A corporate aircraft traveling Thursday from Concord, N.C., to Daytona Beach with NASCAR driver Mike Wallace [#4 Morgan McClure driver] and his wife, Carla, aboard made an emergency landing after being diverted to Lakeland, FL. There was believed to be a problem with the landing gear, but emergency equipment standing by was not needed when the plane landed without incident. Wallace, who plans to compete in the Daytona 500 and the Busch and truck series races next week, said an inspection revealed a $3 plastic penlight flashlight had rolled up under the dashboard and jammed under the gear release. “The nice part about it is nothing happened,” Wallace said. “Everything ended up perfect.”(ESPN.com/AP)(2-11-2005)
