WALLACE CAN’T GET HIS NEW RACE CAR TO THE FRONT, AT BRISTOL

Kenny Wallace’s Stacker 2/Northeastern Supply Company Chevrolet team brought a brand new racecar to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee this past weekend in an attempt to be more competitive. Although the veteran chauffeur was able to remain on the lead lap in the 43-car starting field, he was still unable to take his machine to the front and remained mired in the middle of the field for most of the afternoon.

The result was a disappointing 16^th place finish in the Sharpie Professional 250 NASCAR Busch Series race, the fifth event on the 34-race, 2004 schedule.

Wallace started 13^th on the grid after a decent qualifying effort on Friday. However, he was never a threat to the faster cars led by Nextel Cup regular and polesitter Greg Biffle who led the first 116 laps. Biffle was eventually passed on the inside of turn number three on lap 117 by outside polesitter Martin Truex, Jr. who then proceeded to keep his #8 Chevy at the point the rest of the way to claim his first Busch Series victory in only his 20^th career start. Truex drives for Nextel Cup Series driving standout Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt, the widow of the late Dale Earnhardt out of the Chance 2 Racing Stables.

Though not a contender for the win, Wallace was able to remain on the lead lap and keep his brand new machine in basically one piece. In the end, Wallace was even able to climb a spot in the overall championship driver points standing. He now sits 14^thoverall, 218 points behind leader Kevin Harvick who finished third in Saturday’s race. Rounding out the top five finishers Saturday were rookie Kyle Busch, Biffle and Busch Series regular David Green who now sits in second place in Series points, just 41 behind the pacesetting Harvick.

Rounding out the top five drivers in the points standing is Truex (50 points out of the top spot), Michael Waltrip (-66) and Biffle (-112).

Wallace and his Bill Davis Racing contingent will be out to improve on their efforts next Saturday with the running of the O’Reilly’s 300 at Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth. That race will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EST and will be televised nationally on the FOX TV network.