Sponsorship worries aside, Wallace seeks perspective

When he looked at his racing plans for 2009, team ownership wasn't exactly on Mike Wallace's mind -- at least not at NASCAR's highest levels.

But due to the economic downturn -- not just on the sporting world's landscape -- and the always-present aspect of life in motorsports that likens it to traversing a minefield, that's the position in which Wallace finds himself.

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Wallace brought GEICO Insurance to Germain Racing for the 2008 Nationwide Series season. In a nutshell, NASCAR forbade GEICO from continuing in the series after this year because of a conflict with the series' sponsor.

The company decided to do a limited Sprint Cup schedule in 2009 with Italian road racer Max Papis, whose stock-car experience is less than limited. It's still hard to understand the decision to turn away from Wallace, a race-winning driver around whom the company built a popular advertising campaign.

It's even more stunning when owner Richard Childress selected Wallace to drive a fourth Cup car from the RCR stable at Talladega, while Papis failed to make any of the races he attempted in late 2008.

But despite the dealings and definite uncertainty, Wallace remains optimistic.

"For sure I've got nothing locked-in for next year, though we've got a lot of conversations going and a lot of irons in the fire," Wallace said this week, a cheery snap in his voice despite the chasm of uncertainty he faces.

And what makes it even more agonizing -- at least in racing terms -- is that Wallace is at the stage of his life where not only is he balancing his own competitive future, he's also looking ahead while marshalling the racing progress of daughter Chrissy, 20, and 13-year-old son Matt.

Mike's not the only one in the family on pins and needles these days. He said Chrissy's 2009 schedule with Germain Racing is far from definitive, with that ugliest of terms -- "sponsorship" -- being the apparent hang-up.

"Chrissy started out looking at a full schedule in the Camping World Truck Series, but now it doesn't look like that's going to happen," Mike said. "There was talk about doing the full Camping World East Series, but we're not sure about that, either. We're waiting to see what happens."

That the "something that happens" will involve racing is virtually a given.

Wallace's family has been consumed by racing since the three brothers -- 1989 Cup champion Rusty; Mike, a former NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional champion; and Kenny, who also mixes racing and television -- trekked around to various short tracks with their dad Russ, who was a Midwest dirt track terror. (Continued)