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Mike Wallace (NASCAR)
Encyclopedia
Mike Wallace is a NASCAR
race car driver born in Fenton
, Missouri
. He currently drives the #01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He is a younger brother to Rusty Wallace
, older brother to Kenny Wallace
, and uncle to Steve Wallace. His daughter, Chrissy Wallace
, and son, Matt Wallace, are also pursuing their own racing careers, with Chrissy racing 5 races in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series
in 2008, and 5 races in ARCA RE/MAX Series
.
Chevrolet
. The next season, he ran nine Busch races for a variety of different teams, and had a third-place finish at Lanier Raceway. He also made his Winston Cup debut at the Pyroil 500, where he finished 31st in the Jimmy Means
-owned car. It also marked the first time since the 1950s that three brothers competed against each other in a Winston Cup race, as Rusty and Kenny drove in that race also.
In 1992
, Wallace signed on with Moroso Racing to pilot the #20 First Ade Oldsmobile
. They also ran a Cup race together at Atlanta Motor Speedway
, where Wallace finished thirty-third. Despite a tenth-place run at Martinsville, Wallace was dismissed from the ride nearly half-way into the season. Late in the year, he was hired by Barry Owen to drive his #9 Oldsmobile
. After a ninth-place finish in their first race at Dover International Speedway
, Wallace posted a second-place finish at Martinsville. Wallace and Owen also ran a pair of Cup races, their best finish a 20th at Atlanta. They ran the entire Busch schedule in 1993
, with sponsorship from FDP Brakes. Wallace had nine top-tens that season finished a career-high 12th in the final points standings. He also finished in the top-fifteen in the first time in his Cup career when he finished fifteenth at Atlanta.
Early in 1994
, Wallace was hired by Junie Donlavey
to drive his #90 Heilig-Meyers
Ford Thunderbird
in the Winston Cup Series. Although he competed in twenty-two of the scheduled thirty-one races that year, Wallace finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year
standings, and thirty-third in the overall championship standings. His season was capped off with a fifth-place finish at the Hooters 500. In the Busch Series, he won his first career race at Dover, followed by victories at The Milwaukee Mile and Indianapolis Raceway Park. The following season, Wallace failed to qualify for five races in the Cup series, and dropped a spot in the standings. His lone lead-lap finish came at Bristol Motor Speedway
, where he finished 8th. In the Busch Series, his team switched to #90 with sponsorship from Duron Paints, and posted two second-place finishes. He also made his Craftsman Truck Series
debut that season at North Wilkesboro Speedway
, and finished 29th in the MB Motorsports
truck.
Twelve races into the 1996
season, Wallace was released from his Cup ride with Donlavey. Despite moving back down into the Busch Series full-time, Wallace only posted one top-ten in the second-half of the season, forcing Owen's team to close its doors. Wallace began 1997
with high hopes in the #91 LJ Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo
owned by Joe Falk and Ron Neal. The team had moved up from the Busch Series and signed Spam
as a full time sponsor but after many DNQ's and a best finish of seventeenth at Texas Motor Speedway
, the team lost its sponsor and Wallace found himself without a ride. He also split time in the Busch Series in the #7 Chevrolet
for Ed Whitaker, making six starts. Midway through the season, he left for the Truck series, driving the #52 Purolator
Chevrolet Silverado
for Ken Schrader Racing
. Despite only running fifteen races that season, he finished twenty-third in points. He also finished in the top-ten in each of the last four races of the season, including California Speedway
, where he finished second.
for Schrader. Although he did not win that season, he won his first career NASCAR pole at New Hampshire International Speedway
and had eleven top-tens en route to a thirteenth-place points finish. He also ran six Busch races for Andy Petree Racing
, Washington-Erving Motorsports, and the Curb Agajanian Performance Group
, his best finish coming at IRP for Petree. In addition, he ran the Daytona 500
in an entry for Phil Barkdoll
, starting and finishing 23rd.
