Optimism lives on in the New Year for Mike Wallace

Doesn't matter when you talk to him, you get the impression Mike Wallace would be smiling.

Yeah, yeah -- we've all seen the middle of the three racing Wallace brothers fired up, mostly when he's been wronged on the racetrack. But by and large he's a pretty upbeat kind of guy.

Dave Rodman

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It's why, on the verge of a New Year's Eve that might precede the most tenuous year thousands and thousands of people may face in their lives -- and obviously we're not limiting that to just racing people -- Wallace sounded particularly optimistic.

Not much had changed in the less than a month that had passed since Wallace last talked about his tenuous 2008 racing season (read more). In fact, Wallace remains one of a small handful of very credible race-car drivers who are without rides next year -- a list that includes names like Labonte, Mayfield, Nemechek and Blaney.

Talk to any of them, and a certain degree of optimism exists, and that becomes a great lesson for anyone about keeping your head up and making the best of any situation you're dealt.

It makes you realize things could always be worse. And it makes you realize you always have things to be thankful for.

Right now Wallace is mostly thankful because he's pretty sure at least one streak that's extremely important to the Wallace family will continue. That's the 25 consecutive years that at least one Wallace brother has taken the green flag in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Mike Wallace says he's secured a ride in a "competitive car" for Speedweeks' crown jewel event, so providing he can get through the arduous Daytona qualifying process he's confident of continuing the streak that older brother Rusty began with a 30th-place finish in 1984 and younger brother Kenny maintained, despite finishing 43rd, last season after a stunning Gatorade Duel qualifying effort.

It's fitting he's going to at least have that opportunity, because in the past seven years Mike's had the best "500" finish by a Wallace, fourth in 2007; and in 2001 he was half of the best family finish ever by the Wallaces, when Rusty was third and Mike, sixth.

But beyond Daytona, Wallace said this week he just doesn't know what's going to happen.

"We're still talking to people, and they're still interested in possibly doing something," Wallace said. "The only thing that I'm thinking is that I wish it was, like, three months ago -- because the way they're thinking and the way I'm thinking, knowing how close the beginning of the season is, causes me a little bit of concern." (Continued)