NASCAR Driver
By Leslie Gibson McCarthy
Son of legendary short-track driver Russ Wallace and brother of NASCAR stars Rusty (retired) and Mike (still racing), Kenny Wallace is the youngest in St. Louis’ first family of racing. In what little spare time he has, though, he lives, eats and breathes Cardinals baseball. The Fox High graduate, nicknamed “Herman” by racing fans, was in town recently to catch his beloved ball team. He’ll be front and center July 29 at Gateway International Raceway for its premier event, the Gateway Busch 250.
How often do you get back to St. Louis? My full-time residency is in Concord, N.C., but we spend about 60 days a year in St. Louie, at my second home, in South County.
So what do you do when you come home? Baseball. We were at the home opener, and I was at the game on Easter where Albert Pujols hit three home runs. When I went into the clubhouse afterward, he looked through a throng of media and came and gave me a big hug. We’re good friends. I want to play baseball, and I guess he wants to race.
You’re an unofficial ambassador for St. Louis—what do you love here besides baseball? Going down to Charlie Gitto’s to take in the atmosphere, or to Rich & Charlie’s out in South County. I love my toasted ravioli. And I love Bud Light and peanuts at Busch Stadium.
What did you like about growing up in St. Louis? I’m an Arnold boy—Warriors, Fox High—and I loved my childhood. Man, I was out in the country, running creeks and swinging from trees, then just grew up in racing. That’s all we did; we raced. It was a family affair. Us boys washed the car, got all the dirt off it. Friday nights: Tri-City Speedway, Granite City, Ill. Sunday nights: Lake Hill Speedway in Valley Park.
Why should people buy tickets for the Gateway 250? For anybody who hasn’t seen what NASCAR racing is all about, the closest they’re ever going to get to it is driving across the river to Gateway. You’re going to see drivers like Kevin Harvick and Michael Waltrip. You’ll see Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, driven by Mark McFarland; you might even see Junior. This is as close as you’re going to get to the best drivers in the United States.
Will St. Louis ever get a Nextel Cup race? We blew our opportunity. It’s over. We had every opportunity to step up to the plate, and we didn’t. Everybody was scared. That big track we should have gotten went four hours up the road to Kansas City.
What kind of athleticism is needed to drive a racecar week after week? Cardiovascular is real big in our sport, and obviously nobody is weak. We race in June, July, August. Inside the cars the temperature is about 130 to 150 degrees, and that’s no exaggeration. I’ll lose five to 10 pounds in one race, which can get dangerous, so it’s important [when you’re not racing] to constantly drink electrolytes and watch what you’re eating. You can have a beer or two, no problem, but, hell, I even drink Pedialyte because I get so dehydrated. There’s not a whole lot of partying going on.
You’ve driven around St. Louis. Where do you most feel like a NASCAR driver? We use the airport an awful lot, so we spend a lot of time on 270 from South County. You’re headed north on 270 and you have to get to the right-hand lane to eastbound 70 to go to the airport, and they’ve got that solid white line. My wife grabs onto anything she can when I’m trying to get over. Second is Manchester Road; eastbound, westbound—doesn’t matter.
Born: August 23, 1963, in St. Louis
Family in racing: dad Russ, brothers Rusty and Mike, nephew Steve
Nickname: “Herman” or “The Herminator”
Ride: No. 22 AutoZone Ford Fusion
Racing props: ASA Rookie of the Year, 1986; Busch Series Rookie of the Year, 1989; Busch Series Most Popular Driver, 1991 and 1994. Has finished in the top 10 in points in every Busch Series full season he has run; has over 300 NASCAR Nextel Cup starts with three second-place finishes.
Other jobs: co-host of Speed Channel’s NASCAR This Morning and NASCAR Victory Lane
Where you can see him this summer: Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., for the NASCAR Busch 250 on Saturday, July 29. Gates open at 9 a.m. with the race beginning at 7:15 p.m., followed by fireworks and a concert by country music star Travis Tritt. For tickets, call Gateway at 618-482-2400 or visit the website, gatewayracetrack.com.