In 1999
, he left Schrader to drive the #2 Team ASE Racing Ford F-150 for Ultra Motorsports
. He won in his first race for Ultra at Homestead-Miami Speedway
, and won again six races later at Pikes Peak International Raceway
. He finished sixth in points that year. He also returned to Donlavey in Cup to run the Daytona 500 for him, and finished 23rd, as well finishing 24th in an Ultra-owned car at Richmond International Raceway
. The following year, Wallace won an additional two truck races and moved up to fourth in points. He also ran eight Busch races for Moy Racing
, his best finish a 14th at IRP.
After Ultra purchased the Mattei Motorsports #7 Nations Rent Cup team, Wallace was announced as the driver for 2001
. Despite starting off the season with a sixth-place finish at the Daytona 500, the team struggled in qualifying, almost costing Wallace his job before he posted two consecutive top-ten finishes. During that time, he began running with a new Busch Series team, Biagi Brothers Racing, running their #4 Geico
Chevy. His best finish of eight starts was a tenth at Richmond International Raceway
. Late in the season, Wallace was granted his release from Ultra, and joined Penske-Kranefuss Racing, driving the #12 Mobil 1
Ford Taurus
as a teammate to his brother Rusty. At Phoenix, he led 45 laps late in the race before giving the lead up to Jeff Burton
, finishing a career-best second place. Unfortunately, Penske decided not to keep the 12 team going, forcing Wallace out of a ride (Penske did keep the number 12 for Ryan Newman
's team the following year, replacing the 02 Newman had used in a few races in '01). He began the season driving for Andy Petree for a pair of races, before financial problems caused that team to cease operations. He returned to run with Biagi for seventeen races in the Busch Series, posting two consecutive fourteenth-place finishes. Wallace also returned to the Truck series driving the Federated Auto Parts truck for Schrader, posting two top-tens. Mid-season, he signed onto the #14 Conseco
Pontiac Grand Prix
for A.J. Foyt Racing, his best finish a tenth at Bristol.
In 2003, Biagi Bros. began racing full-time in the Busch Series with Wallace. Despite missing two races, Wallace had three top-tens and finished 13th in the final standings. In the Cup series, he had two top-tens driving for Phoenix, as well as making eight starts filling for Jerry Nadeau
in the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac Grand Prix
for MB2/MBV Motorsports. In addition to running two races for Schrader in the Truck Series, he also competed in a pair of events for Brevak Racing, his best finish fifteenth at Phoenix. In 2004
, at the mid-season race at Daytona, Wallace took the lead on the last lap and won his fourth career race, the first for Biagi in one of the biggest wins of his career. The following week at Chicagoland Speedway
, he led eighteen laps and almost won before running out of fuel on the final lap. In the Cup Series, he drove three races for Arnold Motorsports
, before leading 45 laps and finishing seventh at Richmond for Phoenix. He finished the season driving the #4 Lucas Oil
Chevy for Morgan-McClure Motorsports
.
Wallace began driving for MMM full-time in 2005
. Despite an eighth-place finish at the Pepsi 400, Wallace was released towards the end of the season by MMM. He returned to the Truck Series briefly for Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
, finishing in the top-nine twice. He drove for a variety of different teams in the Busch Series, among them Akins Motorsports
, Rusty Wallace, Inc.
and Evernham Motorsports
, with whom he finished second at his hometown track in Gateway.
He began 2006 in the Truck Series running for HT Motorsports
, but was released after finishing 31st in each of his first two starts. Already signed on to run Phoenix's Cup car, Miccosukee Resorts Dodge signed Wallace to be their full-time driver for the remainder of 2006
to replace Jason Keller
, and had three top-five finishes. In 2007, Wallace piloted the #7 GEICO
Chevrolet
for Phoenix Racing
with teammate J. J. Yeley
. Despite no top-ten finishes, he ended the season eleventh in points.
In 2008, Wallace, GEICO
, and his car number moved from Phoenix Racing to Germain Racing
, where he drove a Toyota Camry. He had eight top-tens and finished a career best eight in points. After he did not renew his contract with Germain, Wallace attempted the 2009 Daytona 500 for Kevin Buckler, but failed to make the race by just one position in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race. In June 2009, Larry Gunselman
tapped Wallace for a ride in his #64 Toyota to compete in Pocono just days after Todd Bodine left the team. On October 31, 2009 in the Mountain Dew 250 he raced the No. 48 for Fast Track Racing Enterprises in the Camping World Truck Series along with his daughter Chrissy Wallace
. It was the first time that a father and daughter raced in the same race. Mike finished 28th after an accident and Chrissy finished 13th. He also signed on as a full-time driver of the #01 JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.
