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[/media-credit]GAFFNEY, S.C. (May 21, 2012) – Mike Wallace and the No. 01 Restaurant.com Chevrolet team, along with the entire NASCAR Nationwide Series, knew the racing world’s collective eyes were on them at Iowa Speedway on Sunday.
As the only NASCAR event going on that day, the NNS was out to put on a great show at the 7/8-mile oval in Newton, Iowa for their 250-lap race. For Wallace, he was looking to do his best for the JD Motorsports team, Restaurant.com and because his brother, Rusty, was a principle designer of the facility.
Since the teams last raced Iowa Speedway, a tricky situation in Turns 1 and 2 had developed with bumps so severe it upset the cars going over them at high speeds, and affected handling. Wallace was 29th in the only practice session on Saturday morning.
For qualifying, crew chief Newt Moore and team did some work and picked up speed later that day to qualify 26th for the race.
Once the green flag waved on Sunday, Wallace would maintain a top-25 position through the first 50 laps. Needing some cautions to work on the car’s handling, they were far and few between with only four yellow flags waving the entire race.
By lap 75, the No. 01 Chevrolet was maintaining position running in 23rd place. As the laps ticked down, Moore and crew made adjustments to their race car during the following pit stops.
When the checkered flag waved, it was Wallace in 21st place to finish out the weekend. With that finish, he remains 13th in Driver’s Points trailing 12th by just 10 points.
As far as Wallace’s teammate, Darryl Harr in the iWorld No. 4 Chevrolet of JD Motorsports, he started the race in 36th place. As the race went on, the team was holding their own looking to gain positions with each round of pit stops to make adjustments for improved handling.
On lap 207, engine problems on Harr’s care forced him into the garage and out of the race to finish in 38th place.
This weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series will enjoy a home game to race Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Mike Wallace Quotes: “That was one of those races where we practiced, qualified and raced consistently. I’m not saying that was a good thing, because we always want to be better. I’m just saying we had what we had in our No. 01 Restaurant.com Chevrolet and did the best we could to finish the race in a good position.
“We got better and could have used a few more cautions for pit stops, but you deal with what you get and make the best of it for the race.
“I’m looking forward to this weekend because we’ll have a lot of our family and friends in Charlotte with us and the whole team wants to do well with them at the track.”
