As you'll probably remember, Ballew was nabbed inside Atlanta Motor Speedway's infield -- come to think of it, it wasn't a good weekend in that infield -- after an 'irate' off-duty police officer working track security stopped his vehicle after seeing a cocktail.
It wasn't a great week and change to be the assistant of Sprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch after the Las Vegas native won the series' last outing two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Thanks to a nameless, peculiar victory lap Busch unveiled after the win by driving his No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge in reverse in the correct counter-clockwise fashion for a full lap, ideas poured from all corners of the NASCAR world on what the lap should be called.
And because, you know, that's what people in NASCAR do, Busch announced Friday that the lap's official title will be the "Unwind Lap".
Perhaps Jimmy Watts was just doing what he had always done as a firefighter for the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department on Sunday when he dashed across the unprotected frontstretch Atlanta Motor Speedway grass to retrieve an errant tire from his team's recently completed pit stop -- preventing a potentially harmful situation.
Regardless, the NASCAR gas man who helped bring out a caution that changed the complexion of the Kobalt Tools 500 and was suspended by NASCAR for the remainder of the event felt obligated Sunday evening to apologize for his actions.
After taking the outside pole in the season-opening Daytona 500, the rejuvenated and ageless Mark Martin was the talk of the NASCAR garage area.
Martin, it seemed, was ready to vie for his first Sprint Cup title during his first full season with Hendrick Motorsports after taking a part-time role for the past few seasons.
Now, after a third-straight finish lower than 30th, it's hard to believe that the driver of the No. 5 is the same guy the NASCAR world was abuzz about just four weeks ago.
NASCAR's tire supplier Goodyear better hope Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart loses his voice this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, otherwise they might be for yet another public relations nightmare.
A year removed from a post-race tirade that saw Stewart tell the world he would dispose of any Goodyear product he owned because the tires created virtually no grip for the heavy stock cars, the problem appears to be creeping up again.
To make matters worse, even the driver of the best car on Friday at the 1.5-mile track talked about the lack of control he felt while making laps at NASCAR's fastest track.
The story, first picked up by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said Ballew was arrested by a sargeant in the Henry County Sherriff's office after Ballew was flagged down while transporting a sponsor from his at-track condominium to a motorhome in the infield.
Ballew confirmed the story to the paper, but claimed that he was simply carrying a mixed drink and "was not drunk" at the time of arrest.
With NASCAR's awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 5 (stop by for the live blog!), here's a look at 10 from '08 -- ten of the NASCAR season's best moments.
Tony Stewart may have lost the 2008 Daytona 500 on the last lap, got wrecked by Kevin Harvick in the waning laps at Bristol and lost his barber's number nearly all spring but none of that -- not even that pesky Kurt Busch character -- could rile up the two-time champion like NASCAR's tire supplier.
The setting was Atlanta Motor Speedway in March during the Sprint Cup's first visit to the 1.5-mile track and what we got was a lackluster performance by nearly every race team thanks to the lack of grip drivers suffered through because of Goodyear's hard tire compound.
Passing was hardly an option, the final lead change happened because of a blown engine and racing anywhere near another car was a perilous move for even the most talented drivers. And when it was all said and done, Tony Stewart let his voice be heard.
Pedal on the Right The 43-car Sprint Cup field takes the green flag for Sunday's Pep Boys 500 after the starting order was determined by owner points last Friday thanks to a rained out qualifying session.
"We were out to lunch there a long ways and made the most of a solid run. Happy with that I guess - a top five," Busch said.
After the race, NASCAR confiscated the rear end housing from Busch's No. 18 Toyota with plans to double check measurements at the research and development center in Concord, N.C.
Busch, who won the season's first race at AMS to take the first of many Toyota victories in 2008, left the track with just his second Top-5 finish (he turned in a 5th-place run) in the 2008 edition of the Chase for the Sprint Cup after coming in as the overriding favorite.
It's not exactly a major story, but we wouldn't be doing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner Billy Ballew justice without at least giving mention to the fact that a DUI charged against him has been dropped.
It wasn't a great week and change to be the assistant of 
Perhaps Jimmy Watts was just doing what he had always done as a firefighter for the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department on Sunday when he dashed across the unprotected frontstretch 
After taking the outside pole in the season-opening 
NASCAR's tire supplier Goodyear better hope 
Billy Ballew
Don't you just love it when a headline has a humorous double entendre? I do.
