[Team Yates]

Rusty back to Cup? with DEI? from an article at SPEEDtv.com by Kenny Wallace: The hot NASCAR rumor right now is not something you’d hear anywhere other than around the race shops in Mooresville, N.C. Everyone wants to know if my brother Rusty Wallace is coming out of retirement to drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc. next season. I’m running the #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega and was at Michael’s shop Tuesday being fitted for my seat. Six different crew members came up to me and said they’d heard a rumor Rusty was coming back to drive for DEI. These rumors get started in the Mooresville area because the shops are so close to each other and nothing can be kept secret for long. All I can say is that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And he is definitely considering stepping back into a race car. He’s considering this huge move because he watched Brett Favre come out of retirement in the NFL and his good friend Mark Martin is giving it another shot next year at Hendrick. If Mark had quit, Rusty would have been comfortable with his retirement. But watching Mark, who is a couple of years younger than my brother, stage this comeback has really tugged on Rusty’s heartstrings. Rusty has told me numerous times he can outrun half the drivers in the Cup Series and he truly is giving a lot of thought to returning to the track. If he wants to make that commitment, I’ll support him 110-percent. The decision is Rusty’s and his wife Patti’s, but I think the whole possibility is very inspirational and I’m looking forward to his answer. If he comes back, I think he’ll be a bit surprised by the new car. I predict Rusty will be successful but he’ll be shocked that he won’t have control of the chassis the way he used to. He’ll have an adjustment period because the cars are controlled by engineers, bump-stops and seven-post machines, technology that wasn’t in such great use when he left the sport. There is no doubt Rusty has the talent to run well but he’ll probably be upset he won’t be able to set up the car on his own or tell the team how to do it. Maybe we’ll know sometime soon if I’m right or not.(SPEEDtv)(10-1-200

[loco4pablo]

Oh Geez. I don't know why he would do this? He is 51 years old!! Hasn't he learned from watching Richard Petty and DW?

I think his Nationwide team and Steven Wallace will all be in the mix here.

[Robertdjr]

Not so fast, Rusty Wallace said in a statement released via e-mail to the Observer by his son, Greg, who is vice president of Rusty Wallace Inc.

"I love Kenny to death; he's been trying to get me back in a car ever since I retired after 2005," the statement said. "While any rumors like this are certainly flattering, they're untrue. I have a long-term commitment to ABC and ESPN and I really love what I'm doing right now."

Comeback talk 'untrue,' Wallace statement holds

[loco4pablo]

I would be surprised if he did get back into the car. But I wouldn't be surprised there wasn't something in the works with RWI and DEI.

[loco4pablo]

Speaking of which.... Whatever happened to Don Miller who was with Penske during Rusty's days there? I do remember Ryan Newman mentioning Penske racing hasn't been the same since Miller left.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by loco4pablo

Speaking of which.... Whatever happened to Don Miller who was with Penske during Rusty's days there? I do remember Ryan Newman mentioning Penske racing hasn't been the same since Miller left.

SI.com - Writers - Lewis Franck: Penske president Miller will be missed - Sunday December 23, 2007 7:33PM

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by loco4pablo

Oh Geez. I don't know why he would do this? He is 51 years old!! Hasn't he learned from watching Richard Petty and DW?

Earnhardt Sr. was very competitive at 50 before his untimely death. Rusty hasnt forgot how to wheel a racecar and will do just fine in a good car.

[loco4pablo]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

Earnhardt Sr. was very competitive at 50 before his untimely death. Rusty hasnt forgot how to wheel a racecar and will do just fine in a good car.

Dale was 49 years old when he passed away. From years 1997 to 2001. Dale was ages 45 to 49. In that span he raced in 134 races winning 6 of them which comes to a win every 22 races.
Even thou this very respectable. I wouldn't call it "Very Competitive". Besides Rusty NEVER had the talent Dale had and he's now 3 years older then when Dale ran his last race!!

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by loco4pablo

Dale was 49 years old when he passed away. From years 1997 to 2001. Dale was ages 45 to 49. In that span he raced in 134 races winning 6 of them which comes to a win every 22 races.
Even thou this very respectable. I wouldn't call it "Very Competitive". Besides Rusty NEVER had the talent Dale had and he's now 3 years older then when Dale ran his last race!!

Ok, I was a year off in his age, BFD. Dale was 8th in points with 3 wins the last full season (2001) before his death and 2nd in points in 2000. I believe that would constitute being very competitive.
The point is, Rusty has always been a very driven racer and in a good car should do well. He is every bit the driver Martin is and Mark is still capable of running up front.

[logano-fan]

I heard Rusty once say, that in a practice session with his drivers, he was few tenths slower than his son Steven, when he took the wheel of the car to just try it out.

If he does get back in the car, I am sure it will be more for the passion of racing than any other goal.

[onearmsteve]

retiring and then returning to the race car after several years is NEVER a good idea.

ask Neil Bonnett or Mario Andretti. one is gone and the other is fortunate to be alive.

[Robertdjr]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

Ok, I was a year off in his age, BFD. Dale was 8th in points with 3 wins the last full season (2001) before his death and 2nd in points in 2000. I believe that would constitute being very competitive.

Between 1997 and 2001, he had 32-Top 5's; 74-Top 10's; Led 1093 laps with an average finish of 12.3. His end-of-the-year point standings were: 1997-5th; 1998-8th; 1999-7th; and 2000-2nd, all of which would put him in today's chase system. I'd say that's pretty competitive too, for an old man. But then I'm admittedly kinda biased.

I'd be kinda skeptical whether Rusty could climb in one of the new cars and run with the young guns of today. Maybe he can. I just think he'd have a harder time than he thinks. Who knows? But like logano-fan said, if he did, it would be for the passion of racing more than anything else.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by 3fanforever

Between 1997 and 2001, he had 32-Top 5's; 74-Top 10's; Led 1093 laps with an average finish of 12.3. His end-of-the-year point standings were: 1997-5th; 1998-8th; 1999-7th; and 2000-2nd, all of which would put him in today's chase system. I'd say that's pretty competitive too, for an old man. But then I'm admittedly kinda biased.

I'd be kinda skeptical whether Rusty could climb in one of the new cars and run with the young guns of today. Maybe he can. I just think he'd have a harder time than he thinks. Who knows? But like logano-fan said, if he did, it would be for the passion of racing more than anything else.

I'm willing to bet that Bill Elliott would say that is why he is still racing .... or is that trying to race. Sorry but at Rusty's age (young to me !! ) he's beyond his peak.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

I'm willing to bet that Bill Elliott would say that is why he is still racing .... or is that trying to race. Sorry but at Rusty's age (young to me !! ) he's beyond his peak.

from what I hear, Bill is trying to help some old friends keep their nose above water until they can get their protege (Jon) competitive. otherwise he would be running more races, rather than fewer, and not be so involved with his kids and nephews/nieces racing. unfortunately he's a step slower than he used to be and his equipment is not top of the line either (2 strikes - one more and he's out!)

BTW: did you notice most of the "old guys" have taken the week off? they're leaving the thrill of "the big one" to the kids.

[bob101]

I hate Rusty Wallace...having said that someone said Dale Sr. "only" averaged a race win every 22 races post age 45 which isn't that great.

I beg to differ. That equates to at least a win a year. How many teams would KILL for a driver that could bring home a win once a year. Look how few teams have a win this year.

On the cup circuit there have been 10 drivers with a win so far and 77 different drivers have attempted to qualify at least once.

I was thinking today who would be left to drive at DEI now Almirola and Truex is that it?