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2005
Spin:
The
Rusty Wallace era will come
to an end at Homestead in November
after a season-long Rusty's
Last Call Tour. Everyone hopes
he can win in his last go-round.
His best shot for a win should
come at one of the short tracks,
where he can hustle the car
and showcase his wheelmanship.
Wallace found success on the
shorts last season, where he
scored four top 10s, including
a win at Martinsville.
The Miller
Lite team expects to improve
on the plate tracks and develop
consistency in the pits. The
sentimental factor will be
high if Wallace makes a trip
to Victory Lane. Wallace will
be trying to end his legendary
career on a positive note.
Wallace
knows about good first impressions.
In his first full year of NASCAR
racing, 1984, he nailed down
Rookie of the Year. But it's
last impressions he's thinking
about now, ever since he announced
the 2005 season would be his
last. "We want them to
be able to look back for years
to come and say that we were
still out there turning heads
all the way till the end."
So
it's full-throttle for Rusty,
wrapping up his career behind
the wheel of the Miller Lite
No. 2 Dodge, with crew chief
Larry Carter fielding a beefed-up
pit crew. Rusty has high hopes:
"We can go out with guns
a-blazin', with race wins and
a championship bid to look
back on when the season ends
down at Homestead in November."
In
a career that's been highlighted
by 55 wins, along with some
of racing's most legendary
track battles with the late
Dale Earnhardt, Rusty credits
his fans for sticking with
him. "To me, it's simple:
I couldn't have got to where
I am today without the fans
behind me. They're more important
to me than I can say."
That's one of the reason's
Rusty's so excited about the
Last Call Tour, which is going
to give him and his legions
of fans a chance to connect.
"I've
been to a lot of places that
are out of the race markets-Wyoming,
South Dakota, places NASCAR
just doesn't get to, and it's
incredible when you do these
autograph sessions and feel
the energy of the fans. That's
why our Last Call Tour is going
to include a lot more of these
kinds of places." Rusty
added that new car paint schemes
and lots of new promotions
are going to help drive the
excitement. "It's my last
year. You can bet it's going
to be special."
And
then what? You can take the
man off the track, but you
won't be getting the track
out of Rusty anytime soon.
His involvement with Penske
Racing will only become deeper,
he says, and he's already an
owner of a Busch Series team.
Not a caution flag in sight.
2004 Highlights:
The
primary goal for the Miller
Lite team was to get back to
Victory Lane. Rusty was bound
and determined to get a trophy
in '04. After knocking on the
door at Bristol and Texas,
Wallace ended the wait by taking
the checkers at Martinsville.
Another Top 10 came later in
Phoenix, where Wallace powered
his way to a seventh-place
finish.
The
win at Martinsville that ended
the 106-race losing streak
was the undeniable pinnacle
for Rusty in '04.
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