Kenny Wallace sets new career milestone

Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

When the green flag waves for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway this Saturday, Kenny Wallace will sit atop the Nationwide Series record books as the all-time leader in starts. Wallace is currently tied with Jason Keller, having made his 519^th career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway.


Heading into Texas, Wallace is racing with a heavy heart after his beloved father Russ passed away on Sunday. Wallace will be honoring “Big Russ” this weekend, placing his name above the driver’s door of his No. 09 G Oil Toyota Camry.

Wallace and his team tweeted this picture.

Wallace said on his Facebook page Wednesday evening, ”I am taking a deep breath and i am ready for Texas, With my Dad's name over the door and my 520th start this week i have "Focused Energy"..I will go in that garage with more focus on my job than i have ever had, I will not drive any different but i will try harder than i ever have to get my car handling and communicate with my crew chief like never before, I almost feel angry? I am between Sad and Mad..I need to clear my head because Texas is a BIG race for ME PERSONALLY.”


In his career, Wallace has reached many milestones. Taking a look at some:
· Kenny Wallace has competed in all three of NASCAR’s top touring series. His career in the Sprint Cup series spans 18 years and 344 races.
· Racing in the NNS Series since 1988, Wallace was only 24 years old when he made his one and only start that season for Dale Earnhardt Inc..
· Wallace claimed the Busch (currently Nationwide) Series Rookie of the Year honors in 1989.
· Wallace’s first two wins came in 1991 while driving the No. 36 for his brother Rusty Wallace.
· With a total of 9 wins, 65 top-5 and 170 top-0 finishes, Wallace’s career has outlasted the lulls he has experienced.

This year, Skirts and Scuffs spoke with Kenny twice: Kenny Wallace: Life is a time warp and most recently at Kansas; Kenny Wallace - Motivated and Poised Man on a Mission. It's been a year of revitalization for Wallace, one that finds him back in contention for wins. Wallace has a best finish of 5th at Richmond, and with 3 races remaining in the season, he is still seeking that elusive win. And while a win in any of those races would be treasured, no win would be more fitting than with “Big Russ” riding shotgun this weekend.