Pre-Race Report
Richmond International Raceway
No. 01 S.B. Ballard Construction Chevrolet – Mike Wallace
· Total NASCAR Nationwide Series starts: 456
· Total Nationwide Series starts at Richmond: 29
· Best Finish at Richmond: 4th
· Laps Led at Richmond: 30
· 2013 Points Position: 20th
· 2013 Best Finish: 21st
GAFFNEY, S.C. (April 23, 2013) – Following another off-week for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Mike Wallace and the No. 01 S.B. Ballard Construction Team return to action this Friday, April 26th. After a good run in Texas, the team will look to finish in the top-25 for the fourth weekend in a row at Richmond.
The Marc Browning led team will utilize chassis JDM 009, which last competed at Phoenix International Raceway earlier this year. At Phoenix, the car immediately moved into the top-20 at the start of the race, but was caught up in a wreck suffering front end damage. Although the crash ended any hope for a good run, the car itself has been refreshed and repaired for Richmond.
The .75 mile track is equally fast as it is tight and often considered to have both short track and intermediate track qualities. In 2012, the team finished both races in the top-25. In addition to the fast speeds and sharp corners, the race will be run under the lights, adding intensity as the Nationwide Series regulars fight for positions against a large field of Sprint Cup drivers.
After success at Texas, the team has locked itself into the race at Richmond, allowing the team the entire practice session to work on race trim. With another good run at Richmond, the veteran Wallace will look to move up in the driver’s points standings, breaking into the top 20.
Joining the team will be SB Ballard Construction, a commercial builder with offices in Richmond and Virginia Beach, Va. who has been in business for 34 years. Today, S.B. Ballard provides pre-construction services, general contracting, construction management, design build, and concrete contracting services to an extensive list of clients throughout the Southeast.
Mike Wallace Quotes: “Richmond is always a fun race. The track is fast, but also short, and running under the lights adds excitement. We have put together a couple good runs now so I hope we can continue with that momentum at Richmond. The key is to make clean stops and stay on the lead lap. I know this team can continue to get better, especially after some bad luck early in the year. I am thankful to have my friend Steve Ballard supporting us again, and hope to run well.”
Tune in for the Win
The NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the .75 mile Richmond International Raceway this weekend for a 250-lap night race and ESPN News will have a live telecast on Friday, April 26. NASCAR Countdown begins at 7:00 p.m. ET with the green flag at 7:44 p.m. MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will also carry the action Friday. The racing will be preceded by qualifying at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and two practice sessions at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday and 9:00 a.m. on Friday.
