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NASCAR WCUP: A Weekend off means time for family, fun

26 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CHARLOTTE, N.C., - Everyone knows by now that the NASCAR Winston Cup Series will add two more races to the 2001 schedule. To make room for events at Kansas (Kansas City, Kan.) Speedway and Chicagoland (Joliet, Ill.) Speedway, NASCAR officials will decrease the number of open weekends from five to three for the upcoming season.

That means that Kenny Wallace, driver of the Square D/Cooper Lighting Chevrolet, will be racing this time next year. Since this is his final fall break for a while, the St. Louis native will celebrate it with a little family time.

"The goal for this weekend is to fulfill my family's dream which is to have their Daddy home on a Saturday and Sunday," said Wallace. "It'll sure be nice to wake up without hearing a helicopter take off or the race teams warming up their motors. But the best thing about off-weekends is the way my kids' eyes light up when I tell them I'm home for the week. I'll probably end up driving them around the town of Concord (N.C.). I can hear it now, 'Daddy, let's go here. Daddy, let's go there.'

"We have nothing big planned for this weekend," added Wallace. "We thought about going to New York with our children for the World Series, but the weather forecast wasn't promising. We decided to stay home and see what it's like to be a real family."

Besides driving his kids around town, Wallace will also be selling hot dogs and soda this weekend. No, the Square D/Cooper Lighting driver doesn't need to make an extra buck. He was "volunteered" to do a little community service.

"On Saturday, I'm going to work the concession stand for our kids' soccer games," said Wallace. "My wife told me I was going to help her out this weekend. If it's not your crew chief telling you what to do one weekend, it's your wife the next. I'm going to get a quick refresher course on what it's like to work in the real world. I guess we'll see if I still remember how to count change. It's going to be a lot of fun. I probably won't be able to talk too much because my mouth will be full of bubble gum.

"I'll definitely appreciate this weekend," said Wallace. "I'm going to miss the break next year. I know that a lot of big-time drivers are going to cut back their 2001 schedule. We'll still take care of our sponsors; we'll just pass on a lot of outside opportunities in order to take some free time for our families. In other words, we'll make Mondays and Tuesdays our weekend, since we don't have any off-weekends on the schedule."

Wallace will return to action Sun., Nov. 5, at Phoenix International Raceway for the Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500K. Live coverage begins at 2 p.m. EST on TNN.

Text Provided By Chris Hunt

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.