Mike Wallace attempted the Daytona 500 in the #92 car for Brian Keselowski, but failed to qualify. He will also attempt the #92 car in the NASCAR Sprint All Star Race.
Wallace led late in the 2011 Aaron's 312
but flipped in a multi-car accident. Wallace drove the car back to pit road and was credited with an 18th place finish.
Near the end of the 2011 season, Mike Wallace won the NCWTS Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega Superspeedway
after being pushed by Ron Hornaday
for the majority of the race.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
race car driver born in Fenton
Fenton, Missouri
Fenton is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, and a suburb of St. Louis. The population was 4,022 at the 2010 census.-History:Due to its proximity to fertile land and the Meramec River, the Fenton area has been inhabited for over 1,000 years...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He currently drives the #01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He is a younger brother to Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...
, older brother to Kenny Wallace
Kenny Wallace
Kenneth Wallace is an American stock car driver who currently drives the #09 Family Farmers/University of Northwestern Ohio/Federated Auto Parts/American Ethanol/Iowa Corn/G-Oil/Marquis Energy Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
, and uncle to Steve Wallace. His daughter, Chrissy Wallace
Chrissy Wallace
Chrissy Wallace is a NASCAR driver. She is the daughter of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, who himself is a 3 time winner at Daytona International Raceway, and middle brother of the famous Wallace triumvirate of ABC/ESPN racing analyst and former Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace and former NASCAR...
, and son, Matt Wallace, are also pursuing their own racing careers, with Chrissy racing 5 races in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
in 2008, and 5 races in ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
.
Early NASCAR Career
Wallace made his Nationwide Series debut in 1990 at the season-closing Winston Classic at Martinsville Speedway. Starting twenty-fourth, Wallace finished sixth in the #40 Lowes FoodsLowes Foods
Lowes Foods is a grocery store chain based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company now has 102 stores in North Carolina, five in South Carolina, and two in Virginia...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
. The next season, he ran nine Busch races for a variety of different teams, and had a third-place finish at Lanier Raceway. He also made his Winston Cup debut at the Pyroil 500, where he finished 31st in the Jimmy Means
Jimmy Means
James "Jimmy" Means is a former Winston Cup/Nextel Cup owner/driver. Currently, he is an adviser for Front Row Motorsports and owns his own team, Means Racing. He competed in NASCAR for eighteen years in mostly his own equipment, posting seventeen career top-tens...
-owned car. It also marked the first time since the 1950s that three brothers competed against each other in a Winston Cup race, as Rusty and Kenny drove in that race also.
In 1992
1992 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1992 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 15 and ended November 8. Joe Nemechek of NEMCO Motorsports won the championship.See also: 1992 in NASCAR- Goody's 300 :The Goody's 300 was held February 15 at Daytona International Speedway...
, Wallace signed on with Moroso Racing to pilot the #20 First Ade Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
. They also ran a Cup race together at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, where Wallace finished thirty-third. Despite a tenth-place run at Martinsville, Wallace was dismissed from the ride nearly half-way into the season. Late in the year, he was hired by Barry Owen to drive his #9 Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
. After a ninth-place finish in their first race at Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
, Wallace posted a second-place finish at Martinsville. Wallace and Owen also ran a pair of Cup races, their best finish a 20th at Atlanta. They ran the entire Busch schedule in 1993
1993 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1993 NASCAR Busch Series season began February 13 and ended November 13, with Steve Grissom of Grissom Racing Enterprises winning the championship.See also: 1993 in NASCAR-Goody's 300:...
, with sponsorship from FDP Brakes. Wallace had nine top-tens that season finished a career-high 12th in the final points standings. He also finished in the top-fifteen in the first time in his Cup career when he finished fifteenth at Atlanta.
