NASCAR Cup

Dover II: Kenny Wallace - Ford Saturday interview

Kenny Wallace will again fill in for the injured Ricky Rudd as driver of the No. 88 Snickers Ford Fusion this weekend as Rudd continues to recuperate following a shoulder injury at California earlier this month. KENNY WALLACE -- No. 88 Snickers ...

Published: Sep 23, 2007, 6:11 AM

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Kenny Wallace will again fill in for the injured Ricky Rudd as driver of the No. 88 Snickers Ford Fusion this weekend as Rudd continues to recuperate following a shoulder injury at California earlier this month.

KENNY WALLACE -- No. 88 Snickers Ford Fusion

THIS IS YOUR THIRD WEEK FILLING IN ON THE 88 TEAM. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE TEAM? "I'm comfortable as a driver and in the race car, when I'm in my own domain inside the race car, I'm comfortable. But as far as how far do I push the envelope of telling the crew of what I think they should do, I'm never comfortable with that in a fill-in role. In other words, when you sign a year or two-year or three-year contract with a team, I try to get into the game and tell them everything that's wrong or everything that's right, spoil the crew, take them to lunch, give them bonuses. When you're full-time with a team, you do both sides -- you criticize and pat them on the back, and give them bonuses and that. With a fill-in role like this, I don't know, really, how far I should push the envelope. I say thank you to all of them and tell them what the car is doing, and then go from there."

HOW HAVE THE LAST THREE WEEKS GONE FOR YOU AND THIS TEAM? "I don't think it's been difficult, because when I got here, you know, they're all well aware of their struggles with the car of tomorrow. And all I think I've been is just another driver to verify that. They're working real hard, they're trying to figure out what makes this car of tomorrow tick, and I can tell that, and this is no lie, they work hard. It's not for a lack of effort. The only thing I have myself to compare to with the car of tomorrow is what Ricky Rudd has dome in the past, and what teammate, David Gilliland, is doing right now. So, I wouldn't say it's been difficult or it's been hard, it's just been more of a process of elimination, what the car needs. So, we're all hoping that Ricky will be back pretty soon, but right now I'm just trying to help put the puzzle together to get the car of tomorrow running better for Yates."

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR TOMORROW'S RACE? "Expectations are always high for me every week. My goal is always a top-20, and we haven't reached that goal yet -- 28th and 34th, we lost an alternator last week, an alternator wire broke and we lost two batteries and finished 34th. Dover's a fun track. You get your rhythm and it seems like you can run all day long. So, my goal is a top-20 and to keep this thing well into the top 35 in the points."

-credit: ford racing

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