For Kenny Wallace & The Auchmoody Family, Tuesday Albany-Saratoga Is Bigger Than Grabbing The Checkers

Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – MALTA, NY – For many, competing Tuesday night in Brett Hearn’s Big Show X at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, success is measured by the ability to grab the event’s elusive checkered flag. For one team in particular, the #36 driven by NASCAR personality Kenny Wallace & owned by the Auchmoody family, it goes way beyond that.

Wallace has attempted to run the Big Show on three other occasions, but due to circumstances beyond his control, things just never lined up. Tuesday night however, thanks to Mother Nature, it looks like he’ll finally have the opportunity to jump behind the wheel of a Big Block Modified once again.

“We’ve been trying to get up there to run that race at Albany-Saratoga for four year’s now,” Wallace said. “David Rifenburg who owns Cedar Peaks (a marketing partner of both Hearn’s and Wallace’s) has asked me to go up there and run a Big Block Mod and I’ve been willing to do it.”

According to Wallace, it looks like things will finally align so he can visit the Empire State and strap into a Modified for the fourth time in his career.

“The first two years that we planned to run the Big Show, we got rained out,” he said. The third year, things ended up so I couldn’t make it but here we are this year. Looks like the weather will be perfect and the cliché is ‘third time’s the charm.’ Well, maybe fourth time’s the charm.”

This may be Kenny’s first attempt at running the Big Show, but it’s not the first time in a Big Block. He’s run two events when the Super DIRTcar Series ran at the Virginia Motor Speedway and has raced at Humberstone Speedway in Canada. However this will be his first time at the Malta oval. Even with that, Wallace is excited to help support the Hearn-promoted event.

“I really admire what Brett is doing with this event,” Wallace said. “He’s a successful racecar driver and doesn’t need to be promoting any events but I think it’s great he’s doing something like this. It takes a lot of nerve to promote a race, such a big race like this. He asked for some help four years ago and if he thinks me being there can help draw one more person in the gate I think that’s great and I’m excited.”

Even more important for Wallace and the owners of the car, Becky and Willy Auchmoody, is the fact that the night is an effort to raise awareness as well as money for Alzheimer’s research. Willy’s mother, Linda, is currently battling the disease and though different events, the family’s goal is to raise $10,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.

“First, this whole deal was to show up at the Big Show and sign some autographs for the fans,” Wallace said. “I said sure. Then came the offer to drive a car. Next was the idea to help raise money for something so close to Willy and Becky’s heart. This deal is in its third phase of development now, and it keeps growing and getting even more exciting. Hopefully we can accomplish all our goals and really do something special and I think it’s wonderful.”

For the Auchmoody’s, the Racing2Remember program is very important and raising money for deserving causes has been important to them for years.

“Our family has raised over $100,000 for the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over the years,” Willy said. “In 2018, however, we shifted our focus to the Alzheimer’s Association. We’ve done some fundraising so far and talking to my wife, I said we could do something with Brett & Kenny for this event. She questioned it, thinking it would be better to donate the money rather than build the car. I told her I thought we could do bigger things for our program this way and we’re already halfway to our goal before the car even hits the track.”

The Auchmoody’s have raised almost $5,400 to date.

For fans who want to get involved, for a $25 donation, you’ll receive one of the Racing2Remember T-Shirts and be helping the fight against this horrible disease in which 1-in-10 Americans are diagnosed with annually.

“The buzz around this deal with Kenny driving our car has been amazing,” Auchmoody said. “Just taking the car down to Hearn’s shop on an open trailer and back, I can’t believe how many people were beeping and waving because they recognized the car. This has the makings of something huge and we still have the Alzheimer’s Walk (October 20th) coming up after this to raise money so it’s just been great. I think we’ll reach our goal.”

Now, as of the present moment, Tuesday is a one-race deal for the Wallace / Auchmoody pairing. However, could more be in the works for this team?

“My Big Block Modified, in the eyes of my team and everyone involved, is now Kenny Wallace’s Big Block Modified,” Auchmoody said with a laugh. “I may get to race the car if Kenny says he can’t run it, but I am open to more races with him, absolutely.”

In all seriousness, Auchmoody is willing to do more races with Wallace if both schedules can align.

“I’ve told Kenny, some of the extra-distance races like Super DIRT Week are a possibility,” he said. “Hell, he’ll already be in Volusia next February. What’s a 17-hour ride to bring the #36 to Florida in February for him to run?”

Wallace perked right up when all this was being discussed.

“I like the idea of possibly running more races,” Wallace said. “It’s very appealing to me.”

No matter how you look at it, both Wallace and Auchmoody know that Tuesday night at Albany-Saratoga is important, but realize that the #36 being there is way more than just making laps around the oval.

“I want everyone to know, that Tuesday night, it’s not about me,” Wallace said. “What’s important in my eyes is that we raise money to help Willy’s Mom and the fight against Alzheimer’s, as well help Brett to make the Big Show a success. I always say, ‘we’re all in this together.’ When it’s all over, if the place is packed, we have great weather, and it’s an amazing night, that’s what’s most important to me.”

Auchmoody said almost the exact same thing.

“I truly feel this whole situation is a lot bigger than just racing,” Auchmoody said. “A packed house with everyone there, having fun while building awareness for Alzheimer’s, is key. Racing wise, just making the show would be big for sure. There will be no slouches there. You’re going to have the best of the best racing Tuesday. Just making it into the feature will be a win.”

Kenny Wallace has won on the race track. Willy Auchmoody has won on the race track. On Tuesday night, the two, along with Willy’s wife and the countless others who have been a part of the Racing2Remember program to date, are hoping the Big Show can prove to be successful, in more ways than one.

For more information on the Auchmoody’s program and fundraising efforts and how you can be involved, search “Racing2Remember” on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. For more info on the Big Show, log on to www.thebigshow10.com.