Mike Wallace is back in a familiar role: interim driver.
Wallace, the middle of three racing Wallace brothers, was hired last week by MB2 Motorsports to fill in for injured Jerry Nadeau in the No. 01 Pontiac. Widely considered the best Winston Cup driver without a full-time ride, Wallace again will do his best and hope it leads to an opportunity.
Somewhere.
"First let me say how much we're all hoping for a speedy recovery for Jerry," Wallace, 44, said. "I'm looking forward to helping this team out. ... I fully understand that I'm helping out on an interim basis. The goal is to keep this car good in the points until Jerry comes back."
Nadeau, who suffered head, lung and rib injuries in a crash May 2 at practice at Richmond International Raceway, remains in fair condition at a Virginia hospital.
Wallace has 130 starts spanning 13 seasons but never has been with one team for a full season. His last full-time job was in Jim Smith's No. 7 in 2001, but it lasted 21 races. Since then, Wallace has become a regular interim.
In 2001, Wallace replaced Jeremy Mayfield in the No. 12 Ford and finished second at Phoenix, his career best, as a teammate to older brother Rusty. But his efforts were not enough to convince owner Roger Penske to keep the team. It was disbanded to make room for rookie Ryan Newman.
Last year, Wallace replaced Stacy Compton in the No. 14 Pontiac owned by A.J. Foyt, achieving one top-10 finish in 17 starts. He also drove four races for Andy Petree. He even drove two races for MB2, subbing for Johnny Benson after Benson aggravated a rib injury in July.
"Everyone is in a tough position right now, but Mike has enough experience in this sport to where he can go in and really make things better," Benson said. "They have a good group of guys over there at the Army team. I hope they run well and I hope Jerry gets well and gets back in there as soon as he can. Our side of the shop will do all we can to help Mike and the team out as much as we can."
Wallace has two Winston Cup starts this season, the restrictor-plate races at Daytona and Talladega in the No. 09 owned by James Finch. He also is running a limited schedule in the Busch Grand National series with the Biagi Brothers, whose future is uncertain because of sponsorship needs.
FIRED AND HIRED: Just when you thought silly season couldn't start any sooner ... oops, it just did. Those of you watching the back of the pack know Steve Park and Jeff Green swapped rides last week. Each is convinced his new job is better.
Of course.
"It's amazing how much can change in 48 hours," Green said.
SPEEDING A RELATIVE TERM: Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya was caught speeding Sunday on a French highway at nearly 128 mph. His license was immediately suspended and he was fined $1,157. He likely faces a court appearance. Montoya, a 27-year-old Colombian who lives in Monaco, will be able to continue racing this season for the BMW Williams team. But he could be banned from driving in France for up to two months, which could complicate his private travel.
FAST LEARNER: CART rookie Sebastien Bourdais, who this time last year was racing in Formula 3000, is proving he can go fast for more than a few laps. After posting fast times in preseason testing and winning the pole at the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Bourdais has consecutive victories in the open-wheel series. "I don't think I have any secrets," the 24-year-old Frenchman said after winning the German 500, the first oval-track event of the season. "I had everything to learn because I never raced on an oval, so it was just very tough."
ADDED SUSPENSE: When rain postponed Indianapolis 500 pole qualifying from Saturday to Sunday, it washed out second-day qualifying originally scheduled for Sunday. Just 24 of 33 spots in the starting grid were filled for the May 25 event, leaving much to be decided on Bump Day, scheduled for Sunday.
- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.
