Boos or cheers, Winterport man loves racing

HERMON – In racing, there’s always one pleasant surprise in each division every year. For the Sport 4 division at Speedway 95, it’s Ernie Wallace Jr.

Wallace has already posted a pair of wins and sits near the top of the point standings. He was seventh in points last season.

“I’m very surprised that we’re doing so well this early,” said the 42-year-old driver.

Wallace has raced all over the state except for Beech Ridge in Scarborough, but Speedway 95 is the only track he races at for points.

“We’ll be running for the championship at Speedway 95 on Saturday nights and racing at Oxford Plains on Sundays. I want to win it, I want to be the champion [in Sport 4],” he said.

One way to get into position to win the title is to have a race car that’s good enough to run up front and one that suits the driver’s driving style. Wallace has found that car.

“Everyone runs Mustangs in that division, but I drive the only Ford Probe,” he said. “Because it’s front-wheel drive, I can take it harder into the corners [than other drivers] and not worry so much with the backend kicking out and spinning me around.”

Wallace not only runs at tracks in Maine, but also heads down to Thompson, Conn., to race in the World Series of Racing at the Thompson International Speedway. The three-day event attracts drivers from all over New England and Wallace is happy to be a part of it.

“I’m looking forward to going to Thompson again in October,” he said. “We went down there for sponsorship and Garbo Lobster hopped on board with us and we were able to put the car in the show.”

He was able to make the 30- car field but crashed early and had to leave the race.

“Someone had to finish last,” the Winterport native said with a laugh. “I love racing. That’s what I work for during the week.”

Wallace also doesn’t worry about being booed on the track.

“Boo me or cheer me, at least they’re noticing me. It’s the worst when you get introduced and there’s no reaction at all,” he said.

A good way to get started in racing is to help out a driver at the track. When he was a teenager, Wallace hung out with racing veteran Ralph Nason and changed tires, helping out where he could.

“Being in someone’s pit is a good way to get started,” he said. “That way when you start racing, you know a lot about cars and know people that can help you out.”

Another way to get involved is to be the son of a racer. His father, Ernie Wallace Sr., raced in the 1970s at Speedway 95 and is active in his son’s career by helping build and work on his race cars.

Wallace Jr. and brother-in-law, Robert Palmer, decided they wanted to race and entered the Little Enduro division on Wednesday nights.

“We won some races in the Little Enduros and decided to move to the Saturday night shows in the Sport 4 division,” Wallace said. “Last year, we did good but had some bad luck. This year, we’ve started off well and have some sponsor backing from Hair to Toe Hair Salon, International Laborers Union Local 1377 of Brewer, CarQuest and our big contributor Garbo Lobster, so hopefully we can win this championship, but the Areys are going to be tough to beat.”