Kenny Wallace has been known for the energy and passion he brings to NASCAR. However, in such a sport, it can be challenging over time to maintain the same energy. But one small piece of advice from a sports veteran helped him understand the importance of slowing down and protecting his peace. 

Kenny’s personality caught the attention of many in the garage, and one such personality was the sports veteran driver, Rick Mast. He quickly became friends with Wallace and gave him advice that has stuck with the FOX Broadcaster to date. 'Herman' recalled an incident from back in the day where, during the race at Dover, he complained about his car being bad. This is when Mast shared words of advice with him. 

"And Rick Mast was the one that taught me this. He said, 'Herman, you plan on doing this for a long time?'" recalled Wallace on the June 16 episode of his podcast Coffee with Kenny. "I said, 'Yes, I can't wait. I love NASCAR. ' He looked at me, and he goes, 'You better calm down then. Your brain's gonna hurt. You're gonna go to the funny farm.'"

The former NASCAR driver has been very open about his ADHD diagnosis. He was diagnosed with it during his early childhood. However, he has never let it stop him from pursuing his dream of racing in NASCAR.

Wallace further revealed that Mast was amongst the few who understood his hyperactivity was caused by ADHD and how all of this could eventually lead to burnout.

The 62-year-old opened up about using the advice recently.

Wallace has also been very open about his battle with anxiety. He opened up about the same during an interview with Natalie Decker while talking about his Daytona 500 run in 1989. 

As Wallace continues to be a huge part of NASCAR, Rick Mast's advice continues to resonate with him. 

Kenny Wallace Shares How ADHD Helped Shape and Boost His Success in Racing

The former NASCAR driver's hyper personality has attracted widespread attention. This also got him several sponsors throughout his career. 

This hyperactivity helped him boost his personality and connect with people across the sport easily. While talking about the same, in an interview with Kevin Harvick on his podcast Happy Hour, he spoke about how his hyperactivity helped in bringing in sponsors. 

"So how could I stay in the game as long as I have? It was my gift of gab. I have had the greatest sponsors in the history of NASCAR," Wallace said.

He reeled in big sponsors like Square D and AutoZone, which went on for years as he managed to engage NASCAR fans and boost sales.

What looked like a setback at first ultimately worked in Kenny Wallace’s favor, as he went on to have a long and successful run in NASCAR.

What do you think of Mast's advice for Wallace? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Daytona Racing Digest.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar