Kenny Wallace

Driver

Birthday August 23, 1963

Birth Sign Virgo

Birthplace St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

Age 60 years old

Nationality United States

#51758 Most Popular

1928

They had two top-ten finishes and finished 28th in points.

The following season, he won two poles, at Bristol and Martinsville respectively, but fell five spots in the standings.

1963

Kenneth Lee Wallace (born August 23, 1963) is an American race car driver and former reporter for Fox NASCAR.

1982

He entered his first race, the Illinois Street Stock State Championship, in 1982, winning the event.

1984

In 1984, Wallace worked as a mechanic for Benfield Racing and Joe Ruttman, eventually being promoted to crew chief after Jake Elder left the team.

1986

He entered the American Speed Association in 1986, achieving Rookie of the Year honors in the series.

1988

In September 1988, Dale Earnhardt gave Wallace the seat for his first-ever NASCAR start, in which he finished eleventh in the Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway, driving the No. 8 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet.

1989

The following year, he raced the full Busch Series schedule in a car owned by brother Rusty Wallace, sponsored by Cox Treated Lumber earning the 1989 Rookie of the Year award and finishing sixth in driver point standings.

1990

In 1990, he made his Winston Cup debut at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the No. 36 Pontiac for Randy Cox, finishing 26th after a late-race crash, setting up the controversial finish, which saw Brett Bodine win.

He finished seventh in the Busch Series.

The following season, he won his first two career races at Volusia County and New Hampshire, and finished a career-best second in the Busch points.

He also subbed for Kyle Petty in two races in the Cup series at Charlotte and Dover.

At the Pyroil 500, he competed against his brothers Mike and Rusty, marking the first time since Bob, Fonty, and Tim Flock raced that three brothers competed in the same race.

1992

In 1992, Dirt Devil became his sponsor and he won his third career Busch race at Martinsville, but several mechanical problems dropped him down to sixth in points.

1993

In 1993, Wallace moved up to the Winston Cup Series full-time, driving the No. 40 Dirt Devil-sponsored Pontiac Grand Prix for SABCO Racing.

The team got a considerable amount of television time as the team was featured on the TV show What Would You Do?.

1995

In 1995, Wallace and FILMAR split time between the Cup and Busch Series.

Wallace had one win with the Red Dog Ford in the Busch Series at Richmond, and made eleven starts in the Cup Series in the No. 81 car.

1996

Wallace and FILMAR began racing in Cup full-time 1996 with funding from Square D.

1998

Despite seven Top 10's in 1998, Wallace and Square D left FILMAR to drive Andy Petree Racing's new No. 55 entry.

Wallace finished in the top-ten five times and had a career-best twenty-second-place finish in points.

2000

After only one Top 10 in 2000 and a 26th-place finish in the points, he departed the team.

The sole Top 10 came in his second-place finish to Dale Earnhardt in the 2000 Winston 500, which was Earnhardt's 76th and final victory.

Wallace pushed Earnhardt to the front in four laps to the lead.

2001

In 2001, Wallace signed with the unsponsored Eel River Racing team, and also was hired to drive the No. 48 Goulds Pumps-sponsored Chevy in the Busch Series full-time for Innovative Motorsports.

After several DNQ's, Wallace resigned from the team to concentrate on his Busch ride.

He won his first race in seven years at North Carolina Speedway and finished tenth in points.

2010

He had three Top 10's and finished 23rd in points, but lost his ride at the end of the season.

He returned to the Busch Series to drive the No. 8 TIC Financial Systems-sponsored Ford for FILMAR Racing.

He earned up three wins and finished fourth in points.

Towards the end of the season, he was hired by Robert Yates Racing to replace an injured Ernie Irvan in the Cup series.

In 12 races, he finished in the Top 10 three times.

2015

He retired from NASCAR in 2015 after driving in the national series since 1988.

In a career spanning 25 years in NASCAR, Wallace had nine wins, all occurring in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Now retired from NASCAR competition, he continues to race on local dirt tracks across the country as a hobby.

Wallace is the youngest of three brothers born to Russ and Judy Wallace.

Russ was a prolific race winner himself, which made him unpopular with fans.

Wallace earned his nickname, "Herman," early in life when Lake Hill Speedway promoter Bob Mueller made note of Wallace's boisterous behavior when taking up for his father, likening him to the mischievous cartoon character Herman the German.

He went to Fox High School in Arnold, Missouri.

Wallace began his racing career by working as a mechanic on his father's race cars and brother's team.