1994-1997
1994 in NASCAR
The 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 20 and ended on Sunday November 13. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at season's end, winning consecutive Winston Cups for the third time in his career and tying Richard Petty for the record of most top-level...
, Wallace was hired by Junie Donlavey
Junie Donlavey
W.C. "Junie" Donlavey , is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner with a team based in Richmond. Rarely fielding a car without his familiar #90, he began fielding his team in 1950. He drove for his team at first, but soon gave way to other drivers...
to drive his #90 Heilig-Meyers
Heilig-Meyers
Heilig-Meyers was a retail furniture store chain founded in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1913 by two Lithuanian immigrants, H. A. Heilig and J. M. Meyers. Its corporate headquarters was in Richmond, Virginia. The chain grew to become the largest furniture retailer in the United States in...
Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
in the Winston Cup Series. Although he competed in twenty-two of the scheduled thirty-one races that year, Wallace finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
standings, and thirty-third in the overall championship standings. His season was capped off with a fifth-place finish at the Hooters 500. In the Busch Series, he won his first career race at Dover, followed by victories at The Milwaukee Mile and Indianapolis Raceway Park. The following season, Wallace failed to qualify for five races in the Cup series, and dropped a spot in the standings. His lone lead-lap finish came at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
, where he finished 8th. In the Busch Series, his team switched to #90 with sponsorship from Duron Paints, and posted two second-place finishes. He also made his Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
debut that season at North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway was a short track that held races in NASCAR's top three series from NASCAR's inception in 1949 until its closure in 1996...
, and finished 29th in the MB Motorsports
MB Motorsports
MB Motorsports is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team based in Foristell, Missouri owned by Mike Mittler. The team is one of few to field entries every year since the Series' inception in 1995...
truck.
Twelve races into the 1996
1996 in NASCAR
The 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series started on February 18, 1996 and ended on November 10, 1996 with Terry Labonte pulling off a massive upset and winning his second championship.-1996 Team Chart:-Busch Clash:...
season, Wallace was released from his Cup ride with Donlavey. Despite moving back down into the Busch Series full-time, Wallace only posted one top-ten in the second-half of the season, forcing Owen's team to close its doors. Wallace began 1997
1997 in NASCAR
- 1997 Team Chart :- Busch Clash :The Busch Clash, a race for polewinners from the previous season, and drivers who have won the event before, was run on February 9 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Terry Labonte drew the pole...
with high hopes in the #91 LJ Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
owned by Joe Falk and Ron Neal. The team had moved up from the Busch Series and signed Spam
Spam (food)
Spam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation, first introduced in 1937. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat, with ham meat added, salt, water, modified potato starch as a binder, and sodium nitrite as a preservative...
as a full time sponsor but after many DNQ's and a best finish of seventeenth at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
, the team lost its sponsor and Wallace found himself without a ride. He also split time in the Busch Series in the #7 Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
for Ed Whitaker, making six starts. Midway through the season, he left for the Truck series, driving the #52 Purolator
Purolator
Purolator may refer to:* Purolator Courier, a Canadian courier company* Purolator Filters, a joint venture of Bosch and Mann-Hummel, which distributes the Purolator brand of automotive filtration products...
Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado , is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.-History:...
for Ken Schrader Racing
Ken Schrader Racing
Ken Schrader Racing is a NASCAR team and licensing agent for racer Ken Schrader, who owns and drives for the team. It currently competes in the NASCAR Nationwide, Craftsman Truck Series, and NASCAR Camping World West Series.- Beginnings :...
. Despite only running fifteen races that season, he finished twenty-third in points. He also finished in the top-ten in each of the last four races of the season, including California Speedway
California Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. The track was also used for open wheel racing events until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and...
, where he finished second.
1998-2004
Wallace returned to run the Truck Series full-time in 19981998 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began January 18 and ended November 8. Ron Hornaday of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the championship.See also: 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1998 NASCAR Busch Series- 1998 Team Chart :- Chevy Trucks Challenge :...
for Schrader. Although he did not win that season, he won his first career NASCAR pole at New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
and had eleven top-tens en route to a thirteenth-place points finish. He also ran six Busch races for Andy Petree Racing
Andy Petree Racing
Andy Petree Racing is a former NASCAR team. Its ownership changed hands several times over the years, with three different owners from its beginning to its close in 2004. The team was based out of North Carolina and was always a steady competitor for the win despite never winning a championship.-...
