Kenny Wallace coming to I-96

Lake Odessa, MI.August 12, 2009
By Richard Bila

This Saturday night, August 15, NASCAR racer and SPEED TV’s Kenny Wallace will return to do battle with the I-96 Speedway UMP modified drivers in a 50 lap $1,000 to win feature race. The Fenton MO. driver will also be competing that same day at MIS in the Nationwide series race, and will travel immediately after that race to I-96.

During his driving career in NASCAR, Wallace has won over $20 million in both the Cup series and the Nationwide series. His best finish to date in the Cup series is a second at New Hampshire in 1999. In the Nationwide series he has nine wins and 64 top fives and 159 top tens.

“I started racing on the dirt about four years ago” says Wallace over the phone. “I thought this late in my career, if something happens in the NASCAR side, I still want to race and have fun. This racing on the dirt is really a blast and I am improving every time I go out.When asked about what NASCAR could do to win back the fans, “We have to look at the over all product. Right now I have people telling me that they watch the prerace on SPEED, watch the start and the first part of the race, take a nap, or go do something else, then come back for the end. Maybe we need to look some more at the length of the races. We have already cut some of them back”.“And maybe we might have to stop at half way and have something like the X Games, or Joie Chitwood ramping cars. Today’s new fans what more and maybe we need to look at that”.“And our start times need to be earlier and more uniformed”. “But when it comes right down to it, no one really as the number one reason. NASCAR is working at it, the Chase, which we all said would fail, and the double file restarts have helped”.When asked what his most outstanding memory in racing is, “The day I helped Dale Earnhardt win his last race, the Winston 500 at Talladega in 2000. We both had terrible pit stops toward the end of the Talladega race. They threw the green and I found myself pushing Dale and then I passed him and then he passed me back and our cars just hooked up and away we went to the front. Even though I did not win, it was awesome when after the race over the loud speakers I heard Dale say that he would have not won without Kenny Wallace’s help.”“That day he also won the NO Bull Million, and during post race tech he asks me “Kenny what do you want for Christmas. You helped me win a million, and I want to pay you back.” I said Dale, you owe me nothing. You gave me my chance in NASCAR by letting me drive for you. I tell you that was great.

Even though I have won nine Nationwide races, which are all great, that day in Talladega was special. I still get cards and letters from Dale’s fans for that day”.“I grew to be very closer to Dale though my brother Rusty. We all miss Dale, not just the racer, but Dale the friend”.And when asked about his SPEED TV gig, “I love the SPEED gig. They are great people. They hire all racers or crew chiefs. They have me jump out of my Border Patrol Nationwide car and head right for the camera’s and have me tell what happened.” Does NASCAR censer you guys on SPEED at all? “People ask me that a lot, and my answer is no. They are very supportive; in fact they own the production company that produces the shows on SPEED. Mike Helton enjoys the show, in fact he had us all down on is farm in Atlanta not long ago and we had a blast.”The nights racing will begin with the make up modified feature from July 25.

The regular scheduled show, which will feature the NESMITH Ultimate Champion late models on the ½ mile track, the UMP mods and the 50 lap feature also on the ½, the mini sprints, four cylinder road beaters and bus races on the 3/8 mile track, will follow the make up feature.

Wallace is also bringing a couple of his racing friends from the show me state. Rusty Griffaw, from Festus, MO. And Billy Smith will also be racing. Griffaw is 24th in national points for the UMP mods.Gates open at 4, hot laps at 6:00 and the first race will go at 7pm. Wallace will be available for autographs after the 50 lap feature which will be run early in the line up of races.

I-96 speedway is located off interstate 96 at exit 64. Go south ½ mile and then west one mile on Portland road to the track. You can get updated info at www.i96speedway.com or call the track at 616-642-0555.