Subway 500 - Rusty Wallace Notes

WALLACE'S LAST CHANCE TO ADD TO STELLAR SHORT-TRACK RECORD

-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Rusty Wallace Eager To Get Back To Martinsville Speedway-

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 18, 2005) - Contrary to most of the 10 drivers battling it out for the 2005 edition of NASCAR's "Chase for the Championship," Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace has been looking forward to this weekend's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway for months.

"I saw a poll of the 10 Chase drivers done recently and it really surprised me how many of 'em were concerned about what impact the Martinsville race could have on their chances of winning the championship," said Wallace, now seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after finishing 24th in Saturday night's UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Man, that's certainly not the case with me and my team. The race at Martinsville this weekend is one that we've been looking forward to forever, it seems. The track has been so good to us through the years and we're looking for another big boost there this weekend."

It's easy to understand Wallace's eagerness to return to Martinsville and the high level of confidence his team has as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup tour heads back to the paper clip-shaped .526-mile track, the shortest circuit on the schedule.

Wallace enters his final race at Martinsville and the last short-track race of his spectacular career looking to add to his success. As the active Martinsville statistical leader, his track record entering this weekend boasts seven wins, 18 top-five finishes, 25 top-10 finishes and three pole positions in 43 races. His most recent victory on the NEXTEL Cup tour came at Martinsville during the April 2004 race.

Wallace's career record on the short tracks (tracks less than a mile in length that include Martinsville, Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and North Wilkesboro Speedway and Nashville International Raceway, tracks no longer on the schedule) is quite impressive. In 159 races, he has scored 25 wins (in 15.7 percent of the races), 74 top-five finishes (46.5 percent) and 106 top-10s (66.7 percent). Of his 36 career pole positions, 14 have come on short tracks.

"We always come into Martinsville with the attitude that we can win the race and that's certainly the case for this weekend," said Wallace, who is 92 points out of the lead. "A lot is on the line as far as the Chase goes and that is what's most important. But, I've personally been looking at this race as my big chance to break those records for leading laps. It's a great opportunity for us to do that this weekend."

Wallace was referring to his laps led standings on the Martinsville track, as well as his overall career laps led total. Entering this weekend, he has led 3,632 laps at Martinsville and lacks 220 laps to surpass Cale Yarborough and become the all-time leader in laps led on the historical .526-mile track. By leading 47 laps during the April Martinsville race, he surpassed Darrell Waltrip (3,616 laps) for second-place on the list. Wallace has currently led 19,941 laps in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition and lacks only 59 laps to reach an unbelievable 20,000 laps led.

Boosting the Wallace and crew confidence even more for this weekend is the fact that they will be debuting a brand new car.

"I don't think it could come at a better time than this weekend," crew chief Larry Carter said of the team's introduction of their PRS-102 Miller Lite Dodge into competition this weekend at Martinsville. "Rusty always seems to have an extra spring in his step when we go to the short tracks. With this being his final race at Martinsville and the last short track race of his driving career, having this new car will just add to it all.

"Rusty's unbelievable record of winning races with new cars is something they've talked about for years," Carter continued. "The 102 will have never touched a race track until Rusty gets out there for the first practice session on Friday. We all are just chomping at the bit to get up there to Martinsville this weekend."

Wallace started second and finished 10th in last year's Subway 500, after a controversial encounter with Penske Racing South teammate Ryan Newman during the final laps of the race.

Several late-race cautions set up a seven-lap dash to the finish in the race. On the Lap 494 restart, Jimmie Johnson led, with Wallace second, Newman third and Jamie McMurray fourth. Johnson moved up the track to block an outside move by Wallace after the restart. When Wallace looked to go back to the inside, unfortunately Newman was already there taking advantage of the inside opening. Johnson went on to claim the win, as a spirited battle continued till the checkered flag for the other top finishing spots. Meanwhile, Wallace fell all the way back to 10th before he could get back into the preferred inside groove and that is where he finished the race.

"We had a real good car," Wallace said of last year's race. "It was just racing at the end. That's all I can say. It got bashed down in the corner. He (Jimmie Johnson) spun the tires and tried to block me. That's a normal thing. I would have done the same thing going down the front straightaway. Then I shot to the outside of him to try to pass him. We went side by side and we went down the back straightaway. He got about a car length ahead of me and I went to pull down behind him and got booted in the left rear quarter panel by Newman. I don't know if I pulled down on him or he just stayed in the throttle or what happened, but I got knocked up the racetrack and a bunch of them passed me and that was it.

"I told him (Newman) to stay out of my way, and I could win the race, but he didn't do it," Wallace said immediately after the race. "There's nothing I can do about it. I'll talk a little bit. I want to see what he was thinking. I know what he was thinking. He was trying to get the best finish he could."

Wallace started fourth and finished fifth in April's Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville, after getting nailed with a speeding penalty early in the race.

