NASCAR Veteran Kenny Wallace Clinches His First Gator Win After 12 Years at Volusia Speedway

“That almost made me cry. I explained my situation, and Hoffman said, ‘We’ll field you a car,’” said the eccentric dirt racing fanatic, Kenny Wallace, while sharing a conversation with Nick Hoffman, a man who’d soon become Wallace’s car owner one year later. Unlike conventional racers who hang up their boots once the time is right, a former NASCAR driver has an insatiable thirst for racing.

With the DIRTcar Nationals returning to Volusia Speedway, unlike last year, the 60-year-old couldn’t miss the opportunity this time. He won the dirt feature after dominating the field, picking up his first Gator win since 2012. Wallace was pretty emotional, holding back his tears following his win after his close friend Ken Schrader won it a day before.

Kenny Wallace wins the Gator bonanza at 60, bringing home his 2nd title

Slipping and sliding on the loose surface, the #36 JEGS-powered dirt model was on full-throttle, leaving behind a trail of dust for his competitors to bite as Kenny Wallace got across the finish line first in stellar fashion. Even Kyle Strickler, who offered a tough fight to the veteran, couldn’t halt the #36 car’s advance as Wallace came across the line to pick up his second Gator title.

Wallace, who missed the 2023 Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals to go on vacation with his family in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was called up by Nick Hoffman and offered a shot to be in his Elite chassis car, an opportunity that gave the veteran a taste of success at the age of 60. Reflecting on his win, Wallace, uncharacteristic of him, was seen holding back his emotion in the post-race interview.

He said, “Nick Hoffman and then Darrell Hoffman, the team elite chassis, uh, hi, everybody in St. Louis, my wife, Kim, I love you, I think I’m going to cry. I got a toughen-up. Well, oh yeah, you know, um…There’s so much to say, right?”

The veteran then displayed his typical charm. getting in a few jokes all while revealing his future – “I’m 60. I shouldn’t be racing. But I eat grilled chicken and I stay healthy and I just want to keep racing.” 

WATCH THIS STORY: Kenny Wallace’s heartfelt struggle for friend’s health 

According to Stlracing.com, a St. Louis-based publication, Wallace was contemplating taking his time off of racing but was inspired to stay on course with his occasional dirt racing appearances by his close friends, Ken Schrader and Don Prudhomme. Wallace couldn’t help but remember that conversation, one that rightly exemplifies his perseverance to race to date!

Emotional Wallace credits his team and Ken Schrader for fueling the fire inside him

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Recalling last year’s conversation he had with Hoffman, he said, “Last year, I went to Cabo so that I didn’t race at Volusia,” Wallace said. “Originally, I had said that I would race for two more years and call it a career. I got a lot of advice from legends like Don Prudhomme and Walker Evans, saying, ‘No, don’t you dare!”

Even his friend, Ken Schrader, did not approve of Wallace’s decision to quit but insisted on keeping the embers burning. He said, “Kenny Schrader even said, ‘Herman, no. You have to keep a race car in your shop.’ Then, everybody was worried about me and saying that I’d die.” 

READ MORE: Heartbreak for Kenny Wallace as Dear Friend “In Danger of a Feeding Tube”

Kenny Wallace then mentioned this in the post-race interview, saying, “There was a time I was going to quit. And Kenny Schrader said you can’t quit. Don Prudhomme said you can’t quit. Walker Evans, everybody. So this whole deal was about Nick and myself and Darrell Hoffman being a good friend. Darrell Hoffman built my motors when I first started racing. So I don’t want to say one thing. I know I get along with it.” Wallace never changed his mind since.