Rusty Wallace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rusty Wallace |
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Rusty Wallace in 1997.
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| Born | Russell William Wallace Jr. August 14, 1956 Arnold, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Achievements | 1989 Winston Cup Series Champion 1991 IROC Champion 1983 ASA Champion 1990 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 1989 The Winston Winner 1998 Bud Shootout Winner Led Winston Cup Series in wins (1988, 1989, 1993, 1994) Led Winston Cup Series in poles (2000) 1988 Final Winner at Riverside International Raceway 1993 Inaugural Winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway 9 wins at Bristol Motor Speedway (including record 6 Food City 500 wins and a sweep in 2000) 7 wins at Martinsville Speedway (including record 4 consecutive Spring race wins from 1993 to 1996 and a sweep in 1994) 6 wins at Richmond International Raceway (all time record on current .75 mile configuration) All time lap leader in modern era at Bristol Motor Speedway All time lap leader in modern era at Richmond International Raceway (all time lap leader on current .75 mile configuration) All time winner for Pontiac (31 victories) in NASCAR history |
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| Awards | NASCAR Hall of Fame (2013) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2013) National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (2010) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2014) Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (1998) Named a Missouri Sports Legend by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2006) St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame (2011) NMPA Myers Brothers Award winner (2005) 2× NMPA Richard Petty Driver of the Year (1988, 1993) NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year (2005) North Carolina's Order of the Long Leaf Pine (2005) Delaware's Order of the First State (2005) Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) 1984 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year 1979 USAC Stock Car Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 706 races run over 25 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1989) | ||||||
| First race | 1980 Atlanta 500 (Atlanta) | ||||||
| Last race | 2005 Ford 400 (Homestead) | ||||||
| First win | 1986 Valleydale 500 (Bristol) | ||||||
| Last win | 2004 Advance Auto Parts 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 42 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 32nd (1987) | ||||||
| First race | 1985 Goody's 300 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 2005 O'Reilly Challenge (Texas) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 92nd (1996) | ||||||
| First race | 1996 DeVilbiss Superfinish 200 (Nazareth) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of December 21, 2012. | |||||||
Russell William "Rusty" Wallace Jr., born on August 14, 1956, is a famous American former NASCAR race car driver. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1984. He also won the big NASCAR Winston Cup Championship in 1989. Rusty is so well-known for his racing that he's in several Halls of Fame, like the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Contents
Rusty Wallace's Racing Journey
Starting His Racing Career
Before joining NASCAR, Rusty Wallace was already a winner. He raced in Florida and won over 200 local short track races. In 1979, he earned the United States Auto Club's (USAC) Stock Car Rookie of the Year award. He finished third in the points standings that year. In 1981, he was second in the USAC Stock Cars championship.
In 1983, he won the American Speed Association (ASA) championship. He competed against other future NASCAR stars. These included Mark Martin and Alan Kulwicki.
NASCAR Debut and Early Success
Rusty Wallace first raced in NASCAR in 1980 at Atlanta. He drove a Chevrolet for Roger Penske's team. He finished an amazing second place in that race. Over the next three years, he raced nine more times. He only finished in the top 10 once more.
In 1984, Wallace started racing full-time in the Winston Cup series. He was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year. He finished 14th in the overall points. He drove the No. 88 Gatorade-sponsored Pontiac. His best finish was fourth, with two fifth-place finishes. He also had four more top 10 finishes. In 1985, he stayed with the same team. He had two top 5s and eight top 10s.
Joining Blue Max Racing
In 1986, Wallace moved to Raymond Beadle's Blue Max Racing team. He drove the No. 27 Alugard-sponsored Pontiac. His first big win came at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 6, 1986. He also won at Martinsville later that year. He ended 1986 with two wins and finished sixth in the points. This was his first time in the top 10 standings.
In 1987, Kodiak tobacco became his sponsor. The No. 27 Kodiak-sponsored Pontiac became very famous. He won races at Watkins Glen and Riverside. He also got his first pole position at Michigan. He finished fifth in the points that year.
On August 27, 1988, Rusty had a big crash at Bristol. His car rolled over five times. It took rescue workers 15 minutes to get him out. Despite this, 1988 was a great year for him. He won six races, including four of the last five. He finished second in the championship.
Winning the Championship
In 1989, Rusty Wallace won the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. He worked with crew chief Barry Dodson. He won the title by finishing 15th at Atlanta. He beat his friend and rival Dale Earnhardt by just 12 points. Wallace also won "The Winston" race. This was a special race where he famously spun out Darrell Waltrip on the last lap.
In 1990, his team's sponsor changed to Miller Genuine Draft. This sponsorship was tied to Wallace. He won 18 races for the team.
Moving to Penske Racing
In 1991, Wallace took the Miller sponsorship to Penske Racing. He continued to drive the No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac. He also won the 1991 IROC championship. In 1992, he only won one race, the Miller 400. This win was special because it was with his famous car, "Midnight." This car raced for six seasons and won many races.
The 1993 season was one of his best. He had two big crashes at Daytona and Talladega. His car went airborne and flipped many times. But he still won 10 races that year. He won the second race of the season at North Carolina. The season was also sad because his friend, Alan Kulwicki, passed away. When Wallace won at Bristol, he did a "Polish victory lap." This means he drove around the track the wrong way to honor Kulwicki. He did this for every win that year.
