Kenny Wallace’s NASCAR driving career to end at Iowa Speedway

One part of Kenny Wallace’s long, wide-ranging NASCAR career will come to an end next month.

The Aug. 1 Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway, in which Wallace will drive Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota, will be the last of his NASCAR driving career.

“To me, this isn't a sad moment; I'm at a truly happy place in my life right now,” said Wallace, who also serves as a NASCAR TV analyst for Fox Sports 1. “After all, not too many guys get to have the privilege of being a NASCAR driver, especially for as long as I have.

“I really wanted to end my long career on a positive note and I’m very excited about our chances in Iowa. The No. 20 team is one of the best in the sport and I'm looking forward to having a chance to end my NASCAR career with a great finish.”

The start will be his 547th, a series record. Wallace, 51, has also made 344 starts in the Sprint Cup Series and 13 in the Truck series. He has nine career wins, all in the Xfinity Series.

“I’ve had a long and successful career and I’ve been able to support my family doing what I love,” Wallace said. “To me, it doesn't get any better than that. I'm really proud of everything that I've been able to accomplish in NASCAR.

“I'm going to stay involved in the sport through TV and I'm going to stay behind the wheel in my dirt cars, too.”

Mears remains with Germain Racing

Germain Racing announced driver Casey Mears has agreed to a one-year contract extension to drive its No. 13 Chevrolet in the Cup series through the 2016 season.

“He’s been an integral part of the team's growth and success over the past five years and I am confident he can continue to help us move forward and reach our goals,” team owner Bob Germain Jr. said of Mears. “We've come a long way as a team, and assembled a group of extremely talented people who enjoy working together.”

Mears, who joined Germain in 2010, said is proud of the growth of the team’s Cup series effort during his tenure.

“It's been a long process to get the program to where we are now,” he said. “We are finally starting to see some of the benefits from all the hard work from the last four or five years.”

Another Wallace enters NASCAR

Matt Wallace, the 19-year-old son of NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace, will make his debut in the Xfinity Series this weekend at New Hampshire.

Matt, who recently finished second in a Super Late Model race at I-44 Speedway, will drive the No. 26 entry for JGL Racing. He will also drive for the team in the Aug. 1 race at Iowa.

He finished 10th in his debut in the Automobile Racing Club of America series at Toledo Speedway in mid-May.

Busch to make 300th start

Kyle Busch will make his 300th start in the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s race at New Hampshire. He is the all-time series leader with 71 wins, including four wins at New Hampshire, the most recent coming in the 2013 season.

This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Kenny Wallace’s NASCAR driving career to end at Iowa Speedway."