TALLADEGA, Fla. -- This is no gimmick or publicity stunt. Mike Wallace and Chrissy Wallace want to be taken seriously.

On Saturday, they’ll make NASCAR history as the first father and daughter to race against each other when they drive in the Camping World Trucks Series at Talladega Superspeedway.

“Hopefully, I’ll wind up beating him,” Chrissy said.

“There’s not many people that say they get to drive race cars at Talladega Superspeedway with their daughter,” said Mike Wallace, a 20-year NASCAR veteran.

“We never set out to do anything like this,” said Mike Wallace, 50. “I never even thought my daughter would drive race cars but then I realized she was pretty good at it.”

Chrissy, 21, had a full scholarship to catch for the Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) College softball team but at the time was racing late models and decided to choose racing over softball. Last year, she competed for Germain Racing in six trucks series races, including an 18th-place finish at Martinsville; and two ARCA series races, highlighted by a ninth-place finish at Talladega.

While Mike Wallace is proud of Chrissy, he’s not relishing watching the middle of his three children negotiating traffic at speeds near 200 mph on the superspeedway track.

“I’m still her father and I don’t want to see anything happen to her. … I don’t want to see her get hurt,” Mike said. “I watched her run the ARCA race last year. … Kenny and I spotted for her, and to be totally honest, I got very nervous. I have confidence in her ability but you’re just not sure what the competitors around her are going to do.

SOURCE: Kansas City Star