Kenny Wallace mourning loss of Jay Robinson Racing team manager
FONTANA, Calif. – Kenny Wallace and the Jay Robinson Racing will race this weekend with heavy hearts following the death of crew chief and team manager Kenneth Campbell.
Campbell, 46, died Thursday night in North Carolina. Although he was fighting a virus, the death of the 47-year-old was unexpected and he had been working in the shop earlier in the week.
The three JRR cars (Wallace, Derrike Cope, and Kertus Davis) took a couple of ceremonial laps prior to final NASCAR Nationwide Series practice Friday.
Wallace said he met Campbell in 1989 when Campbell was working for Laughlin chassis. Campbell also was once a NASCAR official and had worked at JRR for most of the last six years.
“Kenneth Campbell bought into Jay Robinson’s racing program,” Wallace said Saturday morning. “He understood that Jay Robinson was a successful businessman and Jay has a passion for racing but Jay doesn’t have millions of dollars.
“So Kenneth bought into the program and understood how it had to be operated and every morning at 7 or 7:30, Kenneth was there to drink coffee with him and carry out what needed to be done on the race team. Now with Kenneth dying, there’s nobody right now to carry out what needs to be done. It’s going to be a hard void to fill for Jay.”
Wallace, who joined the team earlier this year, said he and Campbell enjoyed one of their best races just last month in Indianapolis.
“His biggest strength is he had a tremendous quality to never, ever talk bad or negative about anybody,” Wallace said. “He was very quiet. I thought Kenneth was just a big ol’ country boy, but Kenneth was full of knowledge. He was so shy around me, I had to bring it out of him. … Kenneth was full of real good knowledge for the setup of the race car.”
Campbell is survived by his wife of 25 years, Kim, his daughter, Taylor, and his two sons, Carson and Braden.
Memorial donations for family and funeral expenses can be sent to the race team at 3901 Sardis Church Road, Monroe, N.C. 28110.
