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NASCAR WCUP: Square D Racing Review/Preview

9 April 1999

CHARLOTTE, N.C., - Disappointment and frustration could best describe Kenny Wallace's weekend at Texas Motor Speedway March 26-28. The driver of the Square D Chevrolet started 42nd via a provisional for the Primestar 500, and completed only 174 of 334 laps before an overheating engine relegated him to the garage area and a 39th place finish.

While the day was over for the No. 55 Monte Carlo, the day was not over for its driver. Bobby Hamilton, driver of the No. 4 Kodak Chevy, was battling a case of the flu. In desperate need of a relief driver, members from the Kodak crew asked Wallace to take over driving duties for the ailing Hamilton. Wallace obliged, and after a lengthy driver change on pit road, returned to racing. He brought the Kodak entry home to a 29th place finish.

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In years past, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway has been the site of good fortune for Square D pilot Kenny Wallace. After all, he has one NASCAR Winston Cup Series pole (1997 Goody's Headache Powder 500), one Busch Series, Grand National Division pole (1992 Food City 250) and one Busch Series win (1994 Food City 250). But lately, the .533-mile bullring has proved to be the site of misfortune, as Wallace has posted four DNFs in his last four starts at Bristol.

"I feel like Mark Martin at Daytona - if I could just finish I'd be happy," said Wallace. "No matter where you qualify you've got to run good, because if you're not running good - the track's so fast that you'll get run over.

"When your car's handling, you're able to keep people off your rear bumper. Usually, all the wrecks happen from people simply hitting you in the rear end or by getting underneath you and tapping you in the left rear.

"You've got to race hard but defensively," continued Wallace. "You can't run over people. As the old saying goes, you must first finish to finish first."

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With an eye on the appropriately named Goody's Body Pain 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway April 18, Wallace and his Square D Racing Team tested at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., on Wednesday. The team spent the entire day at the .5-mile oval shaking-down a brand new short track car built in-house at Andy Petree Racing.

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