Ryan Hemphill has been tabbed to drive the #15 VOKAL Clothing Dodge for the remainder of the 2003 Truck Series season. The 21 year-old Apollo, PA native takes over the reigns from NASCAR veteran Mike Skinner who has rejoined the NASCAR Winston Cup ranks. Hemphill has made six previous Truck Series starts with a best finish of 10th at South Boston last year while driving for Bobby Hamilton Racing. “I am thrilled to be driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports,” Hemphill said. “Billy has good equipment and good people working on his trucks, buthe just hasn’t had the finishes he deserves. I am hoping that with all of us pitching in together we can get some really good finishes and help build this program together.” Team owner Billy Ballew is excited about the prospects that Hemphill brings. He acknowledges the benefits of the recent four-race stint with Skinner at the helm while casting his eye towards the future. “Having Mike Skinner come in and help us evaluate our program has been a huge plus for our team,” Ballew stated. “I can’t thank Mike enough for his willingness to assist us. Mike and I have even discussed the possibility of running him in some additional truck races later in the year if funding should become available. Right now it is time for us to start building a future for our organization, and I think adding Ryan as our driver is an excellent first step. I received a number of calls from people in the racing industry who have extremely high regard for Ryan’s talent and his personality. He is an energetic young man who can come in and help us continue to develop. I remain committed to making this team a competitive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team and I think Ryan can help get us there.”(Billy Ballew Motorsports)(8-6-2003)