, Washington-Erving Motorsports, and the Curb Agajanian Performance Group
Curb Agajanian Performance Group
The Curb Agajanian Performance Group is a NASCAR Busch Series team. It is owned by record executive Mike Curb and racing personality Cary Agajanian. It has fielded the #43 entry for many years in the Busch Series.- NASCAR Winston Cup :...
, his best finish coming at IRP for Petree. In addition, he ran the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
in an entry for Phil Barkdoll
Phil Barkdoll
Phil Barkdoll is a former NASCAR owner-driver from Phoenix, Arizona who only ran at two tracks in his entire career: Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.-NASCAR career:...
, starting and finishing 23rd.
In 1999
1999 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1999 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began March 20 and ended October 30. Jack Sprague of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned champion.See also: 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1999 NASCAR Busch Series- 1999 Team Chart :...
, he left Schrader to drive the #2 Team ASE Racing Ford F-150 for Ultra Motorsports
Ultra Motorsports
Ultra Motorsports was a NASCAR Winston Cup & Craftsman Truck Series racing team. Jim Smith helped start the team and the Craftsman Truck Series. It ran full time in the Craftsman Truck Series from 1994 to 2005, earning many wins and a 2005 championship with Ted Musgrave...
. He won in his first race for Ultra at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
, and won again six races later at Pikes Peak International Raceway
Pikes Peak International Raceway
Pikes Peak International Raceway, also known as PPIR, is a participant focused racetrack located in Fountain, Colorado, south of Colorado Springs and north of Pueblo...
. He finished sixth in points that year. He also returned to Donlavey in Cup to run the Daytona 500 for him, and finished 23rd, as well finishing 24th in an Ultra-owned car at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. The following year, Wallace won an additional two truck races and moved up to fourth in points. He also ran eight Busch races for Moy Racing
Moy Racing
Moy Racing was an auto racing team owned by former Ford Motor Company employee Joseph Reilly which fielded entries in the NASCAR Busch Series. Drivers who piloted the Moy Racing Ford included Jimmy Kitchens, Andy Kirby, Carl Long , Bruce Bechtel, Dana White, Brad Teague, Ed Berrier, Donnie...
, his best finish a 14th at IRP.
After Ultra purchased the Mattei Motorsports #7 Nations Rent Cup team, Wallace was announced as the driver for 2001
2001 in NASCAR
The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season began on February 11 at the Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 23 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned series champion for the fourth time in seven years. The season was marked by tragedy,...
. Despite starting off the season with a sixth-place finish at the Daytona 500, the team struggled in qualifying, almost costing Wallace his job before he posted two consecutive top-ten finishes. During that time, he began running with a new Busch Series team, Biagi Brothers Racing, running their #4 Geico
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
Chevy. His best finish of eight starts was a tenth at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. Late in the season, Wallace was granted his release from Ultra, and joined Penske-Kranefuss Racing, driving the #12 Mobil 1
Mobil 1
Mobil 1 is a brand name developed by the Mobil oil company and now marketed by ExxonMobil.It was introduced in 1974 as a 5w single viscosity fully synthetic motor oil advertised for use up to 25,000 miles. Later, the miles-specific recommendation was dropped and the product reformulated in other...
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
as a teammate to his brother Rusty. At Phoenix, he led 45 laps late in the race before giving the lead up to Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton
Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...
, finishing a career-best second place. Unfortunately, Penske decided not to keep the 12 team going, forcing Wallace out of a ride (Penske did keep the number 12 for Ryan Newman
Ryan Newman
Ryan Joseph Newman is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the #39 United States Army/Tornados/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Tony Gibson. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in vehicle structure engineering...
