Mike Wallace's last Busch Series win was at Daytona. Credit: Autostock

Wallace signs three-year sponsorship deal

Will still run for Finch with 'billion-dollar' sponsor

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Mike Wallace was nearly sick on Saturday at Kansas Speedway after he lost more than half a second between practice and qualifying for the Yellow 300 -- but thinking about his Busch Series future brought a smile to his face.

Inside the Numbers Mike Wallace in the Busch Series Starts 254 Wins 4 Top-fives 20 Top-10s 53 Avg. Start 22.6 Avg. Finish 20.0

On Oct. 13 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Wallace will announce a three-year sponsorship deal with a "billion-dollar corporation that's dabbled somewhat in NASCAR previously" to compete full-time in the Busch Series.

Wallace's car owner James Finch is currently 10th in the Busch owner standings -- the highest non-Nextel Cup affiliated Busch team. Wallace, who's run 17 of the 29 races for Finch, has two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

Wallace, who has a history in both Busch and Cup with Finch, said he was happy to stick with the owner for at least the next two years. Wallace said Finch would switch his Busch program to Chevrolets and that Wallace would run a No. 7 Monte Carlo using the points from this year's No. 1 car.

Wallace holds the option for the third year of the deal.

"The neat thing is the sponsorship deal is with me, the company is paying me and I'm paying James," Wallace said. "It creates some good consistency here and gives these guys the ability to step the program up a little more and to get even more competitive."

Wallace said that Finch, a successful Florida businessman who has a long history in racing, also plans to do a schedule of between 10-15 Nextel Cup races, of which Wallace would do a good number, "at least the four restrictor-plate races."

Wallace said Finch would run the No. 1 car for the full 2007 season with continued sponsorship from the Native American Miccosukee tribe of South Florida.