Support Kenny Wallace
Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 1:16pm CDT
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
If you’re new around here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Go Herman Go!
You may have read recent speculation, and then heard confirmation that Robert Yates contacted the Herminator and asked for a chance to sit down and discuss some business. What business? Well, Ricky Rudd has said he’s one and done. Meaning one more full season was enough. Can’t say I blame him. Heck, he has 900 career starts, second only to Richard Petty, and the pace and demand of the current schedule can be grueling. Especially when you don’t have to do it.
Ricky stepped into the #88 more or less as a favor for a friend, and to help them start to right a listing ship.
Mission complete.
While RYR is far from championship contention at the moment, can anyone say that Ricky Rudd hasn’t given the program a fair shake and assessment, and hasn’t been able to help get it pointed in the right direction?
Rudd had an advantage, he knew what the cars were like earlier this decade when RYR was a constant threat. He could feel and assess the difference. Just throw the COT out the window for a moment. That’s a whole nother ballgame, folks.
Another facet to our Herman story here, is Ricky took a pretty solid lick during the race last Sunday out in California. Such a lick, in fact, that he separated his shoulder. he doesn’t think he’ll be in the mood to push through it and run at Richmond.
Hello, Kenny, want to fill in at one of your favorite tracks? Sheesh, like you’d have to ask.
So let’s get back to this meeting that took place last Sunday at California, between Kenny and Robert.
Nobody, other than those two, know what the outcome was.
What is known, and Kenny said it himself, is that it was about taking the wheel of the #88 next season.
Wow. No ERR or FRR stunts here folks. Finally a serious offer/discussion about driving for a solid team.
Kenny hasn’t forgotten how to drive a race car, and just all of a sudden couldn’t manage to finish in the top 25 consistently. Hell, you could put Rusty, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, or Stewart in one of the rides that Kenny’s been in, and their results wouldn’t have been much better.
You do the best with what you’ve got, and Kenny certainly did that. The move by FRR should tell you that. There has been no change in results, and I’d venture to say they’ve declined a bit.
Let’s add some more fuel to the fire, shall we?
JJ Yeley has been associated with the possibility of driving the #88 over the past week or so, since it was made official that he would be replaced by Kyle Busch. Kyle Busch of course losing his ride to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
JJ Yeley will not be headed to Robert Yates.
As a matter of fact, he’ll be headed to Hall of Fame Racing’s #96 entry. Uh oh, Spaghetti O’s.
So who could fit the ticket over at Robert Yates, and become a solid mentor for the “just barely not a rookie” David Gilliand? I’d say younger, but he isn’t 18 or 21, or close. While he’s more mature in age, he needs some solid mentoring in the experience department.
Kenny Wallace fits the bill here perfectly, and Robert Yates knows it. That’s why he initiated the discussion with Kenny.
It’s as logical a choice as asking Ricky Rudd to give it a spin. Kenny has the talent, the experience, and the total package to lead that race team.
Support Robert Yates’ decision, support Kenny Wallace. He’s paid his dues, it’s about time someone finally had the guts to give him the opportunity to cash in on it, and earn a solid ride in NASCAR’s top series.
Kenny is a natural with the camera as well. Something that will definitely be an asset to any company who would like to put their name on that car. Add to that the fact that Kenny would (presumably) be able to retain his current schedule on Speed while doing NASCAR Race Day and Victory Lane, among other endeavors, and you have something that just darn well will work for a sponsor. Even if RYR isn’t quite up to par next season, and their drivers are back in the mid-20’s in points, they’re going to get an awful lot of bang for their buck.
So here’s to possibilities, making the right decision, and to a man that has earned every inch of what he has.
Filed Under: Drivers, Kenny Wallace, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Ricky Rudd, Robert Yates Racing #88, Teams
Trackback URL for: Support Kenny Wallace
Loading...
Any race with Kenny Wallace is a better race than one without him. His talent is skipped over because of his zaniness at times but the talent is there. Robert Yates isn’t putting on a play. He’s running a serious race team for himself and equally serious racer partners in the law firm of Newman-Haas and Lanigan. Go Herman go.
I am the lead horse of the J J Yeley bandwagon. Too bad for Raines but J J, Toyota and the new owners bode well for the Hall of Famers.
Boy howdy, this sure went to hell in a hand basket yesterday.
Kvapil to the 88, Robert Yates retires, Doug Yates is going to take over, rename it to Yates racing, going to have full support from Roush…
Wow.
Jack said he’d find a way around that 4 team limit he’s going to have to deal with soon, and I’d guess this could be a start in that direction.
Well Well Well…
Looks like David Newton had the same thoughts about that 4 car rule.
Guess I should either try to get credit for it, or be happy ol’ “Newt” reads the Lounge!
