His former team kept deflecting his phone calls, telling him not to worry and that his helmet would be there for the 905th start of his long, storied NASCAR career. The smokescreen was effective — it bought his daughter Brittany enough time to have it professionally painted with a commemorative collage of snapshots and memories from his 26 years in the sport.
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While Wallace’s time behind the wheel in NASCAR will end with Saturday’s U.S. Cellular 250 presented by New Holland (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM), the sport won’t be saying goodbye to one of its most charismatic characters, who will remain a presence both in TV broadcasting and at local dirt tracks. Though there will be some finality after he steps away Saturday night, Wallace said he’ll do his best to keep his emotions in check along the way.
"I think there’s going to be moments and I hope that it happens after the race, but I’ve done a pretty good job at my career to really focus in on what I have to do," said Wallace, who will carry backing from the race’s title sponsor on his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota. "I remember when Ernie Irvan got hurt (in 1994) and I was in that Texaco/Havoline car in the Cup Series, I was shifting the gears getting on the high banks there at Bristol and I could hear the roar of the crowd, and I was like, ‘No. Focus.’
"I’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ve watched Jeff Gordon this year; I don’t even know how he can go. I’ve learned a lot. I’m ready to race, and then we’ll deal with everything after the race and when I get out of the car."
That theory held true for about 30 minutes after his arrival at the .875-mile track, when Brittany Wallace handed over the special surprise to her father in front of a group of friends and family. Short of choking up, the 51-year-old Wallace said he had sworn he would not be emotional, but was genuinely moved by the gift.
Wallace joked that he hopes to amend the helmet’s graphics Saturday night, changing his nine career XFINITY wins to an even 10. But the joke belied his ever-sharper focus with top-shelf JGR equipment underneath him for this weekend’s swan song.
"If he’s saying he’s blocking it out, he’s way better at doing something like that than I am," said older brother Mike Wallace, like his sibling a nine-time winner in NASCAR national competition. "He said he’s happy with it, content. All I can say is more power to him. It’s outstanding. I just ran into him over there and he’s got his family and friends, he’s the grand marshal for a (K&N Series) race tonight, he’s got a suite here. He seems to be having fun right now. He said, ‘I’ve got to go sign some hats,’ and I was like, ‘Go be famous. That’s what you’re good at.’"
The nature of the family-affair weekend has even more ties. Kenny Wallace will share the track with his nephew, Matt, who is scheduled to make his second career XFINITY Series start Saturday night. His farewell race will also take place on a short track designed by oldest brother Rusty Wallace, a NASCAR Hall of Famer.
The eldest Wallace ended his driving career in 2005, but like his brother, he remained active in the sport with broadcasting stints in television and radio. It’s why both Wallaces have shied away from calling the occasion "retirement" with a capital R.
"I wish him all the luck in the world," said Rusty Wallace, speaking Thursday at a charity event in Pennsylvania for The NASCAR Foundation and the Jeff Gordon‘s Children’s Foundation. "I told him the other day, do not use that word retirement. You don’t need to do that. They’ll label you with that. I said notice Jeff Gordon said he’s quitting, but he’s not retiring, but he’s never going to race again. So he’s kind of retiring but he’s not going to use that word. He learned that from me and Mark Martin. I told Kenny, you didn’t need to do that. He’ll be fine."
So if anyone was hoping to get rid of Kenny Wallace after this weekend, tough luck. The driver known for his boundless energy, his grace with racing fans, his social media presence, his extracurricular dirt-racing travels and his broadcasting moxie isn’t going anywhere.
After 900-plus starts dating back to a 1988 debut at Martinsville Speedway, driving the No. 8 ride owned by Dale Earnhardt in what is now the XFINITY Series, Wallace said simply that "there needs to be a line in the sand" for his driving career. Staying power in NASCAR can often be fleeting and rare, a fact that has made Wallace even prouder of his long run in the sport’s highest levels.
Wallace’s helmet is anchored by the words "Life is a journey," a well-worn adage he said he always tells his three daughters. Wallace’s own journey will enter its next phase after Saturday night.
"My mom, Judy, she said to me, ‘Kenny, hon. You keep reinventing yourself,’ " Wallace said. "I’m like ‘really, Mom?’ It’s not a plan, it’s just that I want to stay in the sport. I think longevity and persistence is what I’m so proud of, because let’s face it, I was never an ‘A’ driver. To me, I feel proud saying I was a ‘B-plus’ driver. I won nine XFINITY races, 177 top-10s — I mean, that counts for something. When I should’ve been down and out, I stayed digging."
Contributing: RJ Kraft from Pocono Raceway
