Kenny Wallace thinks that NASCAR should acknowledge more than five Nationwide drivers at a year end banquet. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

That’s not fair, Wallace said. He points to his brother’s team, Rusty Wallace Racing, as an example. RWR drivers Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan are sixth and eighth, respectively, in the Nationwide standings, but if they don’t improve, the organization will have no representation at the banquet.

“Rusty’s got two teams that have $6 million apiece [of sponsorship],” Kenny Wallace said. “He’s got all these sponsors, these [chief executive officers], and he wants to invite them to the banquet. He’s in the top 10, and now he can’t even bring them to the banquet.

“The banquet is not just about the drivers. It’s about thanking the people who spent $6 million on your team. … We need to take that back and fix that.”

What’s worse, perhaps, is the possibility that all five of those drivers who do make the banquet could be Sprint Cup drivers. That won’t happen, but Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are likely to finish first and second in the standings.

“You could have a Nationwide banquet, and all five drivers [are Cup drivers]. How embarrassing is that?” Wallace said. “‘Let’s have a Nationwide banquet. By the way, the people in the top five in points are all Cup drivers.’ And they don’t want to be there. They think it’s funny.”

What’s not so funny to Wallace is the possibility that IndyCar star Danica Patrick could drive in some Nationwide races in 2010. Patrick has had her eye on NASCAR for some time, and to make the jump to stock cars, she’d need some time in the Nationwide Series.

“I think that would give her a really good gauge whether she’s cut out to do it,” Wallace said.

Patrick’s high profile would only increase the attention on the Nationwide Series, should she decide to race there next year.

“Would her presence help the Nationwide Series?” Wallace said. “It would be awesome for our sport. There’s no doubt.”

And there’s no doubt Wallace has been good for the sport, too.

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