Second thoughts
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/221069/
Mike’s girl following in his tire tracks
Chrissy Wallace will make her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut Saturday at Martinsville (Va. ) Speedway, the same track where her father began his career in 1990.
The 19-year-old daughter of longtime NASCAR driver Mike Wallace will drive a Toyota Tundra for Germain Motor Company.
“Obviously, this is a big opportunity for me,” Wallace said. “Our goal is to go out there and run a smart race and finish. We had a good test [at Martinsville ]. [Crew chief ] Mike Abner and I were able to communicate on the changes we needed to make to the truck. There’s still a lot to learn, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Abner, who has worked as crew chief for former truck champion Ted Musgrave and Justin Marks at Germain Racing, said: “I really felt that Chrissy did very well [in her test session ]. Her feedback was good and it was accurate.”
Mike Wallace, one of former NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace’s younger brothers, will spot for his daughter at Martinsville.
“As parents, you are always stupid to your kids,” Mike Wallace said. “So, when I got the call from Chrissy, after the test, it was very nice. She just wanted to tell me, thank you. She said everything I told her on the radio made her run faster and she said she realized I really did know what I was talking about. I don’t even need to say it, I’m sure, but yes, I’m very proud.”
Chrissy raced late model stock cars last year at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, where she was third in the points. She won four times, the first woman to win in a late model stock at Hickory in 57 years.
That curse Chicago Cubs Manager Lou Piniella has coined a phrase for the franchise: “Cubbie occurrence.”
Here’s what Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks about it.
“Blaming the Evil Stoney in 2004 was a Cubbie occurrence. Trading Lou Brock and not keeping Greg Maddux in 1992 were Cubbie occurrences. “ All the various animals associated with a century of futility are Cubbie occurrences. “ Thanks, Lou, for new material. “ Unless Piniella, too, is a Cubbie occurrence.”
Movie bluffs NewMexiKen. com offers some sports movies begging to be made: The UnNatural: Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds pursue the home-run record. Field of Bad Dreams: The story of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs. The remake of North Dallas Forty: Jessica Simpson visits Tony Romo and takes an IQ test.
They said it Memphis Coach John Calipari, to FSN, on star freshman Derrick Rose and the lure of the NBA: “If he wants to do what’s right for him and his family, he’ll go pro. If he wants to do what’s right for me and my family, he’ll stay.”
CBS’ David Letterman, on a sure sign your team is not going to make the NCAA Tournament: ”School’s mascot is a giant asthma inhaler. “
Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times, on what Denver Police call a speeding ticket or the Nuggets’ Kenyon Martin: “ A K-Mart redand-blue-light special.”
Quote of the day “If it’s not realistic, then we need to overachieve and make it realistic.” Coach John Pelphrey on Arkansas’ chances of returning to the NCAA Tournament next season