Steve Wallace (NASCAR)

Infobox_NASCAR_driver
Name = Stephen Wallace


Birthdate = birth date and age|1987|8|18
Birthplace = Charlotte, North Carolina
Busch_Car_Team = #66 - Rusty Wallace, Inc. | Busch_Wins =0
Busch_Top_Tens =5
Busch_Poles = 2
Previous_Year = 2007
Prev_Busch_Pos = 19th
Best_Busch_Pos = 15th - 2008 | First_Busch_Race = 2005 Sam's Town 250 (Memphis)
Awards = 2004 Snowball Derby Winner

2004 UARA Rookie of the Year
Updated_On = August 2, 2008

Steve Wallace (born August 18, 1987) is a NASCAR race car driver. Steve lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and drives the #66 Chevy Nationwide Series car for Rusty Wallace, Inc., which is owned by his father. Steve is the nephew of NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Mike Wallace.

Early racing

Between 1998 and 2002, Wallace raced in INEX Bandoleros. He captured multiple series championships. Steve raced in Legends cars and late model racecars near his hometown of Mooresville, North Carolina. He won both the Summer Shootout (twice) and Winter Shootout (once) at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He also won multiple championships at Concord Motor Speedway. In December 2004, at the age of 17, he won one of the biggest short track races in the country, the Snowball Derby, in Pensacola, Florida, a race Rusty and Kenny both entered, but failed to win in their careers. Steve was also the 2004 UARA Rookie of The Year. He won the first ever late model race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

In 2005, he ran nearly the entire season in USAR Hooters Pro Cup competition. He finished with 3 Top 10 finishes and qualified for the post-season championship series. A day after Steve turned 18, he became the youngest winner at a Michigan International Speedway event in an ARCA race while driving a Penske Racing Dodge sponsored by Kodak. He raced in ARCA with several other teams that season. He also finished 15th in his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park (after starting 11th). Steve became part of the Dodge factory driver development program.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Career

Wallace raced 17 races in the Top-Flite #64 Dodge Nationwide Series car in 2006 (sharing with Jamie McMurray), as well as six ARCA series races in a Penske Racing car. Wallace won ARCA races at Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway, and had a best finish of 11th in the Busch Series.

For the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Season he would race full-time. He won his first career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway. Steve Wallace won his second pole on June 9th, 2007 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. Before the conclusion of the 2007 Nationwide Series Season, it was announced that Steven would be switching from Dodge to Chevy for the 2008 Season.

His first career top five came at Richmond International Raceway on May 2, 2008.

Personal life

Wallace is the youngest son of ESPN announcer and former NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace.

On the night of July 29, 2007, Wallace was involved in an attempted mugging outside an Indianapolis convenience store. At least three men approached him and attempted to steal his watch. Wallace escaped with only minor cuts and bruises and one man had been arrested as of July 31.

Wallace has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. [ [http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/07/26/kwallace.swallace.qa/index.html Q&A: Kenny Wallace/Steve Wallace.] NASCAR press release (July 26, 2006). Retrieved on December 17, 2006.]

References

* [http://racing-reference.info/driver?id=wallast01 Steve Wallace at racing-reference.info]

External links

* [http://www.stevewallace.com/ Steve's Official Website]
* [http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/sports/15124301.htm Things looking up for Wallace's son in Gateway races]