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“I Forgave Myself” – 60-Yo NASCAR Veteran Unmasks Longstanding Cup Series Disapointment as He Finally Takes Pride in His Race Craft

Published 01/29/2024, 5:26 AM EST

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They say that conquering oneself is the biggest challenge a human has in his lifetime. To have complete control of one’s emotions, and not dwelling on past disappointments and dejections, are a challenge for the layman. However, that is simply not the case for NASCAR veteran, Kenny Wallace, who has risen above it all.

Despite being the younger brother of the great Rusty Wallace, the dirt racer was unable to reap the level of success he could. In fact, in his 26 years in the sport, juggling roles between Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series, Wallace has only racked up nine Xfinity Series wins. This had the driver drag weight behind him, but as years rolled by, the dirt racing veteran has come to terms with his past, addressing his insecurities and focusing on the bright side – his 112 dirt wins that stand tall.

Nothing can deter Kenny Wallace!

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Beyond his NASCAR accomplishments, Kenny Wallace, nicknamed “The Hermanator”, is also renowned in the community for his dirt racing prowess. Though a 26-year career in NASCAR got him fame and fortune, it’s his dirt racing accolades that got the veteran his star status.

During his time in the NASCAR Cup Series, the racer wasn’t able to rack up a title or a win. In 2011, the 60-year-old set the NASCAR record for most career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, out of which he collected 10 pole positions, 66 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 547 Xfinity Series starts. However, a championship win eluded the veteran.

With the statistics looking that impressive on paper, the zealous veteran recently took to social media to talk about how, once upon a time, he used to be bitter over his title misses. He also revealed his insecurity about not winning a Cup Series event. But just like the saying goes, “With age comes wisdom”, Wallace has acquired plenty of that.

In his recent tweet, the 1986 American Speed Association (ASA) rookie-of-the-year wrote, Years ago I was thinking wrong I was bitter I never won a @NASCAR CUP race, finishing 2nd three times. Later in life I forgave myself and put ALL my @NASCAR_Xfinity and DIRT wins on display 112 DIRT wins. 9 NASCAR wins and Special Asphalt wins and Quick time trophies.”

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He might not have had a satisfactory NASCAR career, but the veteran has had a continued presence in local dirt races with his JEGS-powered #36 car. Wallace has also made occasional appearances in Tony Stewart‘s SRX series, which recently got shut down for the near future. Obviously shocked by the dissolution of the promotion, Wallace, like other prominent racers, gave his thoughts about the sad turn of events.

“Until next time” – Veteran Wallace shares his thoughts about SRX’s sad state of affair

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Last year, the racing fandom was quite literally shocked to see Stewart’s SRX’s 2024 season getting cancelled, with the management quoting “market factors” as a reason behind the closure.

SRX racer and prominent driver, Wallace revealed his thoughts, mentioning Don Hawk, Hawk, Chief Executive Officer at SRX saying, “My experience with Don Hawk and everyone at SRX was 110%. Had the time of my life. Not everything is a home run as we go into 2024. Money and sponsors are hard to come by. As you know, they wrecked the hell out of those SRX cars. Always having to repair them.”

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He then sent a personal note to Hawk and the others who helped him during the 2023 finale at Wheatland. In his words, “Until next time, let’s time give SRX some to recover. I love everybody at SRX. As the old saying goes, you will overcome and prevail.”

Kenny Wallace truly is a racer at heart!

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Written by:

Kishore R

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Kishore is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. He actively covers live events and does detailed race analyses, helping fans understand the very nitty gritties of the sport. Using the right mix of storytelling and game expertise, Kishore can take his readers on a journey to see how a particular race was for some of their most loved drivers, like Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.
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Edited by:

Ariva Debnath