LAP 117 SPIN FOILS WALLACE’S VICTORY CHANCES IN ANOTHER WRECK FILLED BRISTOL RACE

Kenny Wallace has not won a NASCAR Busch Series race in 59 starts, but bolstered by a very strong, third place qualifying effort for Friday night’s Food City 250, Wallace had the goods to snap that streak.

Over the race’s first 70 laps, Wallace remained third in the running order despite a loose handling and overheating racecar, and was turning speeds equal to that of the leaders when he made his first pit stop after a lap 73 caution period. An extended stay in his pit box for some adjustments dropped Wallace’s Stacker 2/Northeastern Supply Company Chevrolet back to 14^th on the restart but still with a car capable of winning.

Wallace picked off cars methodically and was running tenth on lap 110 when he radioed in to crew chief Chris Rice and told them that the water temperature in the car had dropped down and that the car was “very good”. That all ended seven laps later when David Stremme tapped Wallace’s from behind and sent him spinning down the front stretch flattening two tires and forcing Kenny to the pits.

In his haste to get service, Wallace mistakenly passed several cars while the field was under the yellow flag and was thus held for a one-lap penalty, relegating him back to the 32^nd position in the 43-car field when the race was re-started on lap 122.

Though he was unable to again contend for the win, Wallace did manage to eventually get his lap back, avoid several more accidents and worked his way through the field sufficiently enough to finish a respectable 14^th.  NASCAR Nextel Cup Series veteran and championship contender Dale Earnhardt, Jr. dominated the second half of the race to win by a car length over a fast-closing Matt Kenseth, the reigning Nextel Cup Series champion. Rounding out the top five were Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and David Green.

“We had a car capable of winning this race tonight, so it is disappointing to finish 14^th. I’m sure Stremme didn’t spin me out on purpose, but what he did took us out of a chance to win,” Wallace said. “But this is Bristol, and what happened to us tonight happens to a lot of drivers all too often”, he added.

Wallace was able to hold onto the 11^th position in the championship driver’s points battle and actually has drawn to within just three of tenth place Ashton Lewis, Jr. who finished Friday’s race in the 26^th position. With just 10 races remaining on the 2004 Busch Series schedule, Wallace and his Busch Series competitors venture west next weekend for the first-ever Labor Day weekend event at California Speedway in Fontana, CA.

The Target House 300 takes the green flag at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon with NBC televising the race live nationally.