He won all three races in April 1993. He also won the first-ever race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He started 33rd and still won! He finished second in the points, just 80 points behind Dale Earnhardt.
In 1994, Penske Racing switched to Fords. In 1996, his sponsor changed to Miller beer. At the end of 1996, NASCAR held a special race in Japan. Rusty Wallace won that first race at Suzuka.
In 1997, the team's sponsor became Miller Lite. The car's colors changed to blue and white. In 1998, Wallace won the Bud Shootout at Daytona. This was a special non-points race. It was Ford's new Taurus car's first win. It was also Rusty's only win at Daytona.
In 2000, he got his 50th career win at Bristol. He was the 10th driver in NASCAR to win 50 or more races. He is also the only driver to win his first and 50th race at the same track. He won three more races that year. He finished seventh in the points. The next year, he won at California. This was his 54th win. He won on what would have been Dale Earnhardt's 50th birthday. He honored Earnhardt with a special flag.
In 2003, Penske Racing switched to Dodge. In 2004, Wallace won his 55th and final race. It was at Martinsville Speedway. This was also the last win for the track under its old ownership.
On August 30, 2004, Wallace announced he would retire. The 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season would be his last full-time. He finished his career with 55 wins and 36 pole positions. His 55 wins rank him 11th on NASCAR's all-time wins list. He has the most short track wins in NASCAR history with 34. This makes him one of the best short track drivers ever. He retired with a 14.4 career average finish.
In 2014, Wallace tested a car at Daytona. This was for a promotion for Miller Lite's 40th anniversary. It was the first time a NASCAR Hall of Famer drove in a NASCAR test.
Major Racing Incidents
Rusty Wallace is known for some big crashes. Especially at tracks where cars race very close together. His first big crash was in 1983 at Daytona. His car got airborne and flipped many times. He had to go to the hospital.
In 1988, he had another big flip at Bristol. His car climbed the wall and rolled over. The roof of his car was badly damaged. A doctor who was also a TV commentator, Jerry Punch, was the first to help him.
In 1993, Wallace had two more huge flips. Both were at tracks where cars race very close. The first was at the 1993 Daytona 500. His car flipped multiple times in the grass. Months later, at Talladega, his car flipped high into the air. He broke his wrist in that crash. Dale Earnhardt, who was involved, checked on Wallace to make sure he was okay.
He also had an airborne crash in 2005. His car was clipped and lifted off the ground. Luckily, it did not flip over.
Other Racing Adventures
On April 1, 2015, Rusty Wallace tested a Stadium Super Truck. He then announced he would race in the X Games in Austin. He rolled his truck during a race but kept going. He did not qualify for the main event.
In 2016, Wallace raced in the Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Daytona. He finished tenth overall in that race.
Life After Racing: Broadcasting
On January 25, 2006, it was announced that Rusty Wallace would work for ESPN and ABC. He covered auto racing events. He even covered the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. He joined the NASCAR broadcasting team in 2007. He worked with ESPN until 2014.
Since 2015, Wallace has worked for Motor Racing Network. He is a booth announcer for their races.
Rusty Wallace as a Team Owner
Until 2012, Wallace owned Rusty Wallace Racing. This team had cars in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His son, Steve Wallace, drove for the team. The team stopped racing for a while because they lost sponsors. In 2012, they raced one more time. In 2013, the team closed down for good due to a lack of sponsorship.
Rusty's Family Life
Rusty Wallace's brothers, Kenny and Mike, also raced in NASCAR. Rusty and his wife Patti have three children: Greg, Katie, and Stephen. Stephen raced full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He made his Cup Series debut in the 2011 Daytona 500. This made him the fourth person in his family to race in the Daytona 500. Rusty's father, Russell Wallace Sr., passed away in 2011.
Iowa Speedway: A Dream Come True
In late 2005, Rusty Wallace started building his own race track. It was called "Signature Design Speedway" in Newton, Iowa. Now it is known as Iowa Speedway. The first race there was on September 15, 2006. It has hosted many races since then, including IndyCar races. The track looks a lot like Richmond International Raceway. Rusty Wallace won six times at Richmond.
Iowa Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 2009. The track will host its first NASCAR Cup Series race on June 16, 2024. This first Cup Series race was completely sold out! The race was a big success. Rusty was there for the whole weekend. The Cup Series will return to Iowa Speedway in August 2025.
Endorsements and Other Media
Rusty Wallace has had many endorsements. These include Callaway Golf and U.S. Fidelis.
Wallace also appeared in the movie Days of Thunder. He and his brothers were in the video game NASCAR Rumble. In the music video for "Nowadays" by Lil Skies, someone wears a vintage Rusty Wallace jacket.
Rusty Wallace's Achievements
Awards and Special Honors
- 1988, 1993: Richard Petty Driver of the Year
- 2005: NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year Award
- 2005: Myers Brothers Award
- 2014: Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Records and Milestones
Rusty Wallace has 55 career wins in NASCAR Cup Series races. This puts him 11th on the list of all-time winners. He is tied for seventh among drivers in NASCAR's modern era (since 1972).
Images for kids
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Wallace at Richmond Raceway in 1998.
See also
In Spanish: Rusty Wallace para niños
