Dirt America Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 Mike Duvall Racing Jon Wallace Racing P.O. Box 132 Marston, NC 28363 Telephone: 682.225.9057 Email: jonwallaceracing@yahoo.com Websites: www.mikeduvall.com & www.jonwallaceracing.addr.com September 3, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mike Duvall & Jon Wallace Join For ’08 Blaze of Glory Tour Marston, NC --- Two dirt Late Model drivers will be teaming up for the 2008 racing season and will be traveling America’s highways competing with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in what the duo has dubbed the ‘2008 Blaze of Glory Tour’. Long time veteran superstar driver Mike Duvall, 58, of Cowpens, SC and Jon Wallace, 35, of Marston, NC, formerly a top Texas dirt Late Model racer, will combine forces for the 2008 season in what will be Duvall’s ‘farewell tour’ from active racing. Both drivers will be using the autumn and winter months securing sponsorship and preparing for the ’08 season that will begin in Florida. In addition to Duvall’s farewell tour Duvall will be mentoring Wallace as the friendly driver is returning to dirt Late Model racing full time next season. “When (wife) Mandy and I got out here to the Carolina’s we went to a couple speedways to visit some tracks and I had known about Mike my whole life and always thought a lot of him and these guys said Mike Duvall is a Christian and a man of God and has a ministry so we decided we needed to go see him so we just drove down to his shop,” explained Wallace. “I told him about what I had in mind about getting back into dirt Late Model racing and running for a rookie title and he said, ‘I’ll tell you what, I want to donate a Flintstone Flyer chassis to you,’ and he ended up giving us a race car. That shows what kind of man he is and we kind of just hooked up from there. And with him being a man of God and us planning a ministry it just kind of fit together.” Race fans across the country have been thrilled by Duvall’s exploits, abilities and achievements ever since the superstar driver began his career in 1968. Known far and wide as ‘The Flintstone Flyer’, Duvall has recorded more than 700 feature victories during his driving career. Also among Duvall’s achievements include being inducted into the Inaugural Class of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, induction in 2003 into The Dirt Track Walk of Fame at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway, the 1982 National Dirt Racing Association National Championship (NDRA), a victory in the prestigious World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio and scores of other high-profile races. “I spoke with the Lord and he spoke to my heart and said its about time to quit and I need to finish it up and let all your buddies you have raced with all over the world know how to get on board with Me,” stated Duvall. “That’s what the Good Lord put in my heart. I’m looking forward to it because any time I can do something for the Lord, well, I can’t do enough for him, let’s put it that way. And it will be nice to get back out on the road and see all my old friends everywhere.” “I also think the Lord put Jon and I together. Jon is a good man, a good racer and he has the desire to get the job done. Jon wants a career in dirt Late Model racing and if I can assist him then I will do everything I can. I think this will be a good pairing and I am really looking forward to doing this next year.” Duvall, originator of the famed ‘Flintstone Flyer’ chassis, will supply chassis for himself and Wallace. The duo has chosen to compete on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2008. “I really believe that series is an awesome series with Mr. (Forest) Lucas and Lucas Oil behind it,” explained Wallace. “I know they have good morals and are a God based company. I know Forest Lucas is. And I just believe in them including the staff they have. And with us doing a ministry what better series to go with than the Lucas Oil Series.” “I believe another one of the most important aspects of the Lucas Oil Series is TV and having media that goes along with a professional series like Lucas. Its something that dirt Late Model racing has needed. And we think the Lucas Oil Series is on the threshold of being even bigger and more vital than ever.” Wallace has been racing off and on for 20 years now and has spent the majority of his time competing in dirt Late Models in Texas and surrounding region before relocating to North Carolina. During his career in Texas he scored wins in four states, won championships at TNT Raceway and with the Texas Dirt Track Association and the Southern State Short Track Championship. He has also competed in numerous events sanctioned by SUPR, Hav-A-Tampa/UDTRA, NCRA and in the NASCAR Mid American Region. From 2001 – 2004 Wallace stepped away from racing to spend time with his family before returning in 2005 as the driver of Ron Lane’s #55 MOPAR. Wallace feels the time is right to rekindle his career and this time on a national basis and feels his partnership with Duvall will be a good way to establish himself and the team. “We’re calling this the ‘Blaze of Glory’ tour so Mike can go out of the sport as a driver in a ‘blaze of glory’ and hopefully, I can come into it in a ‘blaze of glory’ and establish myself as a contender.” “We have already started implementing an aggressive marketing and publicity campaign and feel confident that everything will fall into place by the start of the 2008 season. Another goal of mine is to get Mike out there in front of the many thousands of fans he has one last time as a racer. This will be a way for all of us, as a sport, to pay tribute to one of the greatest racers and men in the sport.” On a personal level Wallace feels having someone of the caliber of Mike Duvall serving as a mentor will accelerate his career and skills as a driver. “Without a shadow of doubt,” offered Wallace. “I will be coming in on Mike’s shirt tails and it’s a new adventure for me. It’s a frontier and Mike Duvall is pioneering the way for me. He has a lot of knowledge.” Duvall hopes to accomplish several things next season, chief among them his ministry as well as saying farewell to his multitude of race fans across the country. “The biggest thing is look what you leave your family,” commented Duvall. “You leave your family that promise that we will all be together in Eternal Life and that’s what is so hard to get some people to understand. And that is what Jon and I hope to accomplish, to let people know there is a better way. And to see all of my buddies and all of those wonderful race fans.” Over the next couple months Duvall and Wallace will be announcing their sponsorship contingent in addition to special promotions that will be underway during the 2008 racing season. For information on becoming a marketing partner with Duvall and Wallace’s ‘2008 Blaze of Glory Tour’ contact Wallace at: 682.225.9057 or jonwallaceracing@yahoo.com or contact Lehman Motorsports Services at: DocLehman@sssnet.com More information on Duvall and Wallace can be found at: www.mikeduvall.com and www.jonwallaceracing.addr.com -Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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