Throughout its glorious history, the NASCAR Cup Series has had a plethora of memorable on-track moments that have helped shape the sport as fans know it today. From Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison exchanging blows at the 1979 Daytona 500 to Ross Chastain’s video game-esque “Hail Melon” move in the modern era–NASCAR has seen it all.
However, few moments have captured the true nature of sportsmanship quite like the moment shared by Kenny Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Sr. out on the Talladega track.
Why Did Kenny Wallace Feel He Owed Dale Earnhardt Sr.?
Widely regarded as the greatest racing driver to ever grace NASCAR, Earnhardt Sr. played a pivotal role in rekindling a dying sport with his raw talent and unpolished approach to racing. The Intimidator persona was not just a means of putting fear into the hearts of his rivals, but it also built anticipation in the minds of fans, who would line up each weekend to see him race.
What stood out about the late driver was his off-track persona within the racing world, with Earnhardt doing his absolute best to help fellow competitors however he could. With many becoming benefactors of the same, Wallace stands as another name on the list.
Speaking to Kevin Harvick in an episode of “Harvick’s Happy Hour,” he revealed that had it not been for Earnhardt, Wallace would never have made it in the NASCAR world. Having let Wallace drive his car, Earnhardt gave him his first major break, and Wallace never forgot it.
“So Dale Earnhardt Sr. gave me my first break. He let me drive his car.”
A few years after the incident, Wallace got the ultimate chance to repay his debt, and he wasn’t going to miss out on it. Racing in Talladega, Wallace had a bad pit stop, and when he came back out, Earnhardt was right behind him.
Wallace had a fast car, and slicing through the field was no problem for him. Earnhardt stuck right behind him, slicing and dicing alongside him to the front of the field.
But in came Matt Kenseth, who picked Wallace off, leaving Earnhardt in the race lead and Wallace right behind him.
“I’m just committed to him because it’s the right thing for me to do. And all of a sudden Earnhardt’s big Paul comes up and he’s like this. I’m like, in that millisecond, I thought he helped me get my career started, him and Rusty. All right, here we go. There’s 250,000 people in the grandstands and we’re coming through the triavel. I could hear the fans and I’m on Earnhardt’s a**.”
In the end, Earnhardt took home the final race win of his Cup series career, thanks in no small measure to the draft provided by Wallace. As for Wallace, the now-retired driver was never able to chalk up a Cup Series win in his career, despite starting in 344 races.
However, he remains a star of the Busch (Xfinity) series, collecting nine wins, ten pole positions and a remarkable 173 top ten finishes.
