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BUSCH: Kenny Wallace Weekly Notes 98-11-02

Square D Racing Review/Preview ------------------------------------ HARRISBURG, N.C., (Nov. 2, 1998) - After starting 34th in last Sunday's ACDelco 400 at North Carolina Speedway, Square D Ford driver Kenny Wallace rallied to a 16th place finish.

Edited: Apr 16, 2008, 12:40 AM

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Square D Racing Review/Preview ------------------------------------

HARRISBURG, N.C., (Nov. 2, 1998) - After starting 34th in last Sunday's ACDelco 400 at North Carolina Speedway, Square D Ford driver Kenny Wallace rallied to a 16th place finish. The St. Louis native overcame his backstretch pit assignment, an ill-handling race car and the rigors of making 1,572 left turns around the 1.017-mile oval to pick up 18 positions altogether. As a result, Wallace nabbed the Exide All Charged Up Award for gaining the most positions of any competitor.

"If we would've had 12 more days like that, we'd be in the top-15 in points," said Wallace. "Really, 16th isn't good. But I tell you what, I drove my butt off and the guys gave me great pit stops. It was just good teamwork. There were 43 cars in the race and we finished 16th. So, we beat about three- quarters of the field."

* * *

If NASCAR Winston Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway were a computer program, say part of Microsoft's Windows '98, Square D Ford driver Kenny Wallace would be all for it. That way he could just download the file titled "1998 Primestar 500," copy and paste it to a new document and call it "1998 NAPA 500." If we actually lived in Bill Gates' cyberworld, this would give Wallace his eighth top-10 finish of the year.

"When we were there in the spring, we qualified 24th and went right to the front," said Wallace, who finished seventh in this year's Primestar 500. "I'm looking to do the same thing on Sunday. We're taking the same car that we had in the spring, and it just seems like it's best suited for Atlanta."

Prior to the re-configuring of Atlanta, the former 1.522-mile oval was a track where Wallace, for all intents and purposes, struggled. But in the past two events that have been held since the track was lengthened to its current 1.54-mile layout, the 35-year-old has showed marked improvement - both in confidence and on paper.

"There are some race tracks that some drivers have a hard time figuring out," said Wallace. "I just had a helluva time trying to figure out the old Atlanta. I think I've got it now."

* * *

Just as there are point battles being waged in the driver's point standings, similar skirmishes are being fought in the car owner's point race. For instance, Filbert Martocci, owner of FILMAR Racing, is just four points away from placing in the top-30 in car owner points. Another good run could give Martocci the push he needs to join the 1999 NASCAR Car Owner Special Plan 1, entitling all Winston Cup teams within the top-30 in points a guaranteed $7,000 per each event they attend.

Kenny Wallace's Atlanta Performance Profile ---------------------

Year Event            Start  Finish      Status/Lap      Earnings
1998 Primestar 500   24              7               Running/325     $34,100 
1997 Primestar 500   10             29               Accident/299    $28,335 
          NAPA 500   19             30               Running/317     $31,430 
1996 Purolator 500   38             37               Engine/155       $9,925 
1994   Hooters 500    2             25               Running/292     $18,685 
1993 Motorcraft 500  26             16               Running/324     $10,895 
        Hooters 500  40             30               Accident/214     $8,200
1991 Hardee's 500    31             23               Running/319        $5,225

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