What most fans see on the track is usually a couple of hours’ worth of action, as the drivers rev their engines at full throttle around NASCAR’s ovals. However, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace revealed that a lot more goes into being a stock car driver.
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Whenever a driver buckles themselves up to a high horsepower machine, they only wish that it would be them who could unbuckle themselves at the end of the race. Indeed, the drivers put a lot on the line for this sport, and in return, they are paid well too.
However, the sport takes away a lot in return. A full-time driver has to travel continuously and spend several weeks away from their family. Moreover, a season of racing is a constant grind that often drains out the driver.
As Wallace shared NASCAR’s post that featured a picture of himself moments before his last Xfinity Series race, a fan commented, “What a life, Kenny. Is the NASCAR way of life a good one?”
Kenny Wallace replied, “My bank account says @NASCAR was really good to me. But the sport is brutal and you have to be strong to survive. I have the scars in my back to prove it.”
My bank account says @NASCAR was really good to me.
But the sport is brutal and you have to be strong to survive.
I have the scars in my back to prove it. https://t.co/13INM14Fm6— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) December 21, 2023
It makes one wonder, what exactly did Kenny Wallace mean by “scars” on his back? Does it hint at potential cases of backstabbing during his racing days?
Kenny Wallace opened up on the ugly side of NASCAR
The money that the NASCAR drivers make is directly proportional to the revenues that they bring back to the companies that sponsor them. Unfortunately, when they fail, the companies just defenestrate them. This is where the sad truth of the sport lies.
In an episode of The Kenny Wallace Show, the host revealed why the NASCAR speedsters quit so early in their lives. Since the SRX series has unfolded, fans have witnessed several retired drivers like Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart come back on the driver’s list. But why SRX and not NASCAR?
Wallace said, “Here’s what happens. Clint Bowyer gets the racing. Has one bad year. Bobby Labonte has one, two bad years; suddenly, the sponsor calls up and goes, Hey! What’s wrong with our driver? Now, I’m not picking a driver out. Well, you know he’s 39 years old now.”
“Sponsor calls up, car owner, crew-chief…it’s like a bunch of little old ladies. Well, our driver’s 39 now, he has lost it. He doesn’t have it. He is getting lazy,” he added. And all of a sudden, the sponsors revoked its money. However, not all days are the same.
Yet the sponsors don’t seem to quite understand that, which only makes matters worse for a driver when coupled with the reality of how, without sponsorship, a driver’s future with the team is uncertain.
