NASCAR Trucks: Mike Wallace posts top ten finish in Topeka for Team ASE
31 August 1999
Mooresville, NC. August 31, 1999. The good news for Mike Wallace and the 35 other NASCAR Craftsman Truck series drivers was that the temperature at Heartland Park was significantly cooler than last year's 110-degree sauna. However it was still 96 degrees (air temperature) which translated to track temperatures well over 145 degrees, and created some tough racing conditions. Wallace qualified the #2 Team ASE Ford 14th for the 75 lap event, and in addition to the heat had the challenge of heading to the front on a very tough road course. When the green flag dropped, Wallace immediately gained 2 positions on the first lap, and moved up to 10th by lap 11. The Team ASE/Ultra Motorsports pit strategy planned for multiple green flag pit stops for this race, and the first opportunity came quickly on lap 15. Other teams had already began pitting under the green, as well. During these stops, a few teams took on four tires as allowed by NASCAR only under green flag conditions. The #2 Team ASE Ford opted for right side tires and fuel. Wallace re-entered the race in the 20th position, and in the next thirteen laps had moved all the way up to 9th. The second caution came on lap 29 which allowed Wallace to pit for left side tires, and also to add a round of wedge to help with the handling of the truck. On lap 31, the Team ASE Ford lined up 18th on the restart, and once again Wallace was able to battle back into the top 10 by lap 45. Crew Chief Tim Kohuth knew the team would need one more stop, and radioed to Wallace they would have to come in for four-tires and fuel "very soon". That call came on lap 53, and when Wallace resumed hostilities for the final twenty-two laps in the 18th position, he knew the outcome of this race was now in his hands. He worked hard to avoid any mishaps, unlike Jack Sprague who's steering failed on lap 61. The deficit would prove too large for Wallace, who finished 9th for the day. After the race, a heat-exhausted Wallace commented on his day after receiving oxygen from the track medical staff. "Ninth was not a very good finish for us. I got a little confused late in the race because I didn't think that we'd have to pit again. I just drove as hard as I could today. Some of the other guys were better than we were, there were a lot of very good road racers out there today. If there is a positive to it, we did get another top-10 finish. We'll just build on this and go on to Richmond." The series takes the holiday weekend off and then heads Richmond September 9th. Wallace is currently 6th in driver points, just eight points out of fifth place behind Jay Sauter. Richmond will be the 21st race of 26 for the NCTS in 1999, and will be the first of three night races in a row for RIR; the NASCAR Busch Grand National and Winston Cup stars will also be racing at the fairgrounds that weekend. ASE has been a major sponsor in the truck series since 1996, along with associate sponsors Ultra Wheels, Wagner Brake Products, Snap-on Tools, and Valvoline. ASE, The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, is a non-profit organization founded in 1972 with the mission of improving the quality of automotive repair service through the voluntary testing and certification of technicians. There are over 450,000 ASE-certified technicians working in all types of service repair facilities in North America. Coming on board with Ultra Motorsports in 1999 are Smith Transport, Biagi Bros., Ken Thompson, Inc., and Overland Motorcoach. All four companies are long-time supporters of Mike Wallace Racing. Ken Thompson Racing and Biagi Bros. are also backing the 1999 Ultra Motorsports/Mike Wallace Winston West efforts.
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.