's team the following year, replacing the 02 Newman had used in a few races in '01). He began the season driving for Andy Petree for a pair of races, before financial problems caused that team to cease operations. He returned to run with Biagi for seventeen races in the Busch Series, posting two consecutive fourteenth-place finishes. Wallace also returned to the Truck series driving the Federated Auto Parts truck for Schrader, posting two top-tens. Mid-season, he signed onto the #14 Conseco
Conseco
Conseco , originally Security Life of Indiana, is a financial services organization based in Carmel, Indiana. Conseco's insurance subsidiaries provide life insurance, annuity and supplemental health insurance products to more than 4 million customers in the United States...
Pontiac Grand Prix
Pontiac Grand Prix
Picking up where the Pontiac Ventura model left off, the Grand Prix first appeared in the Pontiac line for 1962. It was essentially a standard Pontiac Catalina coupe with minimal outside chrome trim and a sportier interior...
for A.J. Foyt Racing, his best finish a tenth at Bristol.
In 2003, Biagi Bros. began racing full-time in the Busch Series with Wallace. Despite missing two races, Wallace had three top-tens and finished 13th in the final standings. In the Cup series, he had two top-tens driving for Phoenix, as well as making eight starts filling for Jerry Nadeau
Jerry Nadeau
Jerry Nadeau is a retired race car driver from Danbury, Connecticut. Nadeau competed in the 1994 Barber Dodge Pro Series and the 1996 Formula Opel Euroseries.-NASCAR career:Nadeau's NASCAR career began in 1995 in the Busch Series...
in the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac Grand Prix
Pontiac Grand Prix
Picking up where the Pontiac Ventura model left off, the Grand Prix first appeared in the Pontiac line for 1962. It was essentially a standard Pontiac Catalina coupe with minimal outside chrome trim and a sportier interior...
for MB2/MBV Motorsports. In addition to running two races for Schrader in the Truck Series, he also competed in a pair of events for Brevak Racing, his best finish fifteenth at Phoenix. In 2004
2004 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2004 NASCAR Busch Series Season began on February 14 and ended on November 20. Martin Truex, Jr. of Chance 2 Motorsports won the championship.See Also: 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2004 Team chart:...
, at the mid-season race at Daytona, Wallace took the lead on the last lap and won his fourth career race, the first for Biagi in one of the biggest wins of his career. The following week at Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording...
, he led eighteen laps and almost won before running out of fuel on the final lap. In the Cup Series, he drove three races for Arnold Motorsports
Arnold Motorsports
Arnold Motorsports was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team owned by Don Arnold. 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison was the Vice President of operations and also served a consultant. The team debuted in 2003 as the #79 car , with All-Pro driver Billy Bigley Jr. driving, the team originally planned...
, before leading 45 laps and finishing seventh at Richmond for Phoenix. He finished the season driving the #4 Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil Products is a manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It was founded by trucker Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989....
Chevy for Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports is an American auto racing team that competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time until 2007 and now occasionally attempts races. It has been in operation for 27 years, starting in 1982. The team is most notable for running the #4 from 1983 to 2009.-Starting...
.
Present
2005 in NASCAR
The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series began on Saturday, February 12. The ten race Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18, and ended on Sunday, November 20, with the Ford 400....
. Despite an eighth-place finish at the Pepsi 400, Wallace was released towards the end of the season by MMM. He returned to the Truck Series briefly for Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports was a NASCAR team owned by three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip. It was formed in 1991 when Waltrip resigned from Hendrick Motorsports to start his own team, and was originally named DarWal, Inc....
, finishing in the top-nine twice. He drove for a variety of different teams in the Busch Series, among them Akins Motorsports
Akins Motorsports
Akins Motorsports was a NASCAR team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, which is near Charlotte. The team was formed in 1993 by at the time owned by Brad Akins and Bob Sutton. At the time the team was sold to Braun Racing it was owned by Doug Stringer....
, Rusty Wallace, Inc.
Rusty Wallace, Inc.
Rusty Wallace Racing is a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, near Charlotte. The team is owned by former NASCAR champion and commentator Rusty Wallace...
and Evernham Motorsports
Evernham Motorsports
Richard Petty Motorsports is a two-car NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race team owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty, Douglas G. Bergeron and financial company Medallion Financial. The team was founded as Evernham Motorsports in 2000, was renamed Gillett Evernham Motorsports in 2007 after...
