Wallace disappointed but undaunted by season so far

Rusty Wallace is everywhere, from television commercials hawking cars to life-size cardboard cutouts at your local market's beer case.

But he's rusty when it comes to the winner's circle. And that's frustrating to Wallace, whose 49 career victories are third best among active Winston Cup drivers.

With just one win this season, Wallace is ninth in the points, reaching the top 10 with a fourth-place finish last Sunday in the Save Mart/Kragen 350.

"It's been subpar at best," Wallace said of the season that continues Saturday night with the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

The season has been marked by two accidents, one a frightening crash two weeks ago that sent his car careering into a wall in the Pocono 500.

"The right front tire just blew off that thing," he said. "And boy, when it blew, I just went flying into the wall out of control. It was probably the hardest crash I've ever had in my life."

Wallace emerged unscathed. In fact, he insisted on taking over the controls of his plane from copilot Bill Brooks for the ride home.

Flying, Wallace said, helps him put aside his race-day problems.

"It happens," he said. "You can't believe it happens. You lose a bunch of points. But all you can do is get back in the plane and go back home."

An avid pilot, he shares a hangar in North Carolina with fellow Winston Cup driver Ken Schrader. He also owns his own company, Diamond Aviation.

Wallace started flying in 1984, the same year he was named Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. In 1989, he won the series championship, beating Dale Earnhardt by just 12 points.

Wallace has been a fairly steady performer ever since, with at least one victory in each of the last 14 years. Although his pace has slowed dramatically since winning 18 times in 1993-94, he has finished in the top-10 in points for the past six years.

He also has become a road-course expert, with six career victories, the most of any active driver.

This year has been an inconsistent one for Wallace, with accidents in Long Pond, Pa., and Talladega, Ala., poor finishes in Hampton, Ga., and Darlington, S.C., and a costly stop for fuel in Brooklyn, Mich.

Crew chief Robin Pemberton called the season mediocre in many ways, but credited Wallace with keeping everyone cool.

"If you take out the races at Atlanta and Darlington, we've been competitive everywhere else," Pemberton said. "The crashes that we've gotten caught up in have really killed us in points.

"We've been able to keep the morale up the whole year, and the biggest reason for that is the fact that every week when Rusty lines that car up and hits the gas, every one of the guys on the team knows that we have a good chance of winning."

Wallace was third last Sunday in Sonoma, Calif., until John Andretti passed him two laps from the checkered flag. Nonetheless, Wallace was pleased with his finish, which advanced him two positions in the standings.

Wallace stressed that his season hasn't been all that bad. He not only won, but dominated, at Bristol Motor Speedway, his favorite track. He's had good luck with the engines in his Ford.

"We've already won this year. We've led a lot of laps. We've got a pole," he said. "We've got a lot more of the stuff that other teams don't have."

It's only a matter of time, he says, before he earns his milestone 50th victory.

"I'd like to have some more big, dramatic wins," he said. "I'd like to win the Brickyard 400. I'd like to win the Pepsi Firecracker 400.

"Those are pretty cool races that I'd like to say that I've won."

There is one sure thing in Wallace's immediate future. His star is still rising. His good looks and sharp wit make him a natural spokesman for his ever-growing sport.

Sponsors are taking the hint.

Most recently, he can be seen hamming it up for in a Ford television commercial. He's also done spots for ESPN. And Miller Brewing, his primary sponsor, makes use of his mug from time to time.

"Thank God the fans are there and I'm still popular," he said. "Because I would hate if the performance fell off and that fell off."

End Adv for Thursday, July 1

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