MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 - Mike Wallace Notes

BUSY WEEKEND ON TAP FOR U.S. ARMY DRIVER MIKE WALLACE

DOVER, Del. (May 28, 2003) - Even for Mike Wallace it won't be a typical racing weekend.

Wallace, who is known to have competed in three NASCAR races in one weekend - Truck, Busch and Cup -- is looking at another busy weekend of activities as the Winston Cup circuit heads north to Dover International Speedway for Sunday's running of the MBNA Armed Forces Family 400.

Wallace, subbing for the injured Jerry Nadeau in the No. 01 U.S. Army Pontiac Grand Prix, will also compete in Saturday's Busch race at Dover, driving the No. 4 Biagi Brothers car.

But driving in both of NASCAR's elite series is pretty much of a typical weekend for Wallace. What makes this weekend a little more taxing for the St. Louis native is that he will have a couple of more functions to deal with like playing in a charity golf tournament in Dover Thursday morning and returning to Charlotte Friday evening to attend his daughter's (Lindsey) high school graduation.

"I would not even consider missing my daughter's big event," said Wallace. "Friday will be a little hectic, but it is all doable. I will practice and qualify in both the Cup and Busch cars, fly to Charlotte for the graduation and then return to Dover."

And when he returns to Dover's Monster Mile, Wallace will be competing on a race track that holds some personal fond memories.

"I love the Dover race track," said Wallace. "The main reason is that's where I won my first NASCAR Busch Grand National race (1994). Dover kind of reminds me of Bristol Motor Speedway, but bigger. I guess you can call Dover a high-speed short track. But no matter how you describe Dover, it's a facility that I really like. It's always fun to race there."

And it could be even more fun for Wallace because when the U.S. Army team unloads its No. 01 Pontiac this weekend, it will be the same car that produced the team's best finish of the season - fourth in Texas (March 30). The MB2 in-house built car also recorded a 14th place finish in California.

"I hope we can say on Sunday evening that this car has now produced the top-three finishes of the season for the U.S. Army team," said Wallace. "I know it's a good car and this is a good team so I am confident that we'll have a good weekend. As I have said, I love Dover and I always look forward to racing there."

Wallace, 44, was named the team's substitute driver May 7 following Nadeau's May 2 accident at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

Nadeau, who is on an excellent recovery path, was transferred Monday (May 26) from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond to North Carolina where he will continue his recovery at the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation.

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