Rusty Wallace
Russell William "Rusty " Wallace ( born August 14, 1956 in Fenton, Missouri ) is a retired American NASCAR driver and Winston Cup champion from 1989. He is the owner of a team in the Nationwide Series and TV commentator on ESPN and " ESPN on ABC ". He had his first live broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2006. He is the brother of Kenny and Mike Wallace, which are also active in NASCAR.
Early career
In the late 1970s, before joining NASCAR, Wallace made a name in the Midwest, when he won a few local track championships. Overall, he won more than 200 short-track races. 1979 Wallace won the title as Rookie of the Year by the United States Automobile Club among other against AJ Foyt. In 1983, he won the championship of the American Speed Association, beating other future stars of NASCAR as Mark Martin, Dick Trickle and the Winston Cup champion from 1992, Alan Kulwicki.
NASCAR career
In the race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1980, Wallace was sitting in his first NASCAR race in the car with starting number 16 for Roger Penske and was directly in second. He drove yet another race for Penske in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he was ranked 14 of 25 starting position to the finish.
1981 Wallace went to a total of four races at the start. Two of them, he completed for Ron Benfield in a Pontiac with start number 98 The best result was a 21th Place. The other two races went Wallace for John Childs in a Buick with the start number 72 The best result of these two races was a sixth place. The following season, 1983 Wallace drove three races for John Childs, also with start number 72, the best finish of the season was a 29th place.
The first full season in Winston Cup drove Wallace in 1984. At the end of the season he finished in 14th place in the championship and was named the Rookie of the Year. His car was a Pontiac with start number 88 for Cliff Stewart. In 30 races, he scored two top - five and four top - four finishes with a fourth place as best result. The 1985 season went Wallace also for Cliff Stewart, but in Pontiac with start number 2 In 29 races, he scored two top - five and eight top-10 results.
In 1986 he moved to the Pontiac with the number 27 for Raymond Beadle. For him, Wallace scored his first victory on April 6, 1986 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. On September 21, a second victory at the Martinsville Speedway followed. Together with four top - five and 16 top-10 results in 29 races occupied Wallace at the end of the season 6th place in the championship.
The year 1987 was marked by its new main sponsor Kodak on the Pontiac with the start number 27 with him took Wallace his first pole position at Michigan International Speedway on June 28, 1987. Moreover, he took two wins, one of them at Watkins Glen International and one at the Riverside International Raceway. Nine top 5 and 16 top-10 results ensured that he was number 5 at the end of the season in the championship.
The 1988 season was his best year ever with a total of six wins at the Riverside International Raceway, the Michigan International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Carolina Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Of the last five races of the season won four Wallace and was 24 points behind Bill Elliott second in the championship.
Together with his crew chief Barry Dodson won Wallace his first and only championship in Winston Cup in season 1989. A 15th place in the last race of the season in Atlanta handed him to beat his friend and rival Dale Earnhardt with twelve points.
In 1990, team owner Raymond Beadle the main sponsor in favor of Miller Genuine Draft. This compound gave a year. After five years and 18 wins Wallace moved to Penske Racing and took the sponsor. There he went in Pontiac with the number 2 In addition to his two wins in the Winston Cup Wallace won this year's championship in the International Race of Champions.
Also in 1990 Wallace played himself in a supporting role in the feature film Days of Thunder.
In 1992 Wallace was able to win with the Miller 400 just a race. Known as the "Midnight" chassis of this car is one of the most consistent in his career. It has been used in a total of six seasons until 1997.
The year 1993 saw the number of wins and placings the most successful in the career of Wallace. Direct the second race of the season at the North Carolina Motor Speedway, he decided for himself. The race at the Bristol Motor Speedway, he was able to record for themselves. This presented a special race for Wallace, as his friend and reigning NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki died in an accident on the flight to Bristol in a plane crash. After this victory, and the other eight of the season Wallace graduated from the famous by Kulwicki "Polish victory lap " in which the driver's lap of honor opposite graduated from the actual direction of travel. Nevertheless, these ten victories ranged season only for second place in the championship behind Dale Earnhardt.
In the 1994 season, Penske moved producers and went with Ford engines at the start. With the new cars Wallace reach eight wins, 17 top- five and 20 top-10 results, which was enough for a third place in the championship at the end. The year 1995, however, was not so good and Wallace scored just two victories. At the end of the season he was in 5th place in the championship. Despite a total of five victories in the following year, Wallace slipped into the Championship from fifth to seventh place.
In 1997, the main sponsor Miller joined the advertised brand to Miller Lite. In order for the blue and gold was "Midnight" color scheme replaced by a new, blue and white. In the championship, Wallace reached only ninth place, mainly because only a single victory during the season, and eight top - five and twelve top 10 places.
In the 1998 season, Wallace won the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, but for which no championship points are awarded. It was the first victory for the new Ford Taurus and his only victory on this route. Towards the end of the season he won the race at Phoenix International Raceway, which was enough for fourth place in the championship.
After a season with only one win and place 8 in the championship in 1999, Wallace improved slightly in the following season. His four victories handed to seventh place in the final. He reached this place again in the years 2001 and 2002, but with only one or no each single victory. Even after switching to Dodge in 2003 remained Wallace winless this season. Accordingly, he slipped to 14th place in the Championship match and was after ten years for the first time no longer in the top 10
The 2004 season should be the last in the career of Wallace in which he was able to achieve a victory. This 55th and last, he scored at the spring race at the Martinsville Speedway. On 30 August 2004 announced Wallace that the 2005 season will be his last as a full-time driver. The ability to then participate in occasional selected races, but was zunichtegemacht by his contract as a commentator. The only race in which he went to the launch in 2006, so was the 24 - hour race at Daytona, along with Danica Patrick and Allan McNish.
Commentators career
On 25 January 2006 it was announced that Wallace will comment on auto racing for ESPN and ABC. Despite lack of experience in Formula racing its operations began in the Indy Racing League, including the Indianapolis 500 since the start of the 2007 season, he comments on the NASCAR broadcasts of both stations, with whom he has signed a six-year contract.
Car owners
Wallace is the owner of his team Rusty Wallace, Inc., which uses the car with starting number 66 in the Nationwide Series, which is run by his son Steve Wallace.