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NASCAR WCUP: Kenny Wallace looks forward to break for ovals

11 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers will get their second break from oval racing this weekend as they travel to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International for the Global Crossing @ The Glen. Coming off a season-high 13th place finish at Sears Point (Sonoma, Calif.), Kenny Wallace, driver of the Square D/Cooper Lighting Chevrolet, looks forward to his return to a road racing event.

"We have some momentum coming off of Sears Point," said Wallace, who led 16 laps during the Save Mart/Kragen 350k. "Our race car was strong enough to pull away from the big boys back in June. My crew chief, Jimmy Elledge, has done a great job with our road race program, and I'm looking forward to a strong performance up in New York."

Winston Cup squads are always looking to improve on their race setups no matter how well they perform. But the Square D Racing Team feels it's on the right track with its road racing machine. So, don't expect too many alterations to the Square D/Cooper Lighting Chevy this weekend.

"We won't change much," said Wallace. "It's the same fundamentals at both tracks. We're going to use the same rear springs, and the front springs, while not the same, are similar. The shock package and gearing will also change a little, but nothing drastic. All in all, the race car will have the same initial settings.

"The difference between the two tracks is, Sears Point is a real tight road course," added Wallace. "On the other hand, Watkins Glen is the faster race track. You need a lot of horsepower to get through the long front and back straightaways. Those high-speed stretches create high-speed turns."

The biggest difference this week for Wallace won't be the mandatory right-hand turns. The Square D pilot is ready to leave the overwhelming production of last Saturday's Brickyard 400, and return to business as usual on the Winston Cup circuit.

"I like the break from oval racing," added Wallace. "After all the crowds, traffic and big hoopla at Indy, it's nice to go back to normal racing. Watkins Glen presents that to us. Even though it's a road course, we get to go back to a normal schedule. I love how the sport is growing in leaps and bounds, but every once in a while, it's nice to go back to a normal crowd of 150,000 people (laughs). There were so many fans inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I couldn't move. If every week were like Indy, the sport would be out of hand."

Text provided by Chris Hunt

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