Chrissy Wallace to make historic debut at Daytona
Rick Ware Racing will be in full force at Daytona with two cars in the Nationwide Series event. Chrissy Wallace plans to make her Nationwide Series debut in the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13. She'll attempt to qualify the No. 41 Fuel Doctor-Susan G Komen for the Cure Chevy.
“This is a lifelong dream to race in the Nationwide Series and will soon be a reality, and I want to thank Rick Ware Racing for making it come true,” she said.
Wallace ran her first race with RWR in the Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2009. That truck race at Talladega last season was a historic milestone; it was the first time in Truck Series competition that father and daughter competed against each other, as her father, Mike Wallace, also competed in the event.
Mike Wallace also plans to enter the Daytona Nationwide Series race, so the father-daughter duo could make history again as the first father and daughter to compete against each other in a Nationwide Series event.
The race will be a family affair for the Wallace clan. Not only are Chrissy and Mike Wallace planning to run a Nationwide car in Daytona, Chrissy's uncle and Mike's brother, Kenny Wallace, will be behind the wheel of the No. 28 Jay Robinson Racing entry, and Chrissy's cousin and Mike and Kenny's nephew, Steve Wallace will pilot the No. 66 car of Rusty Wallace Racing -- Rusty Wallace as in Chrissy's uncle, Steve's father, and Kenny and Mike's brother.
"If I can be the highest finishing Wallace, it will make all the rest of the family gatherings a lot more fun -- well at least for me," Chrissy Wallace said.
If she gets herself qualified for the Daytona Nationwide race, she could also become the first female driver to make her Nationwide Series debut at Daytona International Speedway. Whether or not she would be the only female attempting to make her Nationwide debut at Daytona remains to be seen, as Danica Patrick plans to wait until she runs the Daytona ARCA race before deciding whether or not she'll run the Daytona Natinwide event.
Here comes Stanton Barrett-ready for a return to Daytona
Stanton Barrett looks for a successful return to Daytona. The veteran of the movie sets, Indy Racing League and NASCAR knows this is the best equipment he has had in years and looks to make the most of it in the Nationwide Series event this weekend.
Barrett will be piloting the #31 Fuel Doctor Chevy, with the same power plant that qualified 8th at Daytona last fall. Stanton also is bringing his favorite superspeedway car, the one the former teammate Shane Huffman qualified 18th (2008) with and not as a nearly stout motor that he has today.
"Fuel Doctor has stepped up in a big way and will actually have three entries for Rick Ware Racing at Daytona. Thats huge. The guys have been thrashing all winter to make the cars good and from what we see, we should be," claimed Barrett.
Both Stanton and Chrissy will have to qualify on time which is no easy feat considering the 12-15 Cup drivers entering the event.
""If we keep focused and the planets align, we will not only make the field, but shock some people along the way."
Stanton Barrett involved in the "BIG ONE" results in 37th place finish
Stanton Barrett saw the promise of a great begining of a 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series close right before his eyes. After making the field on a rain cancelled qualifying draw, Barrett made quick work of his competitors from the 43rd position.
In just five laps, Barrett was settled into the 25th position and make fine adjustments to his #31 Fuel Doctor Chevy.
"The car feels pretty good considering we didnt get to draft, but we will wait our turn to get to the front," Stanton claimed to his crew.
At the halfway mark of the race, a big crash involving twelve cars occurred infront of the 31. As Stanton approached the wreckage, a area between the #61 of Josh Wise and #6 of Ricky Stenhouse opened and the Bishop, California native went for it.
Just as the 31 got half way through the hole, it closed abruptly and sandwiched the car, throwing it airborne into the infield grass.
As the dust cleared, it was obvious that the day was over for Stanton and the Fuel Doctor team as the car had to be towed back to the garage on a wrecker.
"This is one of those racing deals we all hate, but our team is determined to rebound. We look forward to running at Las Vegas in a few weeks and hopefully bounce back to a Top 15 finish like we know we can run."
Wallace vicitim of lap one incident but looks to the future
Chrissy Wallace was as happy as any driver at Daytona when she found out she was going to start at Daytona for her Nationwide Series debut. Those moments of happiness ended very sudden.
