While not extremely common, racing legacies have been an integral part of NASCAR and keep the fans rooting for the same last name for a few generations.
Now, when it comes to NASCAR’s legacies, some names emerge higher than others. For instance, the Earnhardts, Pettys, and Allisons tend to be the most common last names when it comes to racing heritage in the sport.
However, apart from these, there is one family that has many NASCAR accolades associated with it. Rusty Wallace, Mike Wallace, and Kenny Wallace of the Wallace family have been some of the most iconic drivers in NASCAR. Recently, the latter opened up about the curse of being brothers with a legendary driver.
Kenny Wallace On The Tough Love Of His Older Brother, Rusty
When former driver Kevin Harvick sat down with another legendary NASCAR figure, Kenny Wallace, the two spoke about several elements of the sport, including the latter’s racing days and his current ventures behind the wheel.
Midway through the conversation, Harvick asked Wallace about his relationship with his brother. He asked, “How did Rusty’s dynamic help what you did on or off the racetrack? Did it help at all? Did he ever help you?”
Wallace responded with a rather interesting answer. He said, “I literally love Rusty and Mike. I got the best brothers. They spoil me. I’m 62 years old and I’m still the baby.”
The NASCAR icon also mentioned his father’s racing journey and compared him with the legendary Ralph Earnhardt. The 62-year-old then admitted to feeling overshadowed by his older brother’s talent and even confessed to occasionally envying him and Jeff Gordon.
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He further revealed that his older brother supported him in all his ventures and loved him; however, there was a silver lining to his personality. Hailing from the 1950s, the older Wallace believed in tough love and often pushed his younger brother to the limits for the greater good.
“There’s times he’s [Rusty] put me in tears, but Rusty calls it tough love. So Rusty has made me stronger and tougher, and I love him beyond belief,” Wallace said.
Wallace Opens Up About His Curse
Wallace further acknowledged his older brother’s talent and admitted that it was tough to develop the skill that came naturally to his sibling. He then revealed the hard side of being the brother of a legend and added:
“I’ve also been given a curse. My brother is one of the greatest race car drivers in the history of NASCAR. It’s a lot of pressure but it’s not that. It’s the people that remind me of it.”
Though Wallace explained being extremely proud of his brother’s achievements, the fans constantly compared the two and reminded him that he was not as good as his brother. He further revealed that Dale Earnhardt Jr. went through a similar situation when fans compared him to his old man.
Ultimately, Wallace stated that he was proud of everything his brother achieved in NASCAR and admitted that when it came to raw talent, he was not in the same league as his older brother. However, his older brother never let that come between their brotherly love.