"We looked to be in line for even a better finish, but we got slapped with a speeding penalty there about half-way (during the seventh caution period of the race, before a Lap 189 restart which saw him relegated from the third spot back to 24th in the running order)," said Wallace. "But the car was so strong and the guys kept putting the great pit stops on us and we came all the way back up to fifth.

"I think we could have even finished a couple of spots further up if we'd maybe gone with only two tires when we pitted there the last time with about 70 laps to go," Wallace said of his team's decision to take on four tires during their last stop under the yellow on Lap 433. "The 12 car (Ryan Newman) and the 40 (Sterling Marlin) didn't stop at all and they managed to hang on for good finishes. If we'd had the two tires and the track position for that restart, it could have paid off there at the end. I started to say something to Larry (Carter, crew chief) about doing that when the yellow came out, but it looked like all the cars that came in were going with four and we sort of just followed their lead.

"Regardless, it was a good solid run for us. We led some laps and looked strong enough to win the thing," concluded Wallace.

Friday's practice is set from 11:20 a.m. till 1:20 p.m. The 3:10 p.m. qualifying session will determine the starting field for Sunday's Subway 500. The NEXTEL Cup teams have two 45-minute practices on Saturday, with the final session beginning at 11:10 a.m. Sunday's Subway 500 (500 laps, 263 miles) has a 1:20 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by NBC-TV and MRN Radio.

Notes of interest:

--While other competitors among the 10 "Chasers" may not be looking forward to this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway, Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace simply can't wait to get there. "I saw a poll of the 10 Chase drivers done recently and it really surprised me how many of 'em were concerned about what impact the Martinsville race could have on their chances of winning the championship," said Wallace. "Man, that's certainly not the case with me and my team. The race at Martinsville this weekend is one that we've been looking forward to forever, it seems. The track has been so good to us through the years and we're looking for another big boost there this weekend."

--Rusty Wallace has competed in 43 NASCAR Cup races held at Martinsville Speedway. He has scored seven wins (three in the spring race and four in the fall race) and leads all active drivers. He has recorded 18 top-five finishes and 25 top-10 finishes. He also has won three Martinsville pole positions. He has scored top-10 finishes in five of his last six races there.

--Rusty Wallace has scored top-10 finishes in his last three races at Martinsville Speedway. He has led 3,632 laps at Martinsville Speedway and ranks second all-time behind Cale Yarborough (3,851 laps). He is the only driver to lead in each of the last seven races at Martinsville Speedway. He finished 10th in this race one year ago and fifth there in April. He has posted seven DNFs in his 43 races at Martinsville Speedway but has not had a DNF in his last 17 races there. His 11.767 average finish ranks second among the Chase drivers in average finish at Martinsville.

--This weekend's Subway 500 will be the last short-track race of Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace's driving career. His career record on the short tracks (tracks less than a mile in length that include Martinsville, Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and North Wilkesboro Speedway and Nashville International Raceway, tracks no longer on the schedule) is quite impressive. In 159 races, he has scored 25 wins (in 15.7 percent of the races), 74 top-five finishes (46.5 percent) and 106 top-10s (66.7 percent). Of his 36 career pole positions, 14 have come on short tracks.

--Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace has currently led 19,941 laps in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition and lacks only 59 laps to reach an unbelievable 20,000 laps led.

--Rusty Wallace and his Larry Carter-led Miller Lite Team will be racing a brand new Miller Lite Dodge this weekend at Martinsville. "I don't think it could come at a better time than this weekend," crew chief Larry Carter said of the team's introduction of their PRS-102 Miller Lite Dodge into competition this weekend at Martinsville. "Rusty always seems to have an extra spring in his step when we go to the short tracks. With this being his final race at Martinsville and the last short track race of his driving career, having this new car will just add to it all."

--Rusty Wallace has been running at the finish in an unbelievable streak of 44 consecutive races - since Bristol last fall, the longest current streak.

--Rusty Wallace made his 701st career start at Lowe's and tied Buddy Baker for ninth in all-time starts. Wallace is expected to make his 702nd start at Martinsville Speedway and take that spot for his own.

--What a difference a year makes! Miller Lite Dodge driver Rusty Wallace enters Martinsville seventh in the point standings, 92 points behind co-leaders Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson. He has eight top-five finishes, 17 top-10 finishes and 24 top-15 finishes (leads all drivers in top-15s). He has an average start of 17.3 and an average finish of 11.6. He has had no DNFs this season. He has scored 24 top-15 finishes in 31 races this season, the most of all drivers. After 31 races had been completed last year, Wallace was 18th in points and a whopping 589 points behind 11th-place Jamie McMurray. He had three top-five finishes and eight top-10s. He had a 15.8 average start and a 19.8 average finish with three DNFs.

-- "What should happen when you make a mistake is this: You take your knocks, you learn your lessons, and then you move on." - Ronald Reagan