The first race of the season was held at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, NC.
Wally started on the outside pole. He got off to a great start taking the lead right away. He led the race for about 50 laps. While in the process of passing a slower car, Wally got tangled up with him and spun. Thanks to his experience as a driver, he was able to get the car under control right away and keep running. He worked his way back up to the lead and led until lap 98. At this point, he again ran into slower traffic. This time, he got stuck behind a slower car and the car in second place, driven by Megan Reitenour, was able to pass him on the outside. Megan ended up winning the race with Wally coming in second.
This was an awesome finish for Wally since he wasn't even sure he was going to make it to the race due to engine issues.