Wallace, driving the #41 Fuel Doctor-Susan G Komen Chevy started the race in the 38th position and was ready to log laps at the tail of the field due to the lack of draft time during the weekend.
"We just wanted to drop to the back, get a feel for the car and make a day of working on it to make the car and myself more comeptitive as the race went on. Well that didnt happen that way."
Coming off of turn four on lap number one, Wallace's car received a little tap that sent her into the outside wall at 180mph.
"We didnt even get a chance. Its a shame because I know we could have ran in the top 20, we were just being patient. Too bad, it was the same for all but hey, we will be back!"
Darlington for a Purpose!
Rick Ware Racing (RWR) has spent the majority of the 2010 season competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and has not seen action in the NASCAR Nationwide Series since February.
When asked why the team was competing at the upcoming Royal Purple 200 at Darlington Raceway, Owner of RWR, Rick Ware struggled to find the right words.
“We are racing Darlington for a purpose!”
Within the past thirty days, RWR signed Kids Embrace to select primary races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Kids Embrace is the manufacturer of automotive children safety seats and the marketing plan for Kids Embrace was one of great importance, safety among our children in automotive child seats.
This past Wednesday, Rick Ware Racing looked right into the face of how crucial automobile safety is!
“We lost two great kids! Two great friends! And it didn’t have to happen!” stated Ware.
Justin Simmons, a partner to Ware’s oldest son for confirmation at church and his classmate, Jacob Nance, two young students from High Point Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina, had lost their lives in a car crash just 500 feet from the school.
“I have known Justin nearly his entire life,” stated a choked up Ware. “He was a great kid and Jacob was as well. The kids today just don’t realize how dangerous automobiles are. They left the school to go to lunch just 500 yards away and the car they were in got flipped. Four kids were in the car, two wearing seat belts and Justin and Jacob were the two not wearing them! We have to buckle up immediately BEFORE we drive! Nobody would ever leave pit road and buckle up on the track. This has proved how crucial the timing is,” stated Ware.
RWR contacted Kids Embrace and requested their assistance to bring more light to automobile safety and they happily agreed. Ware then reached out to long time friend and driver Stanton Barrett to help spread the message.
“Stanton is a key person on safety. After coordinating thousands of automobile crashes on Hollywood sets for movies and television shows, he not only teaches safety on the set but he is alive because of it”, Ware stated.
Barrett has also directed, produced and starred in commercials for “Buckle Up Illinois” in recent years, again informing the youth the importance of seatbelts.
“This has been hard on the entire team and Rick, Kids Embrace, myself and the entire RWR team has made it a year-long promise to promote safety by not only wearing our seatbelts but talk to others about it as well,” stated Barrett.
Rick Ware Racing will be displaying a logo on their cars and trucks all year in remembrance of Justin and Jacob that will begin this week with the running of the Royal Purple 200 at Darlington on Friday night.
“This is a tragedy that his hit our team and community very hard, but we learn through the lives lost. It is our purpose!”
Barrett returns to form and makes history for RWR
Stanton Barrett returned to the form he was in back in his early NASCAR Nationwide Series career at Darlington Friday night.
Barrett qualified 24th for the Royal Purple 200 with new sponsor, Kids Embrace on board. Making the tough field was not enough as Barrett took the #41 to the front and led three laps late in the race.
Leading laps in the Nationwide Series was a milestone for RWR and a goal for 2010.
"We have been competitive over the years but for some reason just never scored a lap lead", stated Rick Ware.
Barrett continued his hunt for the win and was running in the top 10 for nearly 70 laps during the event. Running 11th with just two laps to go, Barrett took the Kids Embrace Chevy on a charge and was closing in on the 9th and 10th place cars when the number twelve of Justin Allgier slowed in the corner causing a stoppage to Barretts momentum.
The result landed Stanton in the 14th position as the checkered flag waved.
"This was a great race for Stanton, RWR and Kids Embrace" stated Ware.
"It gives us the momentum to keep digging and when the schedule and sponsorship allows it, we will run again in the Nationwide!"
