Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William "Rusty" Wallace, Jr.is a retired American racing driver, and a former NASCAR Winston Cup Champion. Considered one of racing's most well-known and charismatic personalities, he is a member of four of stock car racing's major halls of fame: the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame. He also served as the...
ProfessionRace Car Driver
Date of Birth14 August 1956
CityArnold, MO
We got down into turn one and the 66 spun out right in front of me,
We had the best car, without a doubt. We were able to take the lead and just throttle back. But when the right front went down, the day started to unravel. We led the most laps, even with the problem we had. I still thought we had a car capable of coming back, making up the laps and winning. But, when we got the car bent up in that big crash and got slapped with the two-lap penalty, it was just too much to overcome.
The fact is that we had a car that should have won and looked like we were certainly headed that way until we had a right front tire to go down,
It's always a probability that you're going to have a big wreck, and it's always somebody else's doing, ... Somebody gets really aggressive, three- and four-wide, they get bumping through the tri-oval and somebody loses it. Let's just hope that doesn't happen. And if it does happen, let's hope I get through it and I'm in the front already when it's happening behind me.
It was a good run, a real good run, ... We qualified really bad but got from the back up to the front and it turned out real good. It was just a long day, but I really had pretty smooth stuff all day long, only a couple of little things happened. The jack broke early but we got that right back. And then, at the end, I just, the lapped cars were really tough to get around on the get go and that got me way behind. Other than that, it was a good day.
I went up to pass a lapped car and when I got up to pass him he was on the outside and he came over, ... When he came over he clipped my left front fender and I had to jump out of the gas and when I jumped out of the gas I got hit in the rear end.
I think by the end of the year, he'd have a lot of knowledge. He'd be up on the wheel and ready to go then.
I think a lot of people look at me as the favorite here, ... I kinda feel that when I come into this track. I've got a little extra step in my stride when I come into this track because I've been so successful here in the past.
Larry reminds me of my old buddy, Buddy Parrott, reminds me of what (Parrott) did for me and how many victories he helped me get, ... We're having fun again.
Restrictor plates you've got to rely on all the other drivers around you to make it happen, and that's hard to do. ... But I think the mile and a half tracks are perfect for this Chase.
I tell Steven all of the time that I want his head in the carburetor,
I tell you what, I gotta get one of these at home.
I think I make Steve a little nervous sometimes, so I'm going to be comfortable sitting in Homestead watching his race, off and on.
I think Larry is one of the most wonderful crew chiefs I've ever had in my life,