“I bi*ched and moaned about running 2nd”: Kenny Wallace reminisces Dale Earnhardt's ‘great advice’ about winning championships

Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace recently reflected on the valuable advice passed on to him by the late great Dale Earnhardt. Wallace recalled a memorable interaction with Earnhardt where the seven-time champion emphasized the significance of second-place finishes.

Wallace, nicknamed 'Herman', made his Busch Series debut with Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 1988. He later drove full-time for Rusty Wallace Racing in the early 1990s finishing sixth, seventh, and second in the standings for three years before eventually graduating to the Cup Series.

Kenny Wallace recently reflected on his Busch Series days when he grew frustrated with finishing second and missing out on race wins. While sharing his frustration with Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time champion advised Wallace that consistent second-place finishes would eventually lead him to a championship.

In a short video shared on X (previously Twitter), 60-year-old Wallace said:

"I b*tched and moaned about running second back in my Busch Grand National days. I was trying to do the tough thing... So anyway, I'm complaining to Dale Earnhardt Sr. Senior calls me, you know 'Herman come on up.' Senior would say come on up to the deer head shop, where he had all the deer head."

Wallace continued:

"I'm doing the old, 'Uh, I hate second. I can't believe I run second' — which in reality is a bold-faced lie for anybody... So Earnhardt Sr. said this to me, 'Boy, you take those second places, that will win you a championship'. Like Earnhardt had won some championships maybe winning two, four races a year. Second-places, the guy in front of you, he only gained a couple of points on you. That's what Earnhardt taught me."

Dale Sr. won his final two Cup Series titles with consistent performances. He won the 1993 Cup title with six victories compared to runner-up Rusty Wallace's 10. Similarly, he won the 1994 title with four victories, compared to Wallace's 8.

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Kenny Wallace reminisces about his Xfinity debut for Dale Earnhardt

Kenny Wallace made his NASCAR debut at Martinsville Speedway in 1988, driving the iconic #8 Chevy for DEI in the Busch Series (now Xfinity Series). His debut came under the guidance of NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt Sr. and his older brother Rusty Wallace, who were both spotting for him.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Wallace reminisced about his debut at the Paperclip Oval where he received contrasting advice from Dale Sr. and his brother Rusty. The former asked Kenny to push the car to its maximum while his brother was worried about him wrecking the car.

"It was funny because Dale Sr. and Rusty were both spotting for me that day. Now imagine your very first Xfinity race ever and you got Dale Earnhardt senior and Rusty spotting. Earnhardt's going 'drive the hell out of it Herman, you're looking good!' and Rusty's going 'don't wreck it!'," he said [from 4:11].

Kenny Wallace took home an 11th-place finish in his debut outing at Martinsville and earned a full-time ride with Rusty Wallace Racing for the following three years.