Alan Kulwicki 250 - Mike Wallace Notes

No Sponsor, But Wallace Now Plans To Race At Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, WI – Mike Wallace and car owner Fred Biagi know it may not be a wise move financially, but as racers they believe it is the right thing to do.

As a result, they have decided to “go to Milwaukee (for Saturday’s night Alan Kulwicki 250) with absolutely nothing on the car,” says Wallace. “It is a joint effort between Fred and me. We are taking some money that we made on a deal earlier in the year and are putting it toward racing this week.”

Wallace and Biagi were planning to skip the race at the Milwaukee Mile if the team could not secure a sponsor for the 250-mile event. But after much thought, they feel the best thing is to run the event.

“We don’t want to dig ourselves a hole financially,” says Wallace, “but we also don’t want to dig ourselves a hole point wise. When people start looking to sponsor a car, they start at the first of the list and work their way down. We don’t want to be so far out of contention (for a top-15 finish in the final point standings) that we have no chance of getting one.”

Wallace, who stands 22nd in the 2004 point race, quickly adds “we are still looking for a sponsor for Milwaukee. Right now, anything is a plus over what we’ve got.”

Because the Milwaukee event has practice, qualifying and the race all rolled into one day, the cost of running the race is quite a bit less than the norm. “The crew can fly up Friday morning, get the car through inspection, and then have to spend just one night in a motel,” points out Wallace. “They can then fly home after the race Saturday night.”

Practice for the race begins at 1 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday. Qualifying will follow at 6 p.m. with the 250-lap event getting the green flag at 9 o’clock. The FX and MRN broadcasts will begin at 8:30 p.m.

Another reason why Wallace doesn’t want to miss this race is the fact “this is a track where I have won at before.”

The victory took place 10 years ago, but the winning formula is still the same. “The key is how well you get through the middle of the corners,” says Wallace. “At Milwaukee, it takes a good amount of brakes to get slowed down. And as the car coasts through to the center, the key is how well the car rotates. If you can get the car to handle or rotate at the point (the center of the corner), you are going to have a good day. Once it rotates, you are going to be able to drive off the corner. So the whole key is how well the car turns in the middle of the corner.”

Wallace knows the best way to make sure that the race is not a big loser money wise is to win the event or at least finish in the top five. “That is our goal every week, but I guess it is especially true this week,” adds Wallace.