Phoenix International Raceway Preview; Kenny Wallace to Drive No. 15 Truck

OVERVIEW

posted on November 03, 2008

Kenny Wallace Phoenix International Raceway Fast Facts

• Wallace has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Phoenix International Raceway (1995 - Start 14, Finish 15 and 1996 – Start 12, Finish 12)
• The Lucas Oil 150 will mark Wallace’s 11th NCTS career start
• In 10 previous NCTS races, Wallace has two top-five and four top-10 finishes
• Wallace has completed 100% of NCTS laps in PIR competition
• Wallace has driven one prior NCTS race with Billy Ballew Motorsports (Gateway International Raceway, 2007 – Start 11, Finish 13)

Wallace Comments on Phoenix International Raceway

“I ran St. Louis (Gateway International Raceway) for Billy Ballew Motorsports last year. I know they’ve got great equipment and great people. Phoenix (International Raceway) has always been a favorite track of mine, so when I got the call from Billy, and he said ‘Herm, you want to go truck racing?’ I jumped on it.

“It's always a thrill to compete in the Truck Series. I grew up racing the short tracks with ASA, and truck races remind me of that. They’re shorter races and the drivers dig every lap. The races are action packed the whole way through. That’s why you see (Sprint) Cup guys and Nationwide (Series) guys jump at the chance to go truck racing when they can.

“We’re going to one of my very favorite tracks. I love Phoenix. I love the racetrack. I love the atmosphere. It fits my driving style, so I get excited any time we go racing there. I love the challenge. Turns 1 and 2 make a sharp corner and you’ve got to attack it, but you need to make sure you can come out the other end. When you get to 3 and 4, it’s easy to overdrive that side, too. It’s flat, so you’ll slide right up the track if you come in too hard. It’s tricky to find that balance, but it’s definitely a fun place to try and conquer.

“Not many people know it, but a lot of the guys at Billy Ballew Motorsports used to work on my old Nationwide team. Back when I was winning races in that series, Richie Wauters and a bunch of his crew were on my team. I’m the innovator of those guys! They’ve won a ton of races since then and I’m real proud of what they’ve accomplished. So any time I get to race for Billy, I feel like I’m coming home and driving for my guys again. Let’s hope we can repeat our magic with the Ergon truck this weekend!”