, with whom he finished second at his hometown track in Gateway.
He began 2006 in the Truck Series running for HT Motorsports
HT Motorsports
HT Motorsports was an American truck racing team from Martinsville, Virginia owned by trucking company owner Jim Harris. It fielded entries for the nine years in the Camping World Truck Series before suspending operations early in 2010.-Truck #24 History:...
, but was released after finishing 31st in each of his first two starts. Already signed on to run Phoenix's Cup car, Miccosukee Resorts Dodge signed Wallace to be their full-time driver for the remainder of 2006
2006 in NASCAR
The 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season started at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 12 with the Bud Shootout and ended on Sunday, November 19 with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup began with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 17 at New Hampshire...
to replace Jason Keller
Jason Keller
For the American writer, see Jason Keller Jason Keller is a NASCAR racing driver who currently drives the #44 Chevrolet for Tri-Star Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. A mainstay in the Busch/Nationwide Series since his debut in 1991...
, and had three top-five finishes. In 2007, Wallace piloted the #7 GEICO
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
for Phoenix Racing
Phoenix Racing
Phoenix Racing is a NASCAR team owned by James Finch. It currently fields the #51 Chevrolet Impala in the Sprint Cup Series driven by Landon Cassill and the #1 Chevrolet Impala in the Nationwide Series driven by Landon Cassill and Jamie McMurray....
with teammate J. J. Yeley
J. J. Yeley
Christopher Beltram Hernandez Yeley is a NASCAR driver. Nicknamed "J. J." , he is currently a competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving for Front Row Motorsports.-Open wheel:Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by...
. Despite no top-ten finishes, he ended the season eleventh in points.
In 2008, Wallace, GEICO
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
, and his car number moved from Phoenix Racing to Germain Racing
Germain Racing
Germain Racing is an American NASCAR team. It is owned by the Germain brothers, Bob, Stephen, and Richard. The Germain family owns many car dealerships across the United States...
, where he drove a Toyota Camry. He had eight top-tens and finished a career best eight in points. After he did not renew his contract with Germain, Wallace attempted the 2009 Daytona 500 for Kevin Buckler, but failed to make the race by just one position in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race. In June 2009, Larry Gunselman
Larry Gunselman
Larry Gunselman is an American former race car driver. He has made a total over 100 starts and over 2 million in earnings in all three of NASCAR's top divisions...
tapped Wallace for a ride in his #64 Toyota to compete in Pocono just days after Todd Bodine left the team. On October 31, 2009 in the Mountain Dew 250 he raced the No. 48 for Fast Track Racing Enterprises in the Camping World Truck Series along with his daughter Chrissy Wallace
Chrissy Wallace
Chrissy Wallace is a NASCAR driver. She is the daughter of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, who himself is a 3 time winner at Daytona International Raceway, and middle brother of the famous Wallace triumvirate of ABC/ESPN racing analyst and former Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace and former NASCAR...
. It was the first time that a father and daughter raced in the same race. Mike finished 28th after an accident and Chrissy finished 13th. He also signed on as a full-time driver of the #01 JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.
Mike Wallace attempted the Daytona 500 in the #92 car for Brian Keselowski, but failed to qualify. He will also attempt the #92 car in the NASCAR Sprint All Star Race.
Wallace led late in the 2011 Aaron's 312
Aaron's 312
The Aaron's 312 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway. The race's sponsor, Aaron's, is a lease-to-own retailer. The twelve extra miles are tacked on to what would normally be a race for targeted advertising purposes....
but flipped in a multi-car accident. Wallace drove the car back to pit road and was credited with an 18th place finish.
Near the end of the 2011 season, Mike Wallace won the NCWTS Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
after being pushed by Ron Hornaday
Ron Hornaday
Ronald Hornaday, Jr. is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. He is the father of former NASCAR driver Ronnie Hornaday, and son of the late Ron Hornaday, Sr., a two-time Winston West Champion. Adding on to the family legacy, Ron is a four-time champion in the Truck Series, his most recent...
for the majority of the race.