Sirius at the Glen - Rusty Wallace Notes

WALLACE KNOWS HOW "POINTS PIVOTAL" GLEN RACE CAN BE
-Miller Lite Team Penske Dodge Driver Predicts Some Top-10 Points Hopes Will Diminish There-

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 10, 2004) - Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace knows first-hand how crucial points-wise the races at Watkins Glen International can be. He thinks Sunday's SIRIUS at the Glen on the winding 2.45-mile New York road course will offer much drama as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup tour heads toward the first-ever "Chase for the Championship."

In a season when so much is riding on "making the cut" as a member of the top 10 points group at the conclusion of the Sept. 11 race at Richmond, one slipup on Sunday could mean a tremendous downward slide for the season. Entering this weekend's 90-lap, 220.5-mile road course battle, only 74 points separate eighth-place Bobby Labonte from 12th-place Jeremy Mayfield. There is currently only a 196-point difference between seventh-place Kurt Busch and 15th-place Mark Martin.

"It'll be a key race and it'll be critical, no doubt about that," said Wallace, a six-time road course winner, with two of those victories coming on the winding 11-turn Watkins Glen track. "For some drivers and teams, it 'll be just what they needed points-wise. But for some of those other cats fighting for a top-10 points spot, it'll be the beginning of the end. We know that from firsthand experience.

"The Glen and road courses in general can be downright cruel and a plain killer when it comes to the points. Just look at what happened to us at the Glen last season and out at Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) a couple of months back. We had great racecars, but the crazy problems we had really took their toll at the end of the day. Those races were just absolutely devastating as far as the points go.

"Last year at the Glen, we qualified fifth and looked to have a car strong enough to run in the top-five. However, about half way through the race, we had dropped back and were headed back into the top 10. Entering Turn 10, the brakes faded and I ran off the track, through the gravel and into the mud. We wound up losing two laps waiting for the wrecker to pull us out. That ended our chances for a good run and we finished 37th.

"We got behind there and then hit a rut where we blew an engine at Michigan, crashed out at Bristol and got involved in an early wreck at Darlington. Before you knew it, the bad luck had snowballed and we had gone from the top 10 all the way back to 17th in the points. In our bid to finish in the top 10 in the points last year, I guess you could say that Watkins Glen turned out to be the beginning of the end for us. At least that's what all the numbers showed."

"And I can't help but to think about that deal at Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) back in June. It just keeps on coming back to haunt me. We had fourth-place wrapped up and ran out of gas (finishing 28th). They said we lost 82 points right there on that one lap. We lost three spots in the points after that race and then getting crashed out at Loudon (7/25 at NHIS), that drop-kicked us all the way back to 19th in the standings before we knew it.

"Like I said, the race this weekend at the Glen will be very decisive," offered Wallace, now back up to 17th in the standings and 268 points out of 10th after his hard-earned 13th-place finish at Indianapolis on Sunday. "It 's bound to be a make or break deal for a lot of the teams out there."

As for his own personal outlook for this weekend at Watkins Glen, Wallace is extremely optimistic.

"We're bringing the same little hot rod that we debuted out at Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) and have a ton of confidence in that car," said Wallace of his PRS-75 Miller Lite Dodge. "It's the first new road course car we've had in several years now. The guys did a fantastic job in giving us a new weapon to work with. We put that baby on the outside pole out there and ran in the top five all day long until that very last lap when we ran out of gas. We missed out on a solid top-five run out there and I think we can be at least that strong - and maybe even stronger - at Watkins Glen with that same car this weekend."

Wallace's Miller Lite Dodge will feature a special Kodak Easyshare System color scheme this weekend at Watkins Glen.

"It's all dressed up in their popular and familiar cool-looking yellow colors and I think the fans will love it," said Wallace. "The fact that Kodak's headquarters is located just up the road in Rochester will really add to it all. We'll really feel like a home team out there."

So what will be the key to being successful at Watkins Glen on Sunday?

"Same as everywhere we've been this year," responded Wallace, whose overall career record on the track boasts the two wins, along with seven top-five finishes, nine top-10 finishes and one pole position. "You gotta be on top of it all day long - track position, fuel mileage, pit strategy - and have lady luck on your side. We got killed by the braking situation last year at Watkins Glen and we can't let that happen again."

Sunday's SIRIUS at the Glen NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race, the 22nd of 36 races during the 2004 season, has a 2:00 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by TNT-TV and MRN Radio.

Notes of interest:

-- Rusty's Miller Lite Dodge will feature a special Kodak Easyshare System color scheme this weekend at Watkins Glen. "It's all dressed up in their popular and familiar cool-looking Kodak yellow colors and I think the fans will love it," said Rusty. "The fact that Kodak's headquarters is located just up the road in Rochester will really add to it all. We'll really feel like the home team out there."

--And more about the car: "We're bringing the same little hot rod that we debuted out at Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) and have a ton of confidence in that car," said Rusty of his PRS-75 Miller Lite Dodge. "It's the first new road course car we've had in several years now. The guys did a fantastic job in giving us a new weapon to work with. We put that baby on the outside pole out there (in 6/27 race at Infineon) and ran in the top five all day long until that very last lap when we ran out of gas. We missed out on a solid top-five run out there and I think we can be at least that strong - and maybe even stronger - at Watkins Glen with that same car this weekend."

--Rusty's overall record at Watkins Glen sports two wins, along with seven top-five finishes, nine top-10 finishes and one pole position. He has the best starting average of any driver at Watkins Glen. He has competed in all 18 races there in the modern era (1986-2003), posting a 6.67 starting average.

--Steve Wallace came home with his best run of the 2004 UARA-Stars season with a third-place finish last Friday night at Anderson Motor Speedway. Steve also earned the East TN Trailers hard- charger-of-the-race award after qualifying sixteenth and climbing thirteen spots to finish third.

"We debuted our brand new Townsend car and it was fast off the trailer," Steve explained. "We looked to be a real threat for the pole, but dropped the sway bar in qualifying and wound up starting way back in the pack (16th). We just picked them off one by one coming up through the field. We think we could have won it, if we'd had another 20 laps. But it was a 150 and not a 170. But, it was still a good night for us and we keep getting stronger every week. We're headed toward a win real soon, I feel."

That win could very well come in this Saturday night's C, S & W Insurance 150 at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Va., the next race on the 2004 UARA tour.

Steve currently sits sixth in the series points. He is only 21 points out of fifth and 91 out of third. He holds a 41-point lead in the battle for the Hobart rookie-of-the-year honors.

--"Short and simple: Yes, but. = No!" -Curtis Swisher