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Even though he retired eight years ago, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1989 NASCAR champion, Rusty Wallace, showed that he was still competitive at an open test at Daytona International Speedway.
On Friday, driving the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, the 57-year old Wallace averaged 192.102 mph in qualifying setup on his final run of the day - good enough for fourth on the overall chart at the time. Very good for the former Penske driver who had been out of a car for those eight years.
“I really wanted to get back in the car and get a good feel for this Gen-6 car here at Daytona,” Wallace said with a toothy grin. “Not only did they let me run a couple of times, they ran me for most of the day. The car is fantastic - it was real smooth and nice, and the crew was kind. I hope I helped them a little bit, you know, with a lot of feedback.”
Current Penske driver, Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion was also pleased.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “Rusty is probably the reason why Miller Lite and Penske stayed together and got to the point to where I'd have this opportunity. I'd like to think I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for guys like Rusty and, specifically, what he did for the No. 2 team.
“That is up to him. He did a great job today. If Rusty wants to drive my car he can drive it any time. Just don't take my paycheck,” joked Keselowski.
On Friday, driving the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, the 57-year old Wallace averaged 192.102 mph in qualifying setup on his final run of the day - good enough for fourth on the overall chart at the time. Very good for the former Penske driver who had been out of a car for those eight years.
“I really wanted to get back in the car and get a good feel for this Gen-6 car here at Daytona,” Wallace said with a toothy grin. “Not only did they let me run a couple of times, they ran me for most of the day. The car is fantastic - it was real smooth and nice, and the crew was kind. I hope I helped them a little bit, you know, with a lot of feedback.”
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| Brad Keselowski, Rusty Wallace (Photo: C. Tilton/Getty Images) |
Current Penske driver, Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion was also pleased.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “Rusty is probably the reason why Miller Lite and Penske stayed together and got to the point to where I'd have this opportunity. I'd like to think I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for guys like Rusty and, specifically, what he did for the No. 2 team.
“That is up to him. He did a great job today. If Rusty wants to drive my car he can drive it any time. Just don't take my paycheck,” joked Keselowski.