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 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.
By the second day she was running laps a half-second faster than I had on the first day. Let me tell you something, she's fast. And if she couldn't drive, she wouldn't be in our car.
I've got three more chances to win, ... Phoenix is a good chance, and Homestead is a real good chance. Last year at Homestead I led a ton of laps and ran second most of the day, me and Biffle, back and forth. He put four tires on at the end; I did two for track position. He won and I finished seventh. I should have put on four.
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.
We got down into turn one and the 66 spun out right in front of me,
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,
Kenny went in to use the rest room, and they had the toilet paper roll with the springs on the side, and he kept pulling the paper, and it kept breaking off. He said he pulled and pulled and pulled, and it broke and broke and broke, and the whole time this toilet paper is breaking off I'm in the truck and we're gone. We thought he was there.
We have one last chance remaining and that's this weekend at Talladega. We're definitely coming in there with all our guns loaded and ready to go.