NASCAR: Court Filing Offers New Info, Landscaping Company Upset

New information is now available in the case of former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace and his daughter, who were both assaulted following a Rascal Flatts concert. The landscaping company connected to the assault has also released a statement.

We are now almost a week removed from the assault on former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace and his daughter in the parking lot after a Rascal Flatts concert. The result of the attack left Wallace with a concussion, broken teeth and more than a dozen stitches. Wallace’s daughter was left with bruised ribs and other minor injuries.

The three men responsible for the attack were arrested and have since been released from jail. Below are the names of the men and what they have been charged with according to ESPN.

• Nathan Lucas, 22, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault for striking Wallace, 57, in the face with a closed fist.
• Paul Lucas, 29, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a woman for kicking Wallace’s daughter, 31-year-old Lindsey Wallace Van Wingerden, in her ribs, left arm and leg.
• Randolph Mangum, 24, was charged with simple assault for striking Wallace’s son-in-law, 31-year-old Thomas Van Wingerden, in the body using his feet and hands.

The landscaping company that was on the name of the truck (Lucas Lawns and Landscaping) that the three men left the attack in has also come under attack. It has been confirmed via several media outlets that one of the men involved in the attack does indeed work for the landscaping company. Following the attack and backlash from the community the landscaping company has released a statement in which they express their anger for the way they are being treated.

"On Friday, June 17th one employee of our company was accused of being involved in an assault upon one Mike Wallace and Lindsey Wallace Van Wingerden. Since that time Mr. Wallace and various other individuals have chosen to post statements, comments and opinions regarding the circumstances on social media websites. This has resulted in verbal attacks upon our business, suggestions that our clients abandon our company and innuendo regarding our business that we believe is designed to both frustrate the proper administration of justice within our court system and prevent our company from continuing to do business where we employee (sic) over 70 individuals who work hard and depend upon their jobs to support themselves and their families.This situation arose at an event that did not involve our business or the operation of the business in any way. The efforts being made to disparage our business and negatively impact its hardworking employees is both disturbing and uncalled for. This is, in our opinion, a mechanism being used to point blame at those who had no involvement in the matter and, simultaneously, deflect any inquiry into the actions and behavior that may have occurred at the time the situation arose by those making the accusations.Our company takes the actions of its employees, both on and off the clock, seriously and we plan to diligently and appropriately evaluate all of the accurate and undisputed information. However, we respectfully ask that those who rely on social media postings and one sided representations of fact CONSIDER the motivations behind those efforts. No one at our business would expect those who patronize the business of another to vilify or otherwise judge that business based upon what are solely accusations and finger pointing at any one or more of their employees. We feel certain that if a similar situation were occurring to Mr. Wallace, he would be asking for a fair and reasoned approach that included both sides of the equation, not just the one desired by the complaining party. We ask that a rational and objective assessment of the matter be considered before taking actions, as suggested by others, that would harm our professional activities and the families who gain support from our business operations.We are saddened that we have felt the need to engage in this release but it does, unfortunately, appear that Mr. Wallace and his supporters intend to have this matter resolved in the court of public opinion. This is NEITHER FAIR NOR appropriate for any of the parties involved to include mr. Wallace himself. This is especially true related to our business which had absolutely no involvement in the matter. We hope that the public will do as we intend, by gathering facts that are properly vetted.Our company supports our system of justice and believes that it will operate in an unbiased and objective manner in determining just which individuals may have been at fault in this situation. As suggested above, we believe that efforts to undermine our system, including the verbal attacks on our business, should be viewed dimly and questioned wholeheartedly."

While there are some valid points in the above release, the company needs to realize that the backlash is due to the fact that a company truck was used in the assault. Essentially the company truck was the getaway vehicle. Had the company truck not been used for personal use, the company name would have not even been in the picture. Nobody is taking issue with where the other men work because they did not put their business names front and center. The use of capitalization in the release to emphasis certain points is also a bit ridiculous buts that’s neither here nor there.

Following the incident and the subsequent backlash, it was also announced that the venue in which the concert was held terminated the business agreement with the landscaping company.

Wallace himself has spoken a few times since the attack to recount the events of that night. Wallace and those with him have been firm that the attack was unprovoked, although the above release from Lucas Lawn and Landscaping would have you think otherwise.

Below are some other tidbits that have come out since the initial attack late last week.

• Paul D. Lucas Jr. is the listed owner of Lucas Lawn and Landscaping, it’s not confirmed which of the three assailants work for the company.
• Three 911 call tapes have been released and each refers to a fight and one refers to there being a lot of blood.
• It’s believed that the three men were out of jail before Wallace was released from the hospital.
• A check of public records reveals that Mangum served 30 days of a one-year sentence in February of 2011 after being convicted of DUI, Driving With a Revoked License and Driving Under the Age of 21 While Consuming a Contraband Substance.
• All three men are scheduled to appear in court on July 22nd.
• The expected recovery time for Wallace after his dental injuries is somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-12 months.

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As more information continues to become available, Beyond The Flag will continue to pass it along to our readers. In the meantime, continue to send support and well-wishes to Wallace, his daughter and his family.