson behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford F-150. Billy Ballew Motorsports, located in Mooresville, NC, is currently looking for sponsorship assistance. Interested parties should contact Billy Ballew at 404-202-8800 or Emmett Byrd at 704-664-7015.(PR)(8-1-2002)
