Daytona is the proving ground for drivers and the start of the NASCAR Season. During Speed Weeks 2004 at Daytona International Speedway driver Shane Hmiel proved he is someone to be reckoned with. Shane Hmiel in his first the NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series race drove the #15 Billy Ballew Chevrolet Silverado. Hmiel after having top 10 practice times had a disappointing qualifying time and started 29th in the NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on February 13, 2004.
 
 The Earl Small’s Harley Davidson #15 Billy Ballew team knew once they were on the track in the draft with DEI power under the hood it would only be a matter of time before Hmiel had his place up front. Pole sitter Terry Cook’s lead was threatened almost immediately by Chase Montgomery. By the end of the lap Bobby Hamilton took the lead but then lost it back to Cook on lap 2 when a yellow for Joe Aramendia’s #31 Dodge was smoking due to a problem with an oil line. Hmiel pitted on lap 3 while under caution to fuel and tape up the front of the Chevrolet Silverado. Hmiel started in 32 on lap 6 when Terry Cook led the field to the restart. Hmiel pulled the fastest lap on the track at 46.90 on lap 8 and felt the truck was running great.
 
 An accident occurred on lap 10 between Steve Park, David Reutimann and Bobby Hamilton. They had been running three wide when Reutimann sandwiched Park between he and Hamilton slamming Hamilton into the wall. David Starr spun behind. Park spun and sped on pit road receiving a two lap penalty adding insult to injury for an accident he didn’t cause.
 
 Hmiel was 22nd on the lap 15 restart lead by Dennis Setzer. The third caution came out when Carl Edwards cut down a left rear tire when he picked up debris after an incident between David Reutimann and Randy Lajoie. In the mean time Ken Weaver not slowing under caution pushed rookie Robert Huffman into the wall. The accident collected Tina Gordon who was trying to avoid the crash scene. Hmiel pitted during the yellow on lap 29 for four tires, fuel and to make some track bar adjustments. Hmiel had been claiming the truck was loose.
 
 The restart occurred on lap 34 with Dennis Setzer in the lead but the action only lasted three laps bringing out the fourth caution. Ken Weaver and Steve Park tangled as Matt Crafton’s #6 Goodwrench Chevy lost an oil line. Park and Crafton brought their race trucks to the garage for repairs while Weaver was black-flagged for aggressive driving.
 
 Hmiel radioed in before the lap 42 restart where he was in the 9th position that the adjustments the crew had made in the truck from the second caution were starting to come in. They proved to be the right adjustments for the time because in the next few following laps Hmiel was up to 5th position and was battling for fourth around the track. He was .306 seconds away from the lead and after pushing Setzer to the lead he moved up to third. Lap 49 Hmiel took the top spot and radioed to the crew “Chevrolet all the way, baby!” This is the first year NASCAR Craftsmen Truck team owner Billy Ballew has fielded Chevrolet. The 2004 Chevy Silverado is new from the ground up and was finished the day before they pulled out for Daytona. During Hmiel’s lead the race truck became progressively looser and subsequently Hmiel lost the lead to Dennis Setzer.
 
 The “big one” occurred shortly after Setzer regained the lead on lap 50 when Jack Sprague slid in front of Tracy Hines. Sprague collected a few trucks and others spun behind him. In the end 14 trucks were involved in the crash. Hmiel pitted during the caution trying to get rid of the loose conditions. Dropping the track bar and adjusting pressure was the pit crew’s goal. He stopped again on lap 51 for 2 turns in the rear to get some spoiler in it.
 
 Mike Wallace lead when the field restarted on lap 62, Hmiel was 5th. Hmiel helped push Carl Edwards to 3rd but lost the draft falling to 10th when the yellow once again returned. “I’m loose, loose, loose” Hmiel explained. Ritchie Waters and spotter Steve Hmiel continually communicated trying to fix the problem. Hmiel pitted to change tires, gas and to work on the trucks loose condition. Once again on lap 76 Shane Hmiel made a quick pit stop to go two rounds up on the wedge.
 
 Hmiel looked as if he would have a clean finish after the lap 80 restart with 20 to go. Suddenly, Hmiel was forced down the track on lap 82 by Bill Lester sending him through the grass for a wild ride damaging his valance. Tina Gordon's spin warranted a yellow flag and enabled Hmiel's team to start working on the valance. Hmiel radioed his crew saying “I tried to pass Lester and he just came down on me; sorry again guys there was nothing I could do”. Hmiel restarted 17th but quickly moved up to 12th with three laps to go. Hmiel wanting to bring the truck home let the battle ensue in front of him “We could either bring it home or beat it up for a couple spots.” The Billy Ballew #15 race truck driven by Shane Hmiel ended with an impressive 14th place position. Hmiel said after the race “it felt good to push past a Toyota in the lead. If we could have just tightened it up a bit, we would have had something for them. With the Chevy Truck and a DEI engine we had the power.” This being Hmiels first truck race and first race since his NASCAR reinstatement February 6th.
 
 The #15 Billy Ballew Chevrolet Silverado has a two race sponsorship with Earl Small’s Harley Davidson for Daytona and the Atlanta race but is seeking to secure Sponsorship for the rest of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series Season. See Hmiel and the rest of the Craftsmen Truck Series drivers in Atlanta on March 